“It loves the cracks”: The song Bono considered perfection
Despite the general misconception about U2 being a gimmick band, there’s no denying their lasting cultural relevance. While there are countless reasons why the band became one of the most influential in history, much of this is owed to Bono and not only his creative charisma but unflinching demeanour in the face of what has otherwise been described as “too mainstream” or worse—”uncool”.
Although somewhat polarising in many ways, Bono accrued an unmatched level of success by possessing an in-depth knowledge and understanding of a great deal of music, not just the sounds surrounding U2 but beyond. This preceded a certain type of meticulousness that Bono and the others brought to the studio, which often made them strive for a level of perfection that didn’t even exist.
However, despite their reputation, it also made U2 one of the more authentic outfits out there. After all, in the face of endless scrutiny, they only did what they felt was best. They often poked and prodded at the material in the studio in their quest for creating great art, knowing that they would never truly reach the end product they desired, but so long as they were as close to it as possible, that’s all that mattered.
According to Bono, this dynamic formed the basis of their success, and without it, they would be nothing. “I think it would be the end of our group if we didn’t make a record we believed in,” he once said. “We’ve broken our band up so many times internally. When we started working with Brian Eno early on, in a way we had to break up and start over. We did it again with Achtung Baby. We had to shoot U2 in the head before anyone else did.”
While this position would make it seem as though Bono struggled to distinguish authenticity from pretence, it also reaches every facet of his line of thinking, right down to his own music taste. His expansive collection touches upon almost everything—from Sex Pistols to Public Enemy—but what’s perhaps most interesting is his opinion towards that which others might deem too obvious a choice.
For instance, on the surface of it, Bono’s appreciation for Lady Gaga might seem a product of two worlds colliding. However, Gaga’s swift transition from early 2000s novelty act to modern-day legend places her well among the stars, proven efficaciously when she performed alongside the band during their residency at the Las Vegas Sphere last year. However, Bono’s adoration for the singer ventures further back to the early days of her explosive reign.
There are many songs that Bono might have deemed “perfect”, especially considering his awareness of the ambiguity of the term itself, but this was the word he used to describe Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ within a list of songs that saved his life for Rolling Stone in 2020. “A song can be too perfect but this one isn’t,” he boldly opined. “Its perfection is that it loves the cracks that we all fall down. Some in high heels, some flat on our face or on our knees.”
While it’s easy to regard a song like ‘Born This Way’ as overplayed sounds from another era, its impact cannot be understated, particularly when someone as well-informed as Bono goes on the record to call it one of the best songs ever created.
