beli

Adams butt

biff

Good, because there is no evidence for this. McGuiness says Bono writes 98% of the lyrics, as do other sources, including the Flanagan book. I guess that would include the profound bits.
I do feel personally that you are perhaps somewhat too dismissive of the "atmospheric warbling". Are there not any U2 lyrics that do something more for you than merely "set the mood of the songs", as you say?

Here are comments from some interesting people who actually know the guy:

Wim Wenders:

"Bono is probably the most amazing person I've every met. Who could have become a great director, writer, philosopher, preacher, whatever."

Bill Gates (gasp):

"He only reluctantly agreed to meet Bono, the lead singer of the band U2 who campaigns for debt relief and AIDS prevention, as a courtesy to his old friend and co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen.

"I have to admit, I didn't think I wanted to spend time with Bono," Mr. Gates said. "I mean, you know, I don't meet with rock stars. What would I talk with them about?"

Their meeting changed his mind. "I mean, this guy is a genius, and not just a music genius," Mr. Gates said. "So I didn't expect it to be fun the way I know it would be fun to meet with my TB expert or to spend time talking with Rick Klausner and brainstorming about how we do this stuff."


So I still say that this person is more than merely a canny, observant, unreflective mimic.

But what do we know?

beli

Oh no, I'm obviously coming across the wrong way. I adore the atmospheric warbling, I do, I do. No one does it better than Bono. I can also listen to Italian pop Opera (Bocelli, Pavarotti, etc ) and enjoy it immensely even though I don't understand Italian.

I agree with Wim Wenders I believe Bono could/will become anything he wants. And I agree with Bill Gates too.

I think your being dismissive of tacticians skills. Seriously, its a tremendous skill that Bono has. Very few people have it. The ones I have met are all high powered business people.

I think this is not coming off well due to me possessing the linguistic skills of an accountant. My comments weren't an insult, quite the contrary.

As for the lyrics and what they do for me. I like the sound of U2 as a whole. I'm in the minority here. Whenever theres a poll held to see who prefers the lyrics to the music or the melody to the rhythm, I'm always with the minority in prefering the music. Actually with the melody versus rhythm song I was the only person who voted for the rhythm. I'm just as happy at listening to instrumentals as I am to songs with lyrics.

I copped a lot of flax when I was running one of the Survivors for including Passengers songs. Apparently instrumental songs are not songs and shouldn't be included. A singer is another instrument to me.

As for lyrics the only U2 song where I really listen to the lyrics is So Cruel. If you asked me to sing along to a U2 song I would be incapable of doing so. At concerts, for any band, I'm the sort that likes to sit in the corner with my eyes closed and let the music wash over me, take me away. Unless its something like Youssou N'Dour where theres four drummers and I'm up and dancing. (Actually Youssou is another singer I like and I don't speak a word of French )

Does this clarify or confuse? lol

biff

Also, this is no doubt a really dumb question, but...Neil Diamond?
I don't think I know what this is referring to, unless it's the "I AM" bit, in which case I guess maybe they both borrowed from the Bible. Does the John Lennon reference refer to God Part II, or something else?

__________________

beli

A Man and A Woman "How can I hurt when I’m holding you?" is straight out of Sweet Caroline.

"Every Artist Is A Cannibal, Every Poet a Thief " is a John Lennon quote.

Theres another Neil one too, Ive temporarily forgotten.

beli

And theres more. I'm blanking at the moment. Theres another Salman Rushdie quote (not Ground Beneath Her Feet)

beli

Just out of curiosity, which U2 songs do you consider profound?

PS I just went a hunting for my John Lennon Cds to listen to God and I can't find them.

biff

We posted at almost the same time!

So, you adore the atmospheric warbling, and that's fine, but you still would somehow prefer to imagine that the "profound lyrics" are written by Edge. Could this be because there's a disconnect between the profundity of the lyrics and the image you have of Bono as a canny yet unreflective tactician? Could there be some sort of puzzle here?

I do agree that Bono's tactical skills are remarkable, and have got him far. I just think there's more depth there.

I also agree that in many cases the singer is, and should be, another intrument. Passengers is one of my favourite albums.
But lyrics do often have as deep an impact on me as the music.

I'm rambling here. My comfy bed is calling. I guess we shall have to agree to disagree on some of this, at least until I've had some sleep.

__________________

biff

From what, do you remember?

beli

thats a quote from Financeguy in another thread.

beli

Quick reply as Im racing off out the door.

Achtung Baby contains the songs I personally consider to be U2s most profound and as The Edges personal life is reflected partially in that album thats why I think maybe Edge is the profound one. lol. Im typing without proof reading my posts.

The John Lennon quote was a quote not a snippet from a song. I'll find it for you when I return.

biff

Well, it was Edge's (and Guggi's) divorce experiences, but Bono's words. So what makes it profound, the actual break-up of the marriages, or the way that was expressed? What makes it art?

Also, I Googled the Heaney reference, and the only actual match was the quote from Financeguy. If Bono used an exact quote from Heaney, the Nobel prize winner, it wouldn't have been stealing and hoping no one would notice. It would have been an homage, as it was with Bukowski and Schwartz. (But I can find no Heaney poem with those lines.)

Anyway, anon!

beli

Firstly, I'll go beat up Financeguy. I know which thread he lives in.

The actual breakup of a marriage isn't art, no. I just find it odd that the only album that features profound lyrics, to me, is the one recorded when The Edge was experiencing heavy personal issues. Why is this? Did The Edge write some of the lyrics? Does Bono only experience pain through very close friends (as well as himself)? To me a poet is a person who has empathy and feels many situations.

As for personal pain of Bonos, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own is full of cliches. Nothing profoud here.

Stuck in a Moment is a deeper but its completely missing on understanding of the situation. I know we disagree on this and thats fine. I feel if you say "pull yourself together" to a suicidal person they are likely to pull a punch or jump off the edge.

Slide Away is another one thats not empathetic

We could pick through the lyrics on the latest album. Again, nothing profound there.

Or another album. I'm curious as to which songs you find intriguing.

PS What do you teach? This is where you come out and say you teach literature isn't it.

blueeyedgirl

I'm going to butt in here, because I can and I like to piss off Beli .

From reading the Dunphy and Flanagan books, as well as interviews, Bono always talked about how difficult it was to have his father's outright approval. I remember one time he talked about his father seeing them play in the US and Bono thought (my paraphrasing here) "here he comes, he's finally gonna tell me he's proud of me, and my old man comes up and says "That was vrey professional, son".

That quote and his general demeanour, the way he behaves, to me shows someone who's desperate to be LIKED. Maybe this is deathly obvious to everyone, but I thought I'd go on about it anyway.

beli

That doesn't piss me off in the slightest. I agree with you. I think Bono has a pathological desire to be liked.