The first song Bono learned to play: “That’s a tattoo, that song”
Music has been integral to U2 singer Bono’s life for as long as he can remember, shaping his very existence. He considers it indispensable, providing solace during his darkest moments and serving as an outlet for self-expression in ways he couldn’t achieve otherwise.
His first introduction to music came courtesy of The Beatles in 1964 with ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ when he was four. Bono was immediately captivated by their wizardry, even though he had yet to learn about the four individuals responsible for the creation. Little did he know it then, but that crucial moment would spark a life-long love affair.
The next pivotal moment in Bono’s life, as he revealed to Rolling Stone in 2005, came when he witnessed Tom Jones performing on television. Hearing somebody eject such power from their voice was an extraordinary revelation. The U2 frontman recalled: “He’s sweating, and he’s an animal, and he’s unrestrained. He’s singing with abandon.”
Elvis was another essential discovery for Bono, but ultimately, it all circles back to The Beatles. In the same conversation, he recalled: “Bob Dylan at the same time. Listened to his acoustic albums. Then starting to think about playing those acoustic songs. My brother had a Beatles songbook — so trying to teach myself guitar, and him sort of helping.”
While the songbook belonging to his brother taught Bono almost everything he knows, the first song he learned to play was ‘If I Had A Hammer’, written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays. The track was made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary in 1962. Other versions were later recorded by Wanda Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, and Victor Jara.
Bono said of his connection to the track: “And that song — which is actually such a genius song, now that I think about it, you’re embarrassed the day after you learned it — ‘If I Had a Hammer.’ That’s a tattoo, that song.”
Reciting the lyrics, he added: “‘If I had a hammer, I’d hammer in the morning/I’d hammer in the evening/All over this land/I’d hammer out justice/I’d hammer out freedom/Love between my brothers and my sisters/All over this land.’ Fantastic. A manifesto, right there.”
In his autobiography, Surrender, Bono delved deeper into this time, which occurred as a 14-year-old shortly after the loss of his mother. Filled with grief, Bono turned to music for solace, and it repaid his faith handsomely. His older brother offered “guidance” and helped him learn Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ and The Beatles tracks ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand‘, ‘Dear Prudence’, and ‘Here Comes the Sun’.
At this devastating point in his life, Bono could have traipsed down the wrong path while dealing with the grief of losing his mother. However, he successfully found a positive vehicle to channel his emotions, and still, to this day, music remains his chosen form of therapy.
