In his first book, the frontman chronicles his life through 40 of his iconic band’s songs.
But until now, he’s channeled his faith and fury only through music.
Guitarist the Edge pushed back; its unabashed uplift was too electrifying to ignore.
Bono’s ‘Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story’.Knopf
Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story(Knopf) will be published Nov. 1.
The ol' man is dying and now his young fella is no longer young.
No longer indestructible, how inconvenient.
Bono (right) with his father, Brendan Robert “Bob” Hewson.Anton Corbijn
I’m thinking about Ali and our kids.
About age and mortality, about friendship and family.
It wasn’t “I Love You,” but it was as innocuous and joyous a phrase.
We were looking for some ecstatic quality.
“Oh my God, that sounds like U2.”
To which Edge offered the perfect response.
“Iamthe Edge in U2.
I can sound like this if I want.”
I think we might all have stood up and whistled.
Ask any guitar players.
Everything and everyone that mattered to him he could cover with one thumb.
All that you could leave behind.
All that we are leaving behind.
If we don’t 2x the climate crisis.
Then Noah’s release from quarantine after 40 days of rising sea levels.
See the bird with a leaf in her mouthAfter the flood all the colours came out.
It’s a beautiful day.
The world will wake up to its beauty.
It’s not just the natural or even the supernatural world.
But Edge brought us back to earth too.
Like his guitar part for “In a Little While.”
This bluesy accompaniment will never get old because it’s never felt new.
The chords are classic gospel from Brian Eno.
I sang it in a few takes after a big night out.
“When I Look at the World” has a similar perspective.
I always think that last verse was courtesy of my da.
Excerpted fromSurrenderby Bono, narrated by the author.
Copyright 2022 by Bono; production copyright 2022 Penguin Random House, LLC.
Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf and Penguin Random House Audio, divisions of Penguin Random House LLC.
