The musician whose existence Bono thanked God for: “A higher form of sanity”
Although the theme hasn’t always been prevalent in U2‘s output, frontman Bono has often been seen as a spiritual man and will frequently comment on the music of others through a religious lens.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that all of the music that he listens to in his spare time also shares this same religious bent, but he seemingly approaches the listening experience as though it were a divine gift that has been bestowed upon humanity from a higher power. Given that music can move people in a variety of ways, you can understand why he may have this perspective on things, and constantly compares it to an experience of biblical weight.
One could argue that popular music has strayed further from God over the course of time, and considering that plenty of early classical music was rooted in the church or used in other places of worship, it says a lot about the shifting societal view of religion that a far greater focus is placed on secular music these days.
It’s not just that people are less in touch with their holiness, but they’re also confronting topics in the lyrics that would have been considered taboo or blasphemous centuries ago, with sex and drugs being two examples of themes that would probably make appreciators of music from centuries past convulse and throw holy water over those spouting these profane verses.
That being said, Bono still views music as a heavenly offering, and there’s one artist whom he has previously thanked God for the existence of, given how deeply he has always been touched by his artistry.
When celebrating his 60th birthday back in 2020, he compiled a list of songs he wished he’d written for Rolling Stone, and proclaimed that one of the entries in particular touched him in a spiritual way, which has stuck with him ever since he first heard it.
Speaking about The Verve’s ‘Lucky Man’, taken from their 1997 post-Britpop classic album Urban Hymns, he argued that songwriter Richard Ashcroft is an artist unlike any other, and has the ability to conjure up these godlike images through his words.
“Years ago, I remember someone using the word ‘mad’ to describe what you were on about,” he said, referring to a memory he has of seeing The Verve performing in Dublin at the peak of their fame.
“Well, in a world of war, greed, and suffering, all I could hear was a higher form of sanity,” he added. “I was with some atheists that night at the Olympia who thanked God for you and your music, as I do.”
It isn’t just Bono who regards Ashcroft so highly, and given that Urban Hymns boasts several other songs of great magnitude in ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’, as well as ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’, it’s no surprise that this is seen as their seminal work. That’s not to mention that the album title itself even has a whiff of holiness about it, and despite it not necessarily having the most explicitly religious tone, these songs are modern reflections of how spirituality can guide us through tough times, and it’s hardly surprising that this is what Bono gleaned from hearing the record.
