Interesting Bono comment?

[j72]

This really got me thinking, don't know if anyone
else has a thought on this or if it appeals to anyone or not.

Seems to be a comment on the band and their
ethos in general as much as the song in question.

Would be interested in your perspective

The song (and the album) closes with the lyric: "Choose you enemies carefully, 'cause they will define you/ Make then interesting, because in some ways they will mind you/ They're not there in the beginning, but when your story ends/ Gonna last longer with you than your friends." The Observer Music Monthly February 2009 asked Bono if he was singing the lines from experience. He replied: "In a way, I guess. I think one of the things that has set our band apart is the fact that we chose interesting enemies. We didn't choose the obvious enemies - The Man, the establishment. We didn't buy into that. Our credo was: no them, there's only us. Think about it. Every other band was us and them. The Clash, our great heroes. Then U2 arrived and it was no them, only us."

 

[The Panther]

Well, the biggest Bono/U2-hater of them all is Ian McCullough, singer of Echo & The Bunnymen, a Liverpool 80s band that have sold 143 records in 30 years (not a bad group, however). And yes, Ian is still here and still going, whilst most of U2's friendly peers of the early 80s (The Teardrop Explodes, Simple Minds, The Alarm) are long gone.

So there you go.

 

[Scorpionac]

Our credo was: no them, there's only us. Think about it. Every other band was us and them. The Clash, our great heroes. Then U2 arrived and it was no them, only us."

From Rise Above 1:
In a time of treason, is there time for trust
When there's no them, only us

Seems like Bono can't resist using his "lines" in both conversation and song. It's a good line.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

simple minds aren't "long gone" either. they don't sell much these days either, but it's not like they don't make music anymore.

 

[popacrobat]

From Rise Above 1:
In a time of treason, is there time for trust
When there's no them, only us

Seems like Bono can't resist using his "lines" in both conversation and song. It's a good line.

He's sang that "no them, only us" line at the end of One a few times too.

 

[j72]

Enjoyed the response thus far, thanks folks.
Really enjoyed being alerted to those lyrics in the songs, thanks, listening again to those songs today.

Regarding Mr Mcculloch of the bunnymen i have to admit he has made me chuckle on more than a few occassions with some of his acerbic comments, especially his baiting of Kerr and Bono.

It is no surprise to me though that The Bunnymen didn't make it big in America (correct me if i'm wrong) He seemed more than a little patronising to
the people and place.

I guess what also interested me in the Bono Comment about
only Us and this is my own personal take.

We can attack others that we perceive wrongly or
rightly to be our enemies but is that sometimes a veiled
outward attack on the parts of ourselves we don't like
in ourselves as well as the parts we do. If this seems daft, stupid or don't resonate with anybody i don't take offence.

Ps Simple minds are still going, have inserted a link to their most recent songS if anybody is interested. For me it is one of their most interesting pieces recently, it certainly doesn't sounds to my ears like Don't you Forget about Me (hate that song)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi0gDhCNmjU

 

[hand0lotion]

From Rise Above 1:
In a time of treason, is there time for trust
When there's no them, only us

Seems like Bono can't resist using his "lines" in both conversation and song. It's a good line.

Bono has a long history of doing this. The lines from Breathe "long line of travelling salespeople on my mother's side" were previewed in earlier interviews (Vertigo era, I think) wayy before NLOTH came out

 

[bonocomet]

And "original of the species" goes back to Joshua Tree era.

 

[j72]

Interested in this thing about Bonos lyrics reflecting his comments made elsewhere. In the cases that the comments come before songs it intrigues me that 'perhaps' some are calculated and some are natural fermenting ideas that form and rise within a new song.

I found myself intrigued for example by the idea of NLOTH ideas of speaking through characters. Part of me worried that this could feel cold and distanced and i know some u2 fans feel that way. For me Bono still seemed to inhabit the song and help me make my own personal meaning and connection.

I also feel this relates to my feelings about the way he seems to sing about parts that may have some resonance or not (as the case may be) with who he is as well as other "enemies" from without.. I seem to remember for example how he has eulogised Dr king because he feels he could not be like him as well as having more than some empathy for the frustrations of the character of "Silver and Gold" and wasn't there something about the guy in 'Exit?'. I could go on and on but am interested if folk had any more thoughts on this? The 'Darkness' make u2 such an interesting band for me as well as the light.


I guess i am aware i (and other people i know) do this in different ways myself testing, feeling, sounding out ideas and words unselfconsciously/comsciously. A common human trait i guess.

It seems to me he does this (quite brilliantly) sometimes regarding notions of where a forthcoming song or album is going. Although i confess it can sometimes irritate or bring me down if i have got myself excited and been underwhelemd as opposed to suprised and stimulated if the end product has failed to 'cook' and be what i felt it might be, POP would be an example for me.

Thanks for your patience if you got to the end of this and hope it was half interesting, apologies for gassing on, just throwing a few ideas out as they strike me. -Verbally incontinent 'Travelling Salesman' mark 2