North and South of the River Lyrics

Lyric discussion by Domo31 

Cover art for North and South of the River lyrics by U2

I rekon this song is about Derry (or Londonderry) in Northern Ireland. As in Derry the The majority of the Loyalist and Nationalist communities seperated by the river foyle which runs into a loch. The lyric

"I want to reach out over the Loch And feel your hand across the water"

may be talking about "bridging the divide" and the "hands accros the divide" which is topical in Derry.