Is Bono A Genius?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
A genius by the conventional definition is someone with an IQ higher than 150, which is less than 2% of the population.

Musically, Bono isn't exactly an innovator, and he himself acknowledges that! So I don't know why anyone would claim that he is a musical genius.

I also don't see how speeches constitute genius. If that's all you have to offer, his genius credentials are pretty questionable as his speeches don't exactly say anything particularly original and Bono has a habit of resting on the expertise of others. Simply being a good communicator with a ready-made worldwide audience doesn't make you a genius.
 
Is Bono's IQ up around 150? I wouldn't at all be surprised. He used to win chess tournaments when he was a kid, and continually beat adult players. Combine that fact with his adaptability (debating economics with the world elite; becoming chief editor of a very popular magazine for the day and creating one of the largest selling issues in their history, etc, etc, etc)....I'd say he has a very high IQ.
 
If Bono is such a genius, why can't he think of words other than soul and kneel to use in his lyrics? :huh:

Seriously though, what has Bono done artistically, scientifically or socially that has set him apart from the rest of the population? There is nothing to suggest that Bono is a genius and the fact that people belief this is a bit frightening. :shrug:
 
I sincerely believe that artists can be genius, but really, I think that's reserved for actual artistic geniuses like Mozart or Bach.

Is there a modern day genius floating around out there in the music world? Could Lennon and McCartney as a team be lumped into that category? I think time will tell.
 
I think Bob Dylan, for example, is considered a genius by many because he defined an entire generation of folk music, then kicked it aside and reinvented his sound, which is something he's done again and again throughout his career. While you could argue that Bono has reinvented his image many times throughout his career, and that U2's sound has evolved, I don't know if I'd say they ever really defined or reinvented their generation of musicians.

There's also no way that any of us can know if Bono writes all of each of his speeches himself. Most people who give speeches on a regular basis have someone at least helping them, if not writing most of their material. I do believe Bono writes some of his material, but he really does say many of the same things repeatedly, just in slightly different ways. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because he's saying things that some people need to hear over and over, but I wouldn't say he's a brilliant orator necessarily.

I think it's possible for someone to be good, great even, without being a genius. It's like what I tell my students when they complain about their grades. If everyone gets an A regardless of quality, doesn't that cheapen the value of the people who actually did A work? We don't want to start calling everyone geniuses.

I also agree with corianderstem, that it's one of those things that time will tell. It may be much to early now to say whether or not Bono will be considered a genius in 20 or 30 years.
 
If Bono continues to make music like he is now I highly doubt anyone will consider him a musical genius. Besides the melodies, which are pretty good, but not INCREDIBLE, he's only got the lyrics to look at. And, well... yeah, we those have been greatly lacking lately.

I'm not trying to hack on the guy, because h's extremely talented, but a genius? No. I think people like to use that term lightly. Plus I think a lot of people here really want to think of him as a genius.
 
Bono's written some great lyrics. No one is denying that.

Saying he's not a genius does not mean we're denying Bono's talent. Some people seem to think that.
 
Yeah, the only people I'd definitely consider musical geniuses are classic artists such as Beethoven and Bach. Maybe guitar players like Fripp as well... not sure.

I don't think being a genius and making great music go hand in hand. Art doesn't necessarily require a lot of intelligence, just the ability to express yourself.
 
If mere speeches make people geniuses, then does David Lange's legendary "nuclear weapons are morally indefensible" speech at the Oxford Union in 1985 make him Stephen Hawking?
 
Bono's speeches are pretty good, but I was never really blown away by them. There are thousands of people in this country (maybe millions) who are perfectly capable of writing spectacular speeches. If you put enough time and effort into it you could probably make one too.
 
While I agree that Bono may not be a "genius" in any way (I have stated that before in his thread) I disagree with those who say that he and/or U2 haven't done anything so innovative it defined a whole generation of musicians. I think by saying that you're downplaying their role in music history. I honestly believe they have made music which has created sounds and emotions that no one has done before. Maybe as a group, they can come close to being "genius". And Bono as an individual has certainly been doing things that set him apart from the rest of society, even from the rest of the music world, I don't think there is any use denying this.

What I find a bit annoying about this thread is that we cannot seem to agree that the term "genius" can not be used for people like Bono without having to bash the guy in some way or the other. It's like: Damn, why aren't you a fu***ng genius! I think this is unfair.

As for his lyrics, as I said, these are so Bono and they are, too, what makes U2's songs so special. His lyrics aren't bad, the topics may have changed, but they are coming from his heart, and I think that only if you look at them superficially you may find them "bad" or stupid. I take Bono's lyrics over any of the complicated intellectual stuff any day, because they are part of why I love this band.

Having said that, I think U2 have really managed to do "their own" over all these years, to be unique. That's much more than most of today's bands can do. So maybe that's the thing that makes them "genius" as a band.

As for Bono's speeches: I think he samples a lot from different sources and also from the Bible, he uses a lot of scientific research and political quotes to emphasize what he wants to say. Most of his speeches are written by himself, but as any other speaker on the political, economic or scientific stage, he HAS to use a lot of other material to make his points stronger. That's what makes him competent in this field. He has a way with words, he knows how to communicate.

I think his rhetorical skills may be shown even better when he's doing interviews, because they are more spontaneous and he's not so prepared like when he's doing speeches. That's where his competence is really showing.

His speeches combine emotional appeal with facts, just like it has to be, I am always amazed by them. To repeat things over and over again is a powerful tool, used a lot in politics. His abilities in the political field are not so much that he can come up with ideas, theories and concepts all by himself (which, as we all know, he can and does a lot), but that he is able to draw from others, to study and learn, to communicate and to know how persuade people, win them over and establish the right connections.
 
Last edited:
I disagree that he still writes great lyrics. My ex girlfriend used to write songs with lyrics "from the heart", and looking back I can't help but laugh at them because they were crap.

I'm not saying Bono's lyrics are crap, because they're not. I'm just saying that something from the heart can be communicated in a crappy way. I think his lyrics from past albums (post-War, pre-ATYCLB) were GREAT. Of course he's still a good songwriter, but I find that many of his lyrics now aren't that great. They definitely lack the cleverness, bite and emotion that his past lyrics did. Comparing something like The Fly to Vertigo is laughable. There's been an obvious drop in quality.

I guess it's all subjective, but apart from some of his past work (MAYBE) I see no reason to think of him as a genius. That's not a diss BTW.
 
First, I DON'T think of Bono as a genius.

Second, if lyrics are good or bad is based on subjective views.

I write poetry myself and read a lot of poetry, so "good" and "bad", for me, are categories I don't use; to me, the only important thing is if I FEEL something reading it, if it leaves room for interpretation, if I have the feeling it's appealing to my heart and emotions.

I see there's a lot of negativity in almost all of your posts, more than would be necessary, so I think I'm leaving this discussion for good.
 
corianderstem said:
I sincerely believe that artists can be genius, but really, I think that's reserved for actual artistic geniuses like Mozart or Bach.

Is there a modern day genius floating around out there in the music world? Could Lennon and McCartney as a team be lumped into that category? I think time will tell.
Click to expand...

:yes: I think they are the "geniuses" of modern music, along with Bob Dylan, possibly Brian Wilson.

Otherwise, I'd say geniuses are not so much artists as inventors/scientists. People like Da Vinci, Newton, Darwin...
 
Axver said:
A genius by the conventional definition is someone with an IQ higher than 150, which is less than 2% of the population.
Click to expand...

Am I the only one who doesnt beleive much in the IQ thing? I have seen enuff proof for myself to prove IQ tests are BS

DEFINITION
genius, noun, plural gen·ius·es 1. an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music, etc.: the genius of Mozart.

Am not saying Bono is or isnt, merely providing a guide. I myself find it hard to believe a genius can come from music or art.....but, hey ho
 
Gman, I totally disagree. Geniuses can exist in all fields. As for doubting whether a genius can occur in the arts, take at the score of a symphony. There are dozens of moving parts -- and the summation of it is something complex and engaging, both on a technical and an emotional level.

I'd say Bono is a genius at his ability to emote. I've heard him sing live, and I've heard him speak live. In both cases, my attention was riveted, both to the words with the music, and the words without it.
 
I don't think there's anything wrong with people (constructively) criticizing Bono. I think that's much more realistic than people who think he's perfect. I don't think most of the people who are saying he's not a genius are bashing him. I definitely wasn't.
 
Feel free to disagree silvrlvr, thats the beauty of these forums. My reply to your post however then would be that surely John Williams and others are just as much geniuses as Mozart or any other composer?
 
Well U2 were one of the first recipients of the NME's Godlike Genius Award so they obviously think Bono or at least U2 collectively are geniuses :wink:

I don't know who comes with these things anyway but I'm sure I heard somewhere that a "true" musical genius is classed as someone who can hear and write many different melodies in their head at the same time which the vast majority of people can't do. Some of the classical greats such as Mozart and Beethoven had this gift apparently but I've never heard that Bono has it or any other modern musicians for that matter :shrug:
 
U2girl said:


:yes: I think they are the "geniuses" of modern music, along with Bob Dylan, possibly Brian Wilson.

Otherwise, I'd say geniuses are not so much artists as inventors/scientists. People like Da Vinci, Newton, Darwin...
Click to expand...

Is the ability to emote really a sign of genius, though? I see it more like a natural gift that can't be helped. It doesn't seem like something Bono has to use a lot of mental capacity to do, it's just how he was born. When I think of a musical genius, again, I think of composers like Beethoven, who could make incredible music in their heads.

I always thought of Bono as more of a really cool guy who just has an easier time connecting with people emotionally, simply because that's the kind of guy he is.
 
Last edited:
gman said:
Feel free to disagree silvrlvr, thats the beauty of these forums. My reply to your post however then would be that surely John Williams and others are just as much geniuses as Mozart or any other composer?
Click to expand...

John Williams would probably think so :) I only meant that a symphony is as much a technical achievement as it is a musical one. So people shouldn't rule out artists as geniuses because what they do requires more than just inspiration: they have to translate that spark of creativity into a lasting form.

Interesting argument, isn't it?
 
i don't think Bono's a genius.

i tend to think of a genius as being in another realm in the context of a single endeavor. we could say that Dylan is a lyrical genius. we could say that Hendrix is a genius guitar player. we could say that Lennon/McCartny wrote genius melodies. we could say that Simon/Garfunkel were genius harmonizers.

what's so great about Bono is that he's not defined by any singular quality (much like Bruce Springsteen). he's a multitasking, multitalented singer/songwriter/showman/shawman/activist who's done a whole variety of things brilliantly in front of a band who's singular "genius" might be that they whole is vastly greater than the sum of their parts. no band, i don't think, sounds as monumental as U2 with as few notes, and i think we can say that U2 has used music to create a new emotional language for music -- a kind of precarious balance of sad and joyful and confident and doubting and intimate and personal. it's in their reconciling of opposite-appearing emotions that U2 will endure.

as for Bono, outside of music, what he might have a genius for is the creation of empathy and then channeling that empathy into action.

could anyone else have made (evil, evil) Jessie Helms cry?
 
^ and that's why it doesn't matter to me if Bono is a genius, because he has the power to do that. Maybe the label of genius is overrated?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

MrsSpringsteen
Gilead States Of America
Replies
16
Views
895
MrsSpringsteen
MrsSpringsteen
MrsSpringsteen
Bono Irish Times Interview
Replies
0
Views
714
MrsSpringsteen
MrsSpringsteen
R
Help a MacPhisto out! - Night #2 (9/30) at the Sphere (pics and videos)
Replies
3
Views
742
Ralph_Sutter
R
W
Detective needed: Bono’s old car
Replies
0
Views
565
wjc1979
W
cobl04
Kiss the Future documentary
Replies
11
Views
3K
MrsSpringsteen
MrsSpringsteen

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom