Exit (U2 song)

"Exit"
Song by U2
from the album The Joshua Tree
Released9 March 1987
RecordedNovember 1986
StudioWindmill Lane Studios (Dublin, Ireland)
GenreRock
Length4:13
LabelIsland
Composer(s)U2
Lyricist(s)Bono
Producer(s)
Audio sample

"Exit" is a song by rock band U2. It is the tenth track on their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. "Exit" was developed from a lengthy jam that was recorded in a single take and edited down to a shorter arrangement. The lyrics, which portray the mind of a serial killer, were inspired by lead singer Bono's reading of Norman Mailer's 1980 novel The Executioner's Song, and other related works.

In his trial for the murder of Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989, Robert John Bardo used "Exit" as part of his defence, claiming that the song had influenced his actions.

"Exit" was performed during U2's Joshua Tree Tour in 1987 and returned to their live set in 2017 as part of their 30th anniversary tour for The Joshua Tree. Live performances of "Exit" are depicted in the 1988 film Rattle and Hum as well as the 2007 video and live album Live from Paris.