Bono and John Lennon

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Jamila

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As many of you may know, John Lennon is one of Bono's ultimate heroes - musically, Lennon may be Bono's biggest single influence.

Today, 9 October, would have been Lennon's 65th birthday if he was still alive.

Today there was a MAGNIFICENT program on NPR about John Lennon's life and legacy and I just wanted to share a few of the similarities between John Lennon and Bono mentioned in the program which stood out for me.

Some of what John Lennon said really reminded me of words that Bono could easily say (or at least think sometimes).

Lennon mentioned that no one "controls" him - that he is basically uncontrollable. (smile)

John further goes on and states that if people think that "you have some part of me because you know me through the music" then people are sorely mistaken.

I thought of Bono right away because all of us think that we know him because of the effect that his (U2's) music has had on our lives when most of us will never get the chance to REALLY KNOW BONO from his inside out.

Later in the program John Lennon stated something that reminds me of Bono's "Dream Out Loud" quotation.

Lennon exhorts us to "make your own dream". He tells us not to rely on any one outside ourselves (whether politicians, Jesus Christ or Buddha) to make our dreams come true but to "do it yourself".

Lennon had some great one liners in his interviews that I will always remember.

He said how he wasn't afraid of death because he didn't believe in it. John said that all death was was "getting out of one car and into another".

Then he went on and stated that if world peace wasn't achieved by the time he had to leave the world that "we'll probably have to be back to try it again. So....we'll be back."

Just excellent ideas and thoughts from the Heart and Soul of John Lennon.

Somehow, I think Bono's spirit will find some way to keep returning to this earth until we get it right. (smile)

At the end of the program, two music critics talk about John Lennon's music and some of what they said really spoke about U2's music too.

They talked about the sharpness, the hardness and the edginess of Lennon's music amidst its often gentleness and beauty.

It was like a cement floor on which you could scrape yourself when you came up against it. It may scratch you (or open up veins like Bono says), but it helped to get you to your inner feelings.

And yet, by being that cement floor, Lennon's music could give you something to stand on - something to rely on - in a world of everchanging values.

It was an amazing description of Bono's lyrics and U2's music!

So, on this 65th anniversary of John lLennon's birth, I thought that I would share my ideas and feelings from this program and give you the link in case you would like to listen to it and get better acquainted with John Lennon's life and legacy.

Here is the link:

http://www.hearingvoices.com/special/2005/lennon/


I hope you will listen and learn from John Lennon. He was my childhood hero - and still is.

Bono follows directly in many of his footsteps.

Blessings not just for those who kneel. :hug:
 
Honestly, I am still not over John Lennon's death. I'll never get over such a tragic development. I'll never forget getting up and seeing the headline on the newspaper "Ex-Beatle John Lennon Slain". Maybe I should think more of the guy's birth than his death, but I can't help it, that was so devastating.
 
Thanks so much for that Jamila! :) :up:

I've always thought that B has a lot in common with John&that they'd have got on! :yes: :happy: :sigh:

I feel the same as you about not getting over John verte! Only in the last few years has it become more bearable for me to deal with the way John died :sad: For so long i couldn't help bursting into tears whenever i thought about him, but i'm so happy to listen to his wonderful songs! :D :heart:
 
I was also there living in New York City, when the tragedy ocurred. A very sad day indeed.
I still love the Beatles music, and I defenitly rank it in that "sacred spot" up there with the likes of Mozart and Beethoven and the other musical genious who have touched humankind with their art.

It´s true that Bono does have a few things closely related to John.
A few you have already mentioned, but here are some others you might not know...

Both Lennon and Bono have/had this charismatic way of capturing peoples love and attention.
As a human being, he (Lennon/Bono) was seriously troubled, the result of a lifetime of festering pain.
Lennon was separated from his parents as an infant (his father went off to sea and his mother on to good times, the next relationship, and eventually an early death), he was raised by his aunt, Mimi Smith, in a middle-class British setting.
Bono also lost his Mom at an early age and was raised by family.

Lennon was a behavior problem all through school, but early on found something like salvation, in U.S. rock'n'roll, which he loved.
the same thing with Bono.

Lennon formed his first band at age sixteen.
Bono met with Larry, Dave (Edge), and Adam just about the same age to form a new band over at Larrys house.

Lennon was an outspoken kinda guy when it came to peaceful movements, and so is Bono.
BUT Mr. Paul Hewson has gone one step further in his cause instead of just "laying in bed" for a world peace revolution like Mr.Lennon.

That is where the similarities end. Lennon loved his drugs and Bono doesn´t do them. Unless you consider drinking a major-heavy drug.

Lennon divorced his first wife and kid.
Mr. Bono never did leave his "sweetest thing".

The Beatles performed stadium concerts for a while, but found them too "embarrassing".
U2 has performed many stadium concerts and that is where they really want to be playing at, it´s their home.

Still, I love THE Beatles music and their genious ways of having recorded their songs for all of us.
I have ALL of their vinyl records...
but I also have ALL of U2´s records too :up:
Both bands are the Greatest.
Side-by-side , of course :hug:
 
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Someone handed a picture of John Lennon to Bono last night at the tip of the ellipse. He hugged it and then was very careful to give it to John Sampson.
 
Jamila said:
As many of you may know, John Lennon is one of Bono's ultimate heroes - musically, Lennon may be Bono's biggest single influence.



That's a great post...thanks so much:)

I was barely on the planet when Lennon died, but his legacy is something to behold. I saw a cover of his Imagine album recently, a side profile shot, and it looked so familiar to me. Then I realized what it was...it reminded me of a similar photo of Bono in the New York Times.

It's so sad that what Lennon stood for was gunned down so suddenly.

And now, knowing that Bono stands for much the same today, it makes me appreciate him even more.
 
ramblin rose said:
Someone handed a picture of John Lennon to Bono last night at the tip of the ellipse. He hugged it and then was very careful to give it to John Sampson.

Was that what Bono was hugging in the videoclip I downloaded (from MTEdge I believe). How cool!

:love: John Lennon is a true legend :love:
 
When I first heard about what ramblin' rose said happened at the concert on Sat. night with Bono hugging the pic of John Lennon wearing his "ONE" button - I lost it.:sad:

That was absolutely brilliant and very thoughtful toward Bono.

And thanks, everyone, for your thoughts and feelings expressed here. They are all very much appreciated.

And thanks, Max_the Hitman, for your wonderful thoughts about the similarities between Bono and Lennon.

I already knew about most of them but it was great that someone else wanted to post their ideas in depth about this subject besides me. :wink:

IMAGINE....:yes:
 
I remember the day he was killed. It was hard coming into work, then a French grad student who was a very good friend came into my office -- he was very upset and asked me if I'd heard and I remember I started crying.

And because of all of this, I truly worry about Bono's safety.
 
"And because of all of this, I truly worry about Bono's safety."

I do too, swandiver.

I hope that Grace is always with Bono to protect him. :angel:
 
Being so strong in his beliefs and truly making a heartening change in the world coupled with the fact that he's out there amongst the people so much just scares the whey out of me. I guess we just must have faith.
 
swandiver said:
Being so strong in his beliefs and truly making a heartening change in the world coupled with the fact that he's out there amongst the people so much just scares the whey out of me. I guess we just must have faith.

scares me too:| :sad:
 
I remember the day Lennon was shot too. It was such a sad, sad day. Horrible. He was such an optimist and certainly had many more good years in which he could have continued to spread his word of peace, and to spend more time with his son. It would have been so cool to have had the opportunity to have seen Bono and John Lennon perform together or to do projects together. I would love to see Sean Leannon and Bono do something together.
 
Well they did perform at the Free Tibet concert in 1999, didn't they?

There are a couple of pics with Sean and Bono at the concert posted every once and awhile in PLEBA.

Can anyone post one? :hyper:
 
Just getting to this thread and I am so moved at the similarties that Lennon and Bono share...I cannot believe I never noticed these things before. Thank you for sharing that with us Jamila and Max..I know one day this world will realize the dream of Dr. King and John Lennon, and the world will truly be as ONE.
 
thanks, Carmelu2fan, for your very sincere input to this thread.

John Lennon was one of Bono's earliest hero and probably his biggest musical influence.

So there would be many similarities between them - right down to having one of their children born on their birthdate. (John and Sean Lennon, Bono and Jordan) :hug:
 
It was a sad day when John Lennon died. A man who stood for peace & love. He was one of my mentors I guess you could say. I pray each day for Bono--some may think that's silly--but I don't want what happened to John to happen to Bono.
 
The ninth would have been my dad's 76th birthday also.

Very often my husband refers to Bono and the Edge as the "Lennon and McCartney" of the band. I don't think he is trying to slight Larry and Adam as much as play up the significance of Edge's guitar mastery and Bono's- well, Bono;s everything else, so to speak.

As long as we remember what Lennon stood for, what he hoped for out of this world and try to live our lives in a way that cares for others instead of tearing them down, he will live on.
 
I almost forgot to post this with my last post on this thread.
The Beatles and U2 ...or is it U2 and the Beatles?
You go figure it out.
Great bands, both of them.

beatlesairguitars_U2_03.jpg
 
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