There are three U2 tracks on the album.  "The First Time" is the same version of the song which had originally appeared on 1993's Zooropa album.  Two other songs, "Stateless" and "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" were being worked on for All That You Can't Leave Behind, but U2 allowed to be stolen for this soundtrack instead.

Three of the members of U2 also had solo contributions to the soundtrack album.  Bono sings on many of the tracks, Larry performs percussion on several and Adam Clayton adds bass to the song "Anarchy in the UK".  Only the Edge does not appear "outside" of U2 for this release.

The soundtrack started a new decade for U2 and was the first time since the singles for Pop that there was new U2 material available.  The album was leaked on the internet a full month prior to release in stores in it's entirety, with mp3s from the album appearing on Febraury 14th.  Originally "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" was planned as a full fledged single, and had a promotional video filmed, but the label felt the release was coming too close to the release of U2's new album and did not want this to lead to confusion by promoting a non-album single.  Instead a promotional single was pressed and sent to radio.

• U2 has contributed to the following Wim Wenders' movie soundtracks: Until the End of the World (1991), Faraway So Close (1993), Par-dela les Nuages (1995), End of the Violence (1997), Million Dollar Hotel (2000).
• Wenders directed several videos for U2 including Stay (Faraway So Close) from Zooropa, Night and Day from the Red Hot and Blue Compilation.
• A slightly different version of Falling at Your Feet has been recorded by Daniel Lanois and released on his solo album, Shine, promotional releases for Shine, as a single, and as a promotional single.