High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! "Where the Streets Have No Name" is a song by rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree and was released as the album`s third single in August 1987. The song`s hook is a repeating guitar arpeggio using a delay effect, played during the song`s introduction and again at the end. Lead vocalist Bono wrote the lyrics in response to the notion that it is possible to identify a person`s religion and income based on the street on which they lived, particularly in Belfast. During the band`s difficulties recording the song, producer Brian Eno considered erasing the song`s tapes to have them start from scratch.