Bono

Presenter0:01

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio Podcasts. Hello, I'm Lauren Laverne, and this is the Desert Island Discs Podcast. Every week, I ask my guests to choose the eight tracks, book, and luxury they'd want to take with them if they were cast away to a desert island. And, for rights reasons, the music is shorter than the original broadcast. I hope you enjoy listening.

Presenter0:45

My castaway this week was born Paul Hewson, but thanks to a nickname from a school friend, he's one of a handful of global stars known by a single name, Bono. He achieved that stardom decades ago with a few pals from school. Judged by any metric, U2 are one of the most successful acts in music history. They've sold over 170 million albums, won 22 Grammys more than any other band, and exploded expectations of what stadium concerts could be tour after record-breaking tour. Even more remarkably, they're still together 45 years on. But as it turns out, this wasn't all his life was destined to encompass. Just as his creative dreams came true, he found another job as an activist. His commitment to the Drop the Debt campaign saw him woo presidents and slip a pair of sunglasses to the Pope, eventually leading to the cancellation of many billions of dollars owed by 35 of the world's poorest countries. He says, When whoever said the job of the artist is to describe the problem, not to solve it, I wasn't paying attention. I want to be with the people who actually want to follow through and actually make things better. Actually.

Presenter2:00

Bono, welcome to Desert Island Discs.

Bono2:03

Well, thank you. Very, very happy to be here. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Presenter2:07

You once said there are a lot of bonnos and some annoy me more than others. I wonder who we're going to meet today on the island?

Bono2:15

Well, you know, if I'm going to be on the island for a very long time, I will enjoy waking up every morning to find out which one I am.

Presenter2:23

So you don't know on the day.

Bono2:24

Um no. I know there is a bit of an annoying gene in there. I'll be keeping an eye out for that one. You know, I'm a bit of a squeaky wheel.

Bono2:34

You know, when I my instinct tells me to follow through on something I won't let go.

Presenter2:37

Yeah.

Bono2:38

That version of Bono I could do without on an island.

Presenter2:41

And what about when you're on stage? I mean, you're out there as the lightning rods helming one of the most successful bands of all time. Does that bring extra responsibility with it?

Bono2:52

Oh, it's

Bono2:54

It's an incredible thing to be in front of a crowd and I loved performers and love performers who have no respect for the distance between the stage and the audience. This is why I used to do some dumb things and jump into the crowd and you know stage dive and climb speakers and make a complete plonker out of myself on occasions. I've fought with people in our audience. I think I might have even bit somebody once. I certainly have been bitten. I mean it gets mad in there.

Presenter3:30

I think we should get started. Disc number one. What have you chosen and why?

Bono3:34

I didn't start out as a singer for sure and when I tried to be you know cover sing like the clash or whatever else I just didn't have a great rock and roll voice and I sang this song by Peter Frampton called Show Me the Way and it was in the high school gym the band are there and was singing and we're crap it's awful mess but when I sang that song something went off and this is excruciatingly embarrassing and I don't want to put people off their breakfast their lunch or their supper or their drinks or whatever they're having but I turned the song a teenage boy turned this song into a prayer honestly at the time didn't tell the band but something in me was just wanting to know what to do with my library

Presenter4:02

Yeah.

Presenter4:03

Borrow there

Speaker 44:19

Can I believe it?

Speaker 44:22

I'm kneeling on the floor.

Speaker 44:26

There has to be

Bono4:27

The false who do I fall The stars are out and shining

Bono4:37

Lord I really wanna know

Bono4:40

Oh, won't you?

Bono4:44

Show me the way

Bono4:47

I'm gonna go.

Presenter4:48

Uh

Presenter4:49

Peter Frampton and Show Me the Ways. So let's go back to the beginning then, Bonno. You were born Paul Hewson, Dublin, nineteen sixty. Your mum, Iris, was Protestant and your father, Bob, was Catholic. Obviously sectarianism was a huge issue in Ireland at the time. Did your parents' differing backgrounds cause problems for them?

Bono5:08

I think my father's family didn't turn up at the wedding and there were some issues. He my my father was very, very elegant about all this and

Presenter5:14

Yeah.

Bono5:21

He used to drive us to St Canis's Church of Ireland Church, because he felt that my mother should have the choice in what religion we grew up in. So we went to this little Church of Ireland Church, and then he would drive to St Canis's, the Catholic Church, which was like a hundred yards away from the church.

Presenter5:36

So same, same two different jobs.

Bono5:38

I mean just so mad. You know, they say you get just enough religion to inoculate you against it. I didn't. They spared me, both of them, from any doctrinal stuff.

Presenter5:39

Yeah.

Presenter5:49

So so what about music when you were young? Were you musical as a little boy?

Bono5:54

I had in my head melodies from a very early age.

Bono5:59

And I just couldn't quite get them out.

Bono6:05

And then there's a funny bit, I went to with my mother, Iris, to St. Patrick's Cathedral School to see if I could get in. And they had a choir, and the headmaster said, now, you know, we've got a choir here that, you know, some renown. And I don't know if you'd be interested in being part of that. And I'm sort of shaking, you know, I'm like.

Presenter6:18

Here the

Bono6:28

I sort of don't know where to turn. And my mother goes, No, no, he's not at all interested in any of that. And of course, it's not because she was trying to help me out, because she sees me being.

Bono6:39

Overwhelmed. You know, just a little not able to fess up to this. And she just was a very practical woman. She was like, nah, you know. And we don't do that kind of thing.

Presenter6:39

Yeah.

Presenter6:49

So it was it there was something in there, this kind of creative impulse, these melodies that were inside you, but you couldn't get them out. And I think you said once that you felt rage, that you had to have other people to help you realise those songs, which has struck me as quite a strong word to use.

Bono7:06

Yeah, I think I th I've been constructed in such a way that I don't really function without other people's help, and I find that sometimes quite frustrating.

Presenter7:17

Yeah.

Bono7:17

You know, that's why I mean I have I'm

Bono7:19

So, blessed, I'm in a band with The Edge. This is the most extraordinary musician of the age, one of them, certainly. So, I'm just if I hadn't, I don't know what would have happened. I'd have had to learn how to do that myself. I don't know if I could have. But, yeah, there's a bit of anger at that. And also, I grew up in a house with three men just shouting at each other. Rage is kind of the linga franca, really. And you know, I've had some anger management discussions.

Presenter7:44

Yeah.

Speaker 47:44

Uh

Presenter7:44

Rage is kind of the lead.

Presenter7:52

And did you go for it?

Bono7:53

Got really angry with the guy.

Presenter7:55

Yeah.

Bono7:57

I did actually. I'm I'm I'm I'm a work in progress.

Presenter8:01

Let's have some more music, Bonno. It's your second choice today. What are we going to hear?

Bono8:05

Bob Dylan, Bron Island, Every Grain of Sand.

Bono8:09

This very morning I walked to Piccadilly.

Bono8:13

And there's a Christopher Wren building there, a little church, and you can just sit there. But on my way in, I saw this is where William Blake

Bono8:24

Was baptized.

Bono8:26

And I saw on the door, written there on the plaque, To see a world in a grain of sand and a heaven in a wildflower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand

Bono8:41

An eternity in an hour.

Bono8:44

This must have been in Bob Tylen, the back of his mind, every grain of sand.

Bono8:54

Reaching out somewhere.

Bono8:58

Toiling in the danger.

Bono9:02

And in the mirrors of despair

Bono9:07

Don't have the inclination

Bono9:11

To look back on any mistake

Bono9:15

Like can I now be home?

Presenter9:18

Oh no.

Presenter9:19

Bob Dylan and Every Grain of Sand.

Presenter9:23

You mentioned, Bono, that you grew up in a house of men, and in your childhood there was a before and there was an after, and the after came when you were 14. Your mother, Iris, died suddenly. She suffered a brain aneurysm at her own father's funeral. You say you don't have many memories of her, but when you think of her now, I wonder what comes to mind first. How do you picture her?

Bono9:48

Ugh, laughing a lot, the mischief w was upon her.

Bono9:53

One of the neighbours had told her, That boy, he he needs to be disciplined with the cane and my mother was like

Bono10:00

And she was chasing me down the the garden and I was like terrified and and I looked back and I just saw her laughing. You know, she's just she just couldn't take that seriously. I wrote a song, Iris, on Songs of Innocence. In in some ways I wrote songs to get back to her. Though she went away physically, in other ways the absence made itself known and it was a great gift to me.

Presenter10:23

Hmm.

Bono10:25

Because I filled it with music.

Presenter10:28

after she died, you it became an all male household. It was you, your your dad and and your brother Norman grieving this terrible loss. I mean, you said, I think, that that the house wasn't like a home after that. It it completely changed.

Bono10:43

It's pocketbook psychology, but you know, I just immediately just found another family, which is, you know, they formed you two. I found Ali. It happened quite quickly.

Presenter10:53

Didn't you ask you asked Ali out on your first date and and formed the band in the same week, I think.

Bono10:57

Same week, yeah.

Presenter10:59

But what about life at home? I mean, what happened to to your relationship with your father?

Bono11:03

Uh

Bono11:04

You know, I

Bono11:06

I there's a complicated relationship with with Bob.

Bono11:10

You know, I'm sure I was hard to deal with. The annoying Gene would have been very present. And he was coping with a lot. You know, he didn't know quite, you know, what was going on. And I subsequently understood he was coping with other stuff in his life. And I feel like I wasn't there for him really in the way I should be. He was very droll, very funny, but it got rough. You know, and boys, you know, we'd be scrapping. And I apologised to my father in a little chapel in France after he passed away. I went up to this little chapel. There was nobody there. I lit a candle.

Bono11:48

And I got on my knees and I just said, Look, I'm sorry, I wasn't there for you. You went through a lot and please forgive me. And I felt.

Bono11:59

Three.

Presenter12:01

It's time for some more music. What are we going to hear and why are you taking it with you?

Bono12:06

I love the Anglican hymns, you know, I just do. And I love choral singing. By the way, even of a rugby match, you know, for Ireland, I mean, rugby matches are big in our house. You know, but Wales, they sang so well. And Abide With Me. This is Emily Sante's version. She's.

Bono12:30

you know, a sacred talent. But I've I've segued it in to this Welsh choir,'cause I I think community is really important for the future. You two came out of community, and I think even if you didn't know these words, and I do, you f feel them.

Bono12:47

Help of the helpless Oh abide with me.

Bono13:05

Point you to the sky.

Presenter13:16

Abide With Me, performed by Emily Sandey and the Fronde Choir.

Presenter13:20

Bono, you found refuge in music after your mother's death, and also in your friendships. You were part of a gang with a pretty surrealist take on the world by the sound of it. What did you get up to?

Bono13:32

It was like a

Bono13:34

like a street gang, but humor was the weapon we chose to defend ourselves. Um myself and Googie, we gave each other the names actually. Googie, I gave him his name. I think I might have won.

Bono13:48

He gave me the name Bono, and I've been known as Bono since I was 14, 15 years old. So your nickname came from a hearing aid shop that was called Bono Vox. Gogi to Pervertum did not speak Latin, so he will not have known that Bono Vox means, you know, good voice, a strong voice, whatever. And I don't even know why he would call a hearing aid shop that. But yes, there was one. And I did get named that.

Presenter14:15

Take me back then to september nineteen seventy six. You auditioned for a band with your school friends, drummer Larry Mullin Junior, The Edge, who played guitar, and a bassist called Adam Clayton.

Bono14:25

Yeah, Larry posts a notice on our on Mount Temple Comprehensive School Board.

Bono14:33

It's a free school, non-denominational, pretty experimental school. So posh people get to meet not-so-posh people like me. And Adam is only, you know, he arrives, you know, he's been thrown out of a posh boarding school. And he, I think, you know, he walks in and people are like, whoa, who's, wow, is that? He's going, where's the smoking room? Like, what?

Bono14:57

smoking room. And Edge was kind of following him around because he was his friend and Edge therefore wouldn't tell us that Adam couldn't play. But Larry could. And even though we were really crap,

Bono15:11

It was just brilliant. The noise, the the sound of a real drum kit, the the silver and gold of the cymbals, the orchestral sound of those cymbals, Edges, you know, kind of out of tune extraordinariness. It was still extraordinary.

Bono15:29

And even when we f eventually got a record deal, we were still very, very erratic. But erratic's okay. The real enemy of great

Bono15:40

is is very good.

Bono15:42

And the one thing you two were not was very good.

Presenter15:46

Well, we'll find out what happened next in a second. First, though, I want to hear disc number four. What have you chosen?

Bono15:53

Well, this is Nol Gauher and the High Flying Birds, and this is Dead in the Water.

Bono15:59

He has this thing.

Bono16:01

where the songs just take him wherever they want to take him. It's a little bleak to be on an island with a song called Dead in the Water, but there's there's some defiance in the song, and defiance is the essence of romance.

Presenter16:16

But don't walk away

Presenter16:20

Never enough.

Bono16:22

That could make me crash on the broken glass Let the storm rain

Bono16:31

I'll die other ways, but I will not

Bono16:36

Love life.

Presenter16:43

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Presenter16:46

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Dead in the Water. Bono, it's it's very rare for a band to stay intact with all the same members after forty years together. What do you put your longevity, as you two, down to?

Bono17:01

I mean, we break up all the time, it's the truth.

Bono17:05

after usually the good albums.

Bono17:08

It's really.

Bono17:10

Trying.

Bono17:11

For the male ego to suffer.

Bono17:16

The kind of introspection that writing great songs takes, and the extrospection, I might have made that word up.

Bono17:24

of your mates criticizing what you do. So we have broken up many times, you know, and it's also a good thing to say to yourself, you know what, we might be done.

Bono17:36

But the thing that has kept us there is unfinished business, a sense that we still haven't maybe got to that sound we hear in our head and the song, that song

Bono17:51

So

Bono17:52

If you're gonna serve the song, you might as well do it with the people who understand you.

Bono17:58

and can tell you too.

Bono18:01

Um I promise I wouldn't swear on the BBC and I'm not going to, but you can just tell you where to go. And we all have gone through moments when somebody has stepped on our toe and I've been in a hu huff and a puff. But in YouTube presently, we're okay with that. Um but I don't know for how long.

Presenter18:19

Let's have some more music. Number five, what have you gone for?

Bono18:23

Oh yeah, this is Inhaler. They're very good. My son happens to be the singer. This is I think the first song they wrote he wrote. And it's got this mad opening line, I'm in the pursuit of happiness. I'm gonna get it. I'm gonna get it.

Bono18:38

And then he did it in the second verse exactly the same. I said, that's great. I said, but why'd you do it again? He said, I liked it.

Bono18:46

They just do what they're gonna do. I still think you should write the second verse, but it's a brilliant song, Ice Cream Sunday.

Speaker 218:50

Ice cream is on the

Bono18:53

I'm in the pursuit of happiness I'm gonna get it I'm gonna get up but the hours to get an honor

Bono19:06

I'm gonna get it, I'm gonna get it Easy on my back, I'm gonna go 90

Bono19:14

Gonna get it, we're gonna get it. The feeling's getting strong

Presenter19:23

Ice Cream Sunday in Hala. Bono, you're known for your activism, especially in Africa, and your work tackling poverty and HIV AIDS there, but some of your work in this area did bring you into conflict with your bandmates, I think.

Bono19:36

Yeah, it was very

Bono19:38

difficult for the band to see me in certain company.

Bono19:45

It was excruciating for them. But they gave me their blessing. They believed that it was the the right thing to do if we could get certain things across the line. I do remember

Bono19:59

Edge very early on saying to me, but please not Senator Jesse Helms, who is a sort of right-wing firebrand. And I I he was really helpful. And Edge said, but but you'd never invite him to a YouTube show, would you? And I said, I have. And he came with his wife, Dot, this old man, giant.

Bono20:23

Who'd given me the the blessing, as he said. He'd repented for the way he'd spoken about AIDS publicly on the steps of the Senate. And then.

Bono20:34

There's a picture of Edge dodging him in the backstage area. But you don't have to agree with everyone and everything.

Bono20:42

if the one thing you agree with them on is important enough. And I've tried to do that. And it's hard for for an Irish singer with a big mouth to bite his tongue. I've learned to do it and it's been good for me and we've been effective.

Presenter20:55

I mean, in terms of the band, you've had some criticism of the band's tax arrangements, moving royalty income overseas to avoid paying higher rates of tax in Ireland. It's all legal, but you two have been attacked for that decision. How do you respond to your critics?

Bono21:09

I don't agree with them. I think at the root of this is a false idea that if you're tough minded in your activism, you somehow have to be soft headed in your business.

Presenter21:22

And how do you balance that against your own moral compass, you know, making those smart businesses

Bono21:26

I think it'd be immoral to be sort of dismissive of those things. And I think it's actually the fiduciary duty of a public company, let alone a private company, to control costs. I mean, this is a bit of a gotcha situation for YouTube. There's a lot of reasons to not like our band. This is not one of them. We pay a lot of tax and we're very proud to pay tax. So it's just like...

Presenter21:51

Yeah.

Bono21:54

Really? Um why would we be the poster child for this? Is it to do with something else?

Presenter22:00

Social media is leading the conversation as far as activism goes now, it seems. What are your feelings about it? I know y you wrote a poem in in support of the Ukrainian people and and Nancy Pelosi read it out at the White House. And that was obviously a moment that that travelled round the world went viral.

Bono22:17

That was a bit silly, wasn't it? I mean, it was a I write limericks sometimes for the Paddy's Day event. It took 10 minutes. You know, I was trying to be satire funny. And, you know, the Speaker of the House is an incredible woman. Instead of saying limerick, it's a funny limerick, said it was a poem. And sort of people thought it was like, you know, Seamus Eny. So it was like, what? And if you meet, you know, the Ukrainians, they have a great sense of humor. So they were very fond of any way we were reaching out to them. Look, I deserve a slap. Every singer in a rock and roll band is going to step on somebody's toes, say the wrong thing, screw up. So it's not like we don't deserve some criticism. I'm all up for that. But that poem business is that's just ridiculous. It's just a limerick.

Presenter23:19

Let's have some more music. Disc number six, what have you got for us?

Bono23:23

If you you're at a moment in

Bono23:25

In our house, when things are getting a little too quiet and people are thinking about going to bed, but they shouldn't because it's a great night, my missus, Ali, will put this on. I think joy is one of the key

Bono23:42

Elements of music that keeps me there. You know, it's the thing, it's almost impossible to contrive. Happy, you can contrive, melancholy is easy for artists. Even anger is kinda easy in a way. But joy, you can't contrive. And here it is: a wellspring of it, courtesy of Angelique Joe Agolo.

Speaker 424:05

I'm not sure if I can do it.

Speaker 424:15

He fan ah yeah it is

Speaker 424:18

You got you from way

Speaker 424:20

I ate it.

Speaker 424:23

He can't do too well any

Presenter24:35

Angelique Kidjo and Agolo. Bono, earlier in our conversation, we were talking about your dad and you said that looking back on your teenage years after your mum died, he had his own stuff going on that he was dealing with alongside his grief. And in 2000, I think it was, you know, you found out more about that, some surprising news about your family, which came out of the blue. You found out you had a half-brother. What happened?

Bono25:03

Well, yeah, I do have another brother whom I love and adore that I didn't know I didn't have. Or maybe I did.

Bono25:12

My father was obviously going through a lot, but partly his his head was elsewhere.

Bono25:19

Because his heart was elsewhere, so

Bono25:22

I think that was part of the problem I was probably picking up as a kid.

Bono25:27

It's a very close family and I could tell that my my father had a a a deep friendship for this gorgeous woman who was part of the family, and then they had a a child, and this was all kept a secret.

Presenter25:41

Did your mum know?

Bono25:42

No.

Presenter25:43

Note

Bono25:44

Yeah, nobody knew.

Presenter25:45

Did you get to talk to your dad about it at all? Obviously, all those years after you found out.

Bono25:47

Yes, I did.

Bono25:50

Hmm, yeah.

Presenter25:51

Did it help?

Bono25:52

I asked him, Did he love my mother? and he said yes.

Bono25:57

And I said, you know, how could this happen? He said it can, and that he was trying to put it right, trying to do the right thing. He wasn't apologizing. He was just stating these are the facts and and I'm at peace with him.

Presenter26:08

The way it works.

Presenter26:12

It's time for your next piece of music.

Bono26:14

Yeah.

Presenter26:14

What is it?

Bono26:16

La Traviata was the one that he loved the most, my father Bob.

Bono26:22

We did an event with Luciano Pavarotti and friends in Mardena.

Bono26:28

The Princess of Wales was there, Diana, and I went up to him and I said, So, Dia, would you fancy going to meet the Princess of Wales? What? What?

Bono26:37

What do you think I am? He says, that's like asking me, do I want to meet the winner of the lotto? Why would I want to meet the royal family? Why would I want to meet the royal family? I said, no, I get it. I totally get it. You know, it's okay. And I was just checking. And not long later, actually, probably an hour later, Pavarotti brought the Princess of Wales into our dressing room. And she's like.

Bono27:02

you know, how do you do or whatever and and my da

Bono27:05

Shakes her hand, he's oh very, very well, I must say now. And there it was, like 700 years of Irish-English aggression, gone in like seven seconds. And there's a drinking song on Traviata that I was going to play, Brindisi, and it's really up and joyful, but actually.

Bono27:28

The one that used to bring my father to wherever he went.

Bono27:34

It's the opening of the Traviada, I think it's called like a prelude.

Bono27:39

into Act One, and this opera is about a son and a father actually. It's partly about a love affair, but it's it's a son and the father.

Presenter28:47

The prelude to Act I from Verdi's La Triviata performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Richard Bonning.

Presenter28:55

Bono, in twenty sixteen you had a serious health scare, which involved emergency surgery. How did that experience change your perspective?

Bono29:04

It's a big deal to have your chest cut open.

Presenter29:08

Yeah.

Bono29:08

Uh

Bono29:09

And it was a long surgery.

Bono29:11

I tend to, and I shouldn't, judge things by their effect on the music, but.

Bono29:17

It certainly made me very even more vulnerable to music. We did some of our songs from the album Songs of Experience for the BBC with the orchestra and I remember it wasn't long after surgery and I remember

Bono29:35

almost having to

Bono29:37

Blockout.

Bono29:39

The words as I was singing them, because they were it was too much. It was like I it was like hearing them for the first time.

Presenter29:46

You two is not the only long standing relationship in your life. You married Ali in nineteen eighty two and went on to have four children together. In your forthcoming memoir you write very movingly about the walks that you and Ali take together on Killiny Hill, near where you live. Why is that time so important to you?

Bono30:05

I write about how I wish

Bono30:09

When I'm with her.

Bono30:12

That I would not be thinking sometimes about the call I was supposed to make.

Bono30:21

Ali's such strong stuff that she distracts my mind. She's the only one who can really turn that off. I'm besotted by her. And she's always just out of reach. And so I have to struggle

Bono30:36

to be in the frame with her.

Bono30:39

And that's what turns the phone off.

Presenter30:42

The phone's going to be turned off uh completely in a minute because I'm about to send you off to the islands.

Presenter30:48

Let's contemplate that. How will you build a life there? You know, you say you're the sort of character who needs an anchor. Where might you find that on the desert island?

Bono30:57

Mm.

Bono30:59

I do like to get up early in the morning. I do like to be on my own. I like that time.

Bono31:04

The thing that anchor for our for Ali and myself, and for our family even, the whole family.

Bono31:09

Has faith.

Bono31:11

And that's it. Do you believe in the eternity of the human spirits? Well, I hope so. I feel so.

Presenter31:18

We've got one more tune before we let you go though. One final disc from you today. What are we going to hear? For number eight.

Bono31:25

We need hope, if you're a castaway, right?

Bono31:28

and someone somewhere in the summertime by Simple Minds just has great hope. I remember meeting them when we were in our twenties, and I remember just thinking, wherever they were, wherever they were sitting, wherever they were staying, whatever city they were playing in,

Bono31:45

They were in the moment fully.

Bono31:49

Very few people get to own a sound. And I think in U2 we've gotten to own certain colors of the spectrum that we own or certain feelings that I think are ours. Well, some of them are from Simple Minds. And this song, you'll feel some early U2 in it. And we learned from them.

Bono32:11

What if it is something

Bono32:14

That one million ice cat

Bono32:24

Who can see what I can see?

Bono32:31

So

Bono32:33

So

Presenter32:40

Someone Somewhere in Summertime by Simple Mind. So Bono, it's time I'm going to send you away to the island. I'll give you the books to take with you, the Bible, the complete works of Shakespeare, and one book of your choice. What would you like?

Bono32:54

Ulysses, because it's um a hundred years anniversary is this year. And you know, Ulysses is a story of home.

Bono33:04

Here's See You, James Joyce.

Presenter33:07

You can also have a luxury item which you fancy.

Bono33:11

I was going to choose Adam Clayton because not only

Presenter33:15

He is a luxury item. I mean

Bono33:16

He is a luxury item. Luxury goods. He is a luxury good himself, yes, but I know I'm not allowed. Uh

Presenter33:23

Not allowed a living thing, I'm afraid.

Bono33:23

Yeah.

Bono33:25

I I you know, I was gonna try and be clever and funny, but actually

Bono33:29

I want to take a guitar if I could. My mother-in-law Joy gave me a um cat cut Spanish guitar. And I haven't been able to write recently on guitar because my f I damaged my fingers in a in a in a bicycle accident some years back. But I think I mean I can't stand up and play the guitar, but I can I could lie down on an island and and maybe you know improve my guitar playing. I remember saying to the band, Look, after the accident, I don't think I can play guitar. And they were looking at me like, When could you ever?

Bono34:02

But yeah, I mean, writing time is just great for me. I just love to write.

Presenter34:08

Well, you'll have plenty of that. And lastly, which one track of the eight that you've shared with us today would you rush to save from the waves first?

Bono34:18

Every grain of sand.

Bono34:20

It just connects me to the Eternal.

Presenter34:23

Bono, thank you so much for letting us hear your Desert Island discs.

Bono34:28

Thank you very much for having me here. These are Hallowed Halls. Thank you.

Presenter34:54

Hello, I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Bono. We'll leave him lying on the sand practising the guitar, I think. Let's hope the rest of you two appreciate his efforts. We've cast away so many singers and songwriters, including Robert Plant, Joan Alma Trading, and Guy Garvey. You can find those episodes in our Desert Island Discs programme archive and through BBC Sounds. The studio manager for today's programme was John Boland, the assistant producer was Christine Pavlovsky, and the producer was Paula McGinley. Next time, my guest will be the singer and songwriter, Adele. I do hope you'll join us.

Speaker 435:34

What makes you feel physically and mentally stronger? The act of skating? That's my zen, that's my relaxation time. That is the question I ask guests on my podcast to discover their secrets to health and happiness.

Speaker 235:45

I see going to bed at the right time as an investment in tomorrow rather than a sacrifice for today.

Speaker 435:52

We'll get inspiration from their achievements and find out how they take care of their physical and mental health. I really hope you can join us. The Joe Wix podcast. Listen on BBC Sounds.