Re: Bono's Lyrics

Russell Bennett ([email protected])
Tue, 19 Jan 1999 12:40:51 -0500

A friend of mine from film school who is Swedish bought the book for me
last summer. I started reading it but got sidetracked by the short film I
was making, and never picked it up again. I think I'll start reading it at
chapter 21. thanks. It will be a really good "in" to the book. I often
start reading books in the middle, and then read the beggining
(non-fiction). I find it easier to imerse myself in it by skipping the
introductory chapters (usually slower). And these often make even more
sense if you read them last.

I think Bono's lyrics are as good as ever, but different. he sings them
differently now too. the band has less to prove, and so, in a way, have
less on the line. You can hear that in the way he sings. Something is
lost, something gained. Part of my sadness at this may have to do with my
own changing psyche. You can't help but long (now and then) for the purity
of emotion that existed when you were in your teens and early twenties.
Time seems to dim your memory of the pain and sense of helplessness that
went along with those times.

I hear it in the new version of Sweetest Thing. It is a more well produced
song. More artistic. the bridge is very accomplished, and Bobo's singing
very beautiful in that bridge. But the voice has lost some of that
desperation, and with it some of the joy that can exist only in the deepest
pain - the pain of impending or probable loss. We go on, I hope, to
greater things, nonetheless.

Thanks for the book tip. I'll be bringing it along with me on my travels.

MonkyBoy

----------
: From: Robbie Robinson <[email protected]>
: To: [email protected]
: Cc: [email protected]
: Subject: Re: Bono's Lyrics
: Date: Sunday, January 17, 1999 5:05 PM
:
: > Russell Bennett ([email protected])
: >
: > It doesn't get much better than Please or Mofo. Some of the other
: > stuff is
: > weaker. Or maybe it just isn't as inspired. Inspiration comes easier
: > to
: > the young. Old age brings on complexity and thoughtfullness. We lose a
: >
: > little beauty and gain a little wisdom. Unfortunately music is an
: > emotional medium. Maybe we don't want thoguhtfulness in our songs
: > (structure aside....).
: >
: > MonkeyBoy
:
: 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

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Tue Jan 19 1999 - 09:59:17 PST