bono/what must it be like to be ali?

[mickey]

drifting here, bear with me...

during slane, bono dedicates "all i want is you" to his wife. Yes, fantastic and jaw dropping lyrics...passionate. But the content can't be too flattering for ali could it?

How would a spouse deal with lyrics to songs like:

"so cruel"
"love is blindness"
"all i want is you"
"with or without you"
"gone"

would you shirk them? File it under the whole "artist is a cannibal" thing? Heaven forbid, there's no easy way to live with being the inspiration for such platitudes.

I've generally related to U2 love/emotional content when the relationships I've had went sour/melancholy. Certainly, there is the warm/fuzzy, happy time stuff like "sweetest thing", or "wild honey". But those are far & few.

Or is it that warm/fuzzy love songs a-la mariah carrey, whitney houston, michael bolton content are generally plain blah? Do I believe that love is a gut wrentching, emotionally demanding, herbie goes bananas experience? Are feel good, tunes not as powerful/epic because love isn't like that?

If I hadn't had my share of misery in relationships, would I relate well to U2 love driven songs?

just drifting along...

 

[Dismantled]

I am sure Ali's understanding of Bono is way deeper than any of us see. Marriage is alot of hard work...lots of sweat, tears and good times make a marriage ...its not one big Michael Bolton love song.

 

[VintagePunk]

How is the content unflattering?? Look at the lyrics of AIWIY. The things the female wants, and the things she'll give him. And his response. A very intense lyrical depiction of love. Naturally, dedicated to his wife. As for the other songs you mentioned? I don't recall any of them being dedicated to her.

 

[FungusAmongus]

first of all... so cruel, love is blindness... is pretty much known not to be about bono's relationship.. he was writing a lot from Edge's perspective at the time... while he (Edge) was going through a separation during the making of Achtung Baby.. as mentioned in various U2 things and the book "U2: At the End of the World".

alot of times.. a songwriter doesnt write from their perspective.. or sometimes not anyone specific at all...
its a part of being an artist.

yes, sweetest thing was said and known to be about ali...
but... i dont think bono meant what some people are thinking of about it (the negative). i mean, why would he release a song, worldwide, and for his wife to hear... if it were to be something unflattering, deliberately? it wouldn't make any sense.
he absolutely adores her and makes it very clear every chance he gets.

with or without you... i doubt is about her, or anyone specific in general. sometimes bono writes about just general subject matters. its how the songs write themselves sometimes.

also, it could be written about someone else (as bono has been known to do), or perhaps maybe even someone before ali... if it were to be personal.

 

[ArrogantU2Fan]

Ahhhhh I am a huge fan of Ali's independent of Bono and the wonderful work she does in Ireland not to mention her own unique intellect and spirituality...I belive Ali understands Bono better than anyone. They are extremely close and have created 4 children together. Marriage for them is no different than us. She hates his cursing...in front of children especially! Bono has said for years she keeps him grounded and he could not live without her. I am married about the same length of time as they have been and we have gone thru growth processes together and all night hashing it out sessions. We are committed to each other as they are and that takes a lot of work just as you evolve. Then Children come in to the picture...he admits he is not the disciplinarian and gives all kudos to Ali for maintaining a lovely home and raising the children. In a interview with her I read she was asked "what do you call him" and she said "baby" i smiled as my husband and i use "honey"!! Apart from him being away and trying to find a wee bit of peace from the world they are exactly like our committed marriages...i sometimes want to just go Ulster on my husband and I have a feeling she does too. Sometimes he gets tired of my woman "stuff" Darling do you want this or this and I am sure he does too. I find their relationship something of a inspiration. Ali is definately a person in her own right. Has raised four children basicallyt alone, gotten her masters degree, fought for her own humantarian causes what more could a man like Bono want..not to mention she is very beautiful in heart and soul.....Read about her if you haven't see what she has done. She never wanted to be in the limelight, she just wanted to be his wife and the mother of his children and I think she has done a brill job of it....Here's to you Ali Oh and something tells me that Bono is not a picnic to live with lol Susan

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

While I agree with the above comments, this reminds me of something. One day, Sweetest Thing was playing in the background, and I was sort of half listening to it. Suddenly I look up and remark to my friend, in a joking manner: "You know, Bono's lyrics suggest that his wife beats him." My friend stared at me for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

 

[HelloAngel]

It's a mistake to take U2's "love songs" in their most literal sense and assume the songs are all autobiographical.

Also, we must adhere to the FAQ for threads like this:
-->Posting about the bands' private life, questioning their marriages or sexuality is not allowed. Graphic sexual comments about the band in general will not be allowed. There is a level of decency and respect for the band we need to follow.

 

[ArrogantU2Fan]

I apologize to responding to a thread that is against the rules...I saw a chance to praise Ali and Bono and the inspiration they have been to me. I certainly am not questioning their marriage in any way...I do think they are sooooo wonderful...I again apologize got amy infraction of the rules....So Sorry Susan

 

[mickey]

vintage punk: “All I want is you”, happens to be one of the most passionate pieces of work I have ever come across, the simplicity coupled with effectiveness of the content, is humanity captured at its essence. I believe though, that what is being implied, are levels of expectations not being met. Wanting more, is inspirational in itself, but.....ah, it's unimportant. The beauty of U2, like poetry, is that one could see it in different shades, at different moments. I did mention, I was drifting. At heart, a person like Ali, would probably feel like she's on a pedestal.

fungusamongus: artist/cannibal, would be a way to explain it. I did strafe around that in what I wrote. I thank you, sincerely, for pointing out that the inspiration for some of the work I brought up wasn't Ali. artist/cannibal, would be something I'd relate to, adore and reflect positively upon. I could file it away easily and understand it.

arrogant: I couldn't agree with you more! I don't know the first thing about her, or anybody in her position, I was thinking out loud. This is the right place (I believe), for U2 related content. I generally get feedback and perspectives that I can use, they add/subtract and have relevance and bearing. Thank you for that direction.

dreamoutloud: I was engaged to be married once, too long ago. she was the stong & very reassuring sort. In a pillow toss, I'd wager my meager savings that she would win, hands down. I'm more comfortable believing it.

helloangel: I apologize if I crossed lines. I do see the value in that hallowed tenet you've referred to. U2 is a huge part of my life, I wouldn't intentionally veer on a course that might be disrespectful. I shall try my best in the future to be more aware of this - If I should fall out of line though, just remind me eh? I'm not the noisy sort.

arrogant(2nd post): I don't rightly know whether helloangel was referring to yourself, me, or the pair of us. I do know, that if you are genuinely apologetic, it's because of a situation I brought about with the onset of this thread. For that, I too am sorry. I believe strongly in the FAQ maxim brought up, I think it has merit. All, I can say is "oops....didn’t mean for my doggie to eat your homework, I really didn’t!"

 

[discotech]

'Wild Honey' isn't all happy and sweetness


"I'm still standing
I'm still standing where you left me
Are you still growing wild
With everything tame around you

I'd buy you flowers
Would flowers fall your heard
I know your garden is full
but is there sweetness at all

If you go there, go with me
Wild Honey. . . "




sounds like a break up/getting back together thing to me

 

[U2DMfan]

I think Bono is in general, with a few obvious exceptions (Sometimes YCMIOYO comes to mind) is more observational than autobiographical. And even with Achtung Baby most people cast those songs to being about Edge when Bono said after it came out that it was about several dissolving relationships that he had seen at the time.

Gone was written as a reaction to critics of the band, among probably other things Bono has said, essentially about "selling out" and how much of a con that whole discussion is. I saw an excellent quote from Bono about this in the last few months. "I'm already gone, felt that way all along" he said he was talking about ambition and those who lack it and would dub you a sell-out for having it.

Sure like most U2 songs, they become about several things at the same time, which is why it's best not to read that much into it. All references to love and relationships is just technique to blur the line between literal and universal. Gone, meaning "I sold out long ago, fuckers". I'll try and find that quote. "Got so much for so little, and you find that feeling just won't go away" also singing about guilt in a sense, about several things. What a great song.

All I Want is You, I always thought was a pretty sincere song saying "I don't care about the other stuff, I just want you". Sure you could read it as the lover being needy and not being able to deliver, but I personally never read it that way.

 

[Liesje]

Bono's said many times Ali prefers he keep her out of things, so we can't assume any of his songs (besides Sweetest Thing) are 'about' her/them.

Out of all the U2 songs commonly mistaken for love songs or songs about Ali/them, the only ones I'd bet money on are of course Sweetest Thing, and Promenade. The only ones I've heard Bono dedicate to her are Sweetest Thing, AIWIY, and Spanish Eyes. I'm sure others are maybe inspired by or loosely based on their relationship, but there's not enough there to speculate or infer any truth about their relationship.

 

[U2DMfan]

Bono's said many times Ali prefers he keep her out of things, so we can't assume any of his songs (besides Sweetest Thing) are 'about' her/them.

Out of all the U2 songs commonly mistaken for love songs or songs about Ali/them, the only ones I'd bet money on are of course Sweetest Thing, and Promenade. The only ones I've heard Bono dedicate to her are Sweetest Thing, AIWIY, and Spanish Eyes. I'm sure others are maybe inspired by or loosely based on their relationship, but there's not enough there to speculate or infer any truth about their relationship.

And the mysterious distance between a man and a woman.....

I basically agree with you. I think he may write a song about Ali directly, then he changes it over and over until the song has many tangents that could be useful to any given listener. Also, I think there are many Bono quotes about gushy love songs, and if there isn't a hint of distress about the relationship in the song it might come off as sappy or Bon Jovi'ish.

 

[Liesje]

I basically agree with you. I think he may write a song about Ali directly, then he changes it over and over until the song has many tangents that could be useful to any given listener. Also, I think there are many Bono quotes about gushy love songs, and if there isn't a hint of distress about the relationship in the song it might come off as sappy or Bon Jovi'ish.

I like to think he's recorded 5 volumes of sappy love tracks just for her

 

[ArrogantU2Fan]

arrogant(2nd post): I don't rightly know whether helloangel was referring to yourself, me, or the pair of us. I do know, that if you are genuinely apologetic, it's because of a situation I brought about with the onset of this thread. For that, I too am sorry. I believe strongly in the FAQ maxim brought up, I think it has merit. All, I can say is "oops....didn’t mean for my doggie to eat your homework, I really didn’t!"

I also enjoy threads that don't directly get into their lives and certainly do not discuss sexual things...but i do enjoy exploring the aspects of our boys that lift them up and inspire them in their lives. I would like to give the link to Ali's Webpage so members who would like could learn more about this amazing woman...please let me know if this is acceptable. I would never break the rules intentionally....Susan

 

[HelloAngel]

arrogant(2nd post): I don't rightly know whether helloangel was referring to yourself, me, or the pair of us. I do know, that if you are genuinely apologetic, it's because of a situation I brought about with the onset of this thread. For that, I too am sorry. I believe strongly in the FAQ maxim brought up, I think it has merit. All, I can say is "oops....didn’t mean for my doggie to eat your homework, I really didn’t!"

To clarify to end some confusion, I wasn't calling out anyone when I quoted the FAQ. It was simply as a reminder to keep the entire thread in a respectful vein. I didn't mean to imply that I thought anyone had crossed lines. Mine was a pre-emptive strike, not a direct hit.

 

[biff]

Re, Bono on the subject of love songs, here's a quote from a 2000 interview:

"I don’t want to write a song that reddens my face when I hear it on the radio. And I have written some straight love songs only to have put them aside because they might elicit projectile vomiting from the great outdoors ! So I like love songs that are bittersweet."

He's made other, similar comments over the years. In his view, the best love songs are bittersweet, melancholy, not saccharine.
And yes, I'm sure he has written plenty of straightforward love songs for Ali, but they're private, not for public consumption. As he's pointed out a number of times, she's a very private person who just happened to marry someone who subsequently became famous. They deserve tons of credit for sticking together through that.

Here's another quote, from the same year, when asked how autobiographical his lyrics are:

"They`re not literal, but they`re true. I take an arm of one experience, a leg of another and kind of put them together."

He's underscoring here the difference between the emotional truth of a lyric and the absence of literal, autobiographical truth. What's important is what we can feel , not what we might or might not know about his private life. That's what's so great about his lyrics; they transcend a simple story and become universal.

 

[FungusAmongus]

Re, Bono on the subject of love songs, here's a quote from a 2000 interview:

"I don’t want to write a song that reddens my face when I hear it on the radio. And I have written some straight love songs only to have put them aside because they might elicit projectile vomiting from the great outdoors ! So I like love songs that are bittersweet."

He's made other, similar comments over the years. In his view, the best love songs are bittersweet, melancholy, not saccharine.
And yes, I'm sure he has written plenty of straightforward love songs for Ali, but they're private, not for public consumption. As he's pointed out a number of times, she's a very private person who just happened to marry someone who subsequently became famous. They deserve tons of credit for sticking together through that.

Here's another quote, from the same year, when asked how autobiographical his lyrics are:

"They`re not literal, but they`re true. I take an arm of one experience, a leg of another and kind of put them together."

He's underscoring here the difference between the emotional truth of a lyric and the absence of literal, autobiographical truth. What's important is what we can feel , not what we might or might not know about his private life. That's what's so great about his lyrics; they transcend a simple story and become universal.

exactly.

 

[JCOSTER]

I have read that "Two Hearts Beat as One" was written about their relationship in their younger days. to them for being married 23 years! I met my husband at 16 we started dating the day after Bono and Ali were married. In the business he is in I would day the are 2 extradinary people to be together for so many years!