Re: My Doubts Regarding Bono: I Need Reassurance!

Robbie Robinson ([email protected])
Sat, 18 Jul 1998 10:39:23 -0700

J wrote:
>
> I just listened to the bootleg (for the nth time!) of U2 first's ever
> Zoo TV show and Bono had so many mistakes in the lyrics. He was
> adlibbing and mixing up lines (even in Pride!..other songs include
> EBTTRT,WTSHNN and a couple more others). People have said that Bono
> sings with so much feel and passion and I really want to belive this.
> However, after re-listening to all his errors in that bootleg I had my
> doubts. Now I need some helpful Wirelings out there to help reasssure
> me that these doubts have no basis and that I should not worry.
>
> The incident let me recall even more bootlegs I have where Bono messes
> up the lyrics and when he improvise, the lines don't seem to fit and
> make sense. I've seen him screw up Stay ("and when you SHOUT you just
> might fall, and when you JUMP I'll only hear you") Mysterious Ways,
> HMTMKMKM, and One among the recent popmart boots. Now, my question
> and innermost fear would be: How can people say Bono sings with so
> much passion and emotion if he can't even recall all the lines of the
> song (thus, how can he sing about something he doesn't know)?
>
> >From all those incidents, it implies that Bono doesn't have the
> "control" and "authority" over his songs. An example of a great
> songwriter who simply has total control over his songs is Sting. In
> concerts, he even corrects some words or adds more appropriate words
> than the album version of his songs. Aside from writing great lyrics,
> he seldom or never forgets the lines in concert. But Bono does miss
> his own lyrics ocassionally, thus, casting doubts as to his passion
> and emotion because one cannot simply sing from the heart if he
> forgets the lyrics, right?
>
> Please...someone..tell me my theory is wrong! I don't want to believe
> it.
>
> Cheers,
>
> J

I know your trying to start a new thread here, but
J, your being too obvious. You don't really sound like
you need any reassurance, your not that dumb;) Anyway....
Every long time fan that's done research knows that the first
show of any tour they do is usually a disaster. I went to
Las Vegas for the first show of Popmart becuse it was the
fist show and easy for me to get to, but also to offer
the guys moral support when they fell flat on their faces...
I was right;)
As for other shows, well, Bono is an excitable and emotional
little fellow and that can lead very easily to forgetting your
place in a song or forgetting some lyrics. He's always
been like that. I think he's better about not losing his
place now than he use to be:)
Now, I've been a Sting fan for many years (although it's beginning
to fade a bit now) and comparing him and Bono is like comparing
lemons and oranges. Dear Sting is a very anal-retentive perfectionist
and never messes up on lyrics because he doesn't get emotionally
carried away. He likes to be in control of everything all the time.
I've always considered that to be one of his problems. I suspect that
his ongoing problems with writers block comes from his trouble with
really letting go emotionally. Especially if anyone is watching;)
Bono has a busted pipe when it comes to creativity, in other words,
he can't shut the damn thing off and he ends up stumbling over all the
ideas that keep on pouring out:) I think I'd rather have Bono's problem
than Stings. Even if it means losing track of my place in a song
ocassionally.
Oh yes! I think that sometimes when this happens, it's on purpose.
Bono just feels like improvising at the mic like he's done
many times in the past. Especially in U2's early years. He did
that all the time. Some people might not understand this if they
didn't know how much Bono likes to do that when he's feeling good:)
I think that's the origin of a lot of the parts of songs that
developed after the albums came out that we love so much.
Such as: "We shine like stars in the summer night...."
Bono has become the greatest frontman out there because he was
never afraid to thy new ideas off the top of his head during
a show. This was in the area of physical routines *and* lyrical
improvisation. It produced some hilarious pratfalls sometimes,
but Bono would never have gotten to where he is now as a performer
if he hadn't been a total daredevil onstage from the beginning:)

Robbie

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