U2 - Did You Know?
February 8, 2018Music facts, music trivia, interesting stories and much more. Introducing the "Did You Know" page about Irish rock band, U2.
Enjoy!
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. They were formed in 1976 and consist of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion).
Initially rooted in post-punk, the music style of U2 evolved throughout their music career, yet has maintained an anthemic sound which is built on Bono's expressive vocals and the Edge's effects-based guitar textures.
U2 is one of the most famous and successful groups in the world of music, but did you ever stop to wonder how Bono and The Edge ever got their nicknames?
Well, here goes...
The Edge (Real name: David Howell Evans) came about because of his chin, while "Bono Vox" was the name of a hearing aid company that Paul Hewson (Bono's real name) saw on TV.
Because U2 was considered a "loud" band, Bono (Then still Paul) thought that it was a suitable stage name for him, and so it is to this day.
U2 have released 14 studio albums and are one of the best-selling music artists in history worldwide, with more than 170 million records sold all over the world.
Even more than that, U2 have won no less than 22 Grammy Awards, which is more than any other band, and in 2005, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
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In the song "With or Without You" by U2, Bono describes a tortured relationship that he can't escape. The lyric can be interpreted in many ways and Bono explained that he wanted to write a love song that dealt with real issues.
Bono also said that everyboy in the band knows what the line "and you give yourself away" in the song means, as it is about how Bono feels in U2 sometimes, which is exposed.
This song was U2's breakout hit in America, where the band had only modest success, until the band's The Joshua Tree album. "With or Without You" topped the US chart and also reached the No.4 spot on the UK chart.
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The song "The Unforgettable Fire" by U2 was inspired by an exhibit of the same name the band members saw at the Chicago Peace Museum while on tour in 1983. The museum exhibit featured artwork from Japanese victims of the Hiroshima bombing.
In the beginning of the song, from :04 to :07 seconds, you can actually hear Larry Mullen Jr. start to hit his drumsticks early. Immediately after, Mullen mutters out the word "s-it."
At around :22 seconds into the song, Mullen starts to drum again, but now at the correct time. This small glitch has never been removed from the album, nor from the band's "Best Of" compilation.
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On the song "New Year's Day" by U2, The Edge played piano as well as guitar. In concert, The Edge played the song on the piano with his guitar on his lap. For his guitar solo, he would get up and go to the front of the stage, as the crowd cheered wildly.
U2's lead signer Bono considers "New Year's Day" a love song. While the song is about war, it deals with "the struggle for love." Bono wrote the song shortly after he married his childhood sweetheart, Ali.
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