Bono is definitely an extremely gifted person, and that's to be admired. He does what he does better than anyone I can think of. But that's his thing. We all have our talents, Bono was just lucky enough to get a musical and poetic talent.
The reason his songs are so touching isn't because he's perfect, it's because he's like you and me! I admit that when I first got into U2 I sort of put him on a pedestal. I thought "wooow man he's so cool" blah blah blah. But as I've really listened to his songs over the years I've gained a respect for him, not as a rock god, but as a human being. The reason his music is so touching is because he's like you and me. He shares alot of the same flaws. He has alot of the same fears and hopes and feelings about life and love and God and everything and that makes him extremely easy to relate to. It's not that he's so great at being a human, it's that he's so great at communicating. We strive to find sonething to connect with in life. Since we can't write or sing like Bono we relate to his music. The reason U2 is so great is because they're so down to earth.
That's why I don't put them on a pedestal anymore. Sure I'd be nervous if I met him. Not because he's such an amazing human being, but simply because his music has had such an impact on my life. I've loved the music so long. If I met him I wouldn't sob or faint, I'd wanna talk to him because, from his music, I've learned he's just a darn awesome guy. A guy I'd really like to sit down and talk to. I know that the reason his music is so great is because he doesn't treat himself like a rock god, but like a human with human feelings. Feelings all of us share. I think that's the secret (well not so secret anymore heh heh ) ingredient to U2's success. They write songs that make you think "holy smokes this song was written for me! Bono feels the same way? That's awesome!". That's how I've felt many times listening to his songs. That's why I respect him as a human being, and I think that's how he wants to be treated.
And yes, I honestly am annoyed by the extreme fanatics. I'd consider myself an uber fan. I have a collection of every U2 song ever recored plus hundreds of concert MP3s. I'm a huge fan. I'm a huge fan of the music. But people need to realize what I just stated above. He's a regular guy. He has just as many flaws as you and me and putting him on some holy cloud isn't healthy. Even the band members will say this. Heck, they find these people annoying too (especially Larry).
We all are respectable people. We all go through things in life that extremely difficult and extremely respectable. Just because we don't have the gifts society treasures, a pretty face and a pretty voice, doesn't mean we're not great people. We just don't have the outlets like Bono has. Do you think Bono's stronger, better, has gone through more hardships than we will? No. He's going through life too. His songs show this.
Remember the line from Love Comes Tumbling! "I'm yourself in someone else. Don't find yourself in me".
Don't find yourself in Bono. He's just a really awesome guy.