Robbie Robinson ([email protected])
Sun, 17 Jan 1999 14:05:10 -0800
I love and am fasinated by U2's lyrics, not because of what they
say, but because of were they take you. It's hard to explain
If you have the book "Race of Angels - The Genesis of U2" go to
Chapter 21 - "Composing the New Noise". Bono spends about 19
pages talking about writing lyrics. He says he's never really
finished a lyric, he has to stop when the lyric reaches the point
where it is directing the listener to where the band wants to
take them, because lyrics can't communicate what they are really
trying to say. They're attempting to takes us to a place that's
beyond the limits of language. Sometimes the simplest
words and phrases will work the best to do that, and it hurts his
ego to use them when he'd like to show off with something fancier.
He talked about how the opening lyrics to "Where the Streets Have
No Name" were so banal, but when combined with the music, they
were amazing. What they really mean when he's singing them to 50,000
people. Bono says " I want run, I want to hide/I want to tear down the
walls that hold me inside. A bit ABC. But if you say , Reach out touch
the flame.... If you put this in front of people your saying, I want
to go to this *other* place. This *is* another place. It is *accessible*-
now- in this moment. And I want to go there *with you*. Do *you* want
to go? Do *you* think that's possible? A step of Faith? That is...
*Phew*...That is *amazing*. And you can feel that."
Bono goes into a lot of detail about how he veiws and writes lyrics.
Too bad that typing out 19 pages is beyond me :)
But if you can get this book, it's fantastic and Bono, Edge and Adam
gave the author 19 hours of exclusive interviews to write it.
It was published in 1994 and never released in the USA, so you have
to pay import prices to get it (about $50). However, there are certain
chapters in the book I'd pay $20 for by themselves :)
Robbie
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