BONO

1. BONO A look at life and music By carolinebybee

2. Table of contents • Biography of Bono • Musical History • Listening Guide • Bibliography

3. Biography - born: Dublin, Ireland 1960- named: paul David Hewson- A Family of mixed religion, his Mother a member of the church of ireland, his dad a roman catholic.- raised mainly protestant with his older brother.

4. As an adolescent, Paul David Hewson was a member of a street gang called “Lypton Village” comprised of fellow schoolmates from the Mount Temple Comprehensive School.

5. - Attended mount temple comprehensive school- bono was the final after dozens of nicknames from gang members, given after a local hearing aide store.- Joined a band from a school bulletin with David Evans (“The Edge”), his brother Dick, and Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. and began to play instruments on which they had no training.- Originally started out playing the guitar in the band, but lack of talent lead him to vocals.- During the band’s early years, they struggled as a cover band.

6. - Band members changed out after a short time, and a few name changes the band began to grow some roots.- agreeing on the name, u2, The band began writing original music and landed regular gigs in pubs and broaden their reach.- bono’s message quickly became political, speaking out against social and religious oppression and injustice.- After bono’s safety was threatened in the 90’s and the band made a mockery of, they decided to guide their message to more of philanthropy and spiritual inspirational.

7. In the 2000’s, bono co-founded 3 major philanthropic ventures:-datato help relive tyranny and debt in Africa-onecampaignto raise awareness and aide poverty in Africa-product reda licensed product to big box labels, in which all proceeds aide poverty in Africa

8. - 2005 person of the year - Nominated for the nobel peace prize - Granted honorary knighthood from queen Elizabeth ii of the united kingdom - One of the most influential celebrity political activists of all time

9. Musical history - With or without you, 1987- staring At the sun, 1997- Sunday bloody Sunday, 1982

10. With or without you - Debut single from the album, the joshua tree 1987- Written and recorded over the space of two years- bono’s lyrics have been interpreted multiple ways:religious – a proclamation of jesuschristromantic – unrequited love inside a relationship- first performed live in 1987, and has been performed live over 600 times to date

13. Staring at the sun - From the album pop, 1997- A theme of social activism and existentialism- first performed live on the band’s pop album tour 1997- “Not sucking on my thumb” suggests a nod to noticing one’s roll in society, and even, “Not the only one who’s happy to comply”

15. Sunday bloody Sunday - One of u2’s most openly political messages- bono’s Fictional point of view as an observer of the british mass murder of feuding irishcival rights activists- local violinist, stevewickham, appears on the tune as the guest violinist after making acquaintances with the edge at a local bus stop- dubbed the 272nd greatest song of all time, by rolling stone magazine

17. Listening guide With or without youstaring at the sunSunday bloody sunday

18. With or without you 00:00 Introduction: The simple drum loop keeps common, or 4/4 time, layered below a sustained e-bow and a triplet guitar loop with a strong weak weak emphasis for each of the 4 groups of triplets per measure. Each of these 3 pianissimo core voices plays their own melodies, and the texture is very light and polyphonic. Enter 8 identical half notes per measure on the bass guitar at 00:10 in a standard pop chord progression. On the same note the bass begins, a second sustained e-bow is layered one octave below the original e-bow, and the melody of the e-bows creates a crescendo into the verse.00:28 Verse: Decrescendo, enter vocals, singing the same melody as the e-bow but the lyrics have compounded the rhythm of the vocals instead, adding another new voice to the polyphonic composition. Interstingly, the vocals also mimic a dragging effect, as if to land on the offbeat in every other phrase, just as the e-bow is delayed from the effect pedal. The texture stays light, and there is another slight crescendo in the e-bow when the vocals stop.

19. 00:45 Verse 2: E-bow decrescendo, and the vocals begin more steadily on beat for a phrase. Beginning at the second phrase there is a slow but consistent crescendo in all the instruments and the texture of the vocals even becomes less pretty and more raw for a few lyrics while he sings the catch phrase “…And I’ll wait without you…”1:01 Chorus: Time is still common time, duple meter. The texture remains consistent, identical to the verse but the vocals are even lighter. The second time he sings “With our without you” is almost a whisper to create a vocal echo effect and the instruments all crescendo. The bridge transitions back into the verse with two half-note beats from the drums.1:11 Verse 3: All voices are amplified, drums, bass, guitar triplet loop, octave e-bows, and vocals, complicated the texture slightly because now the listener can hear the e-bow compete with the melody of the vocals more. The rhythm and tempo remain consistent 1:26 Chorus 2: The vocals jump up exactly an octave, creating intensity and crescendo in volume.

20. 1:52 Bridge: The lead guitar plays a few short notes in forte, and the sound in brought in front of the rest of the instruments. The key signature of the bridge remains the same as the chorus and verse, but the vocals begin on the back end set of notes of the standard progression. The melody of the vocals creates a driving rhythm to build up to the next chorus. The bridge is in a major mood, consistent with the verses and chorus.2:44 Chorus: All levels of the instruments are in forte, and keeping a steady duple meter, with the bass guitar in constant double time. Bono sings “with or without you” in a full chest voice as he pulls it into his higher register. The texture is full with polyphonic instruments layered atop one another. A tambourine in double time, begins to fill the sound and emphasize the crescendo into a vocal harmonic choir. Layered vocals sing the same melody as filler instruments above the double time bass guitar, and the e-bow’s two-octave, single note melody. The marching drums beat a compound triplet and an open high hat between every other measure.

21. 3:40 Coda: Decrescendo to a single-note vocal melody. The guitar triplet on loop and the e-bow still haunting in the background. The bass guitar subtly keeping rhythm with the drums. Not a single change in rhythm, or time, but now a brilliant change of mood to more of a reverence created by the drop in filler instruments and simplicity of texture. The lead guitar comes back for a harmonizing solo, intertwining with the e-bow and a second lead guitar loops solos atop the two. The tambourine keeps driving the rhythm section and the volume fades.4:56 End

22. Staring at the sun 00:00 Introduction: An acoustic guitar triplet and distorted electric lead guitar begin together; the bass guitar enters to set the rhythm at 4/4 time in a minor mode. 0:14 Verse: The Vocal melody sings over the backing instruments in compound meter, and the progression through the song descends over and over. The texture of this song is polyphonic.0:50 Chorus: The vocal melody ascends while the chord progression of the instruments descends. A tambourine and second guitar are added keep 4/4 time, duple meter.1:26 Verse: The texture of the second verse simplifies from the chorus, but is more full than the first verse and the chord progression continues to descend while the vocal melody ascends.

23. 2:04 Chorus: All instruments are brought back to the front for a full sound and the tambourine and second guitar return louder as well. The lead guitar solos above the other instruments through the chorus, to compliment the vocals, as a second voice in compound meter.2:32 Bridge: For 10 seconds, All instruments drop out, the lead guitar mixes chords and single notes above a softer simpler guitar in the background on the offbeat. The vocals sing a single-note, complimentary melody, to keep the texture thin. Enter drums and bass, to drive the beat and mimic the vocal rhythm, which has now turned into a homophonic chorus. All instruments sustain a single note while the vocals continue the same melody, and crescendo into the next chorus.

24. 3:21 Chorus: Full fortissimo from all instruments, even the lead guitar, playing a different but varied melody of the vocals. There is only one voice and no vocal harmony. 3:50 Coda: The lead guitar plays the repeating solo as the verse and is the main melody. The vocals hold whole notes in the background to fill the sound. 4:35 End: All instruments play the same tempo and rhythm and continue their polyphonic melodies while the volume fades out.

25. Sunday bloody sunday 00:00 Introduction: The snare drum, high hat, and bass drum set the 4/4 time signature in simple meter. The guitar initiates the first descending melody, which will loop through each verse. 00:21 Verse: The lead vocals are a single voice, singing a varied melody of the lead guitar. The polyphonic texture is complicated by a screechy violin in the background, and the tone of the song is harsh and raw, to create a disgruntled mood.1:10 Chorus: Background choral voices harmonize with the lead vocal melody. The bass guitar ascends, and repeats a progression of triplets and quarter notes. The instruments drop out to the bass guitar, drums, lead guitar and the chorus ends with a descending progression.1:29 Verse: Ascending progression, the violin in louder in offbeat, staccato single notes. The texture in polyphonic from all the layered instruments and vocal harmony.

26. 2:18 Chorus: Background choral harmony, and a few mimicking voices. The bass guitar and drums keep a constant marching duple meter.2:38 Solo: Two lead guitars layer atop one another, harmonizing at times and other times playing variations of the same melody. The bass guitar plays the same loop over again. The drums keep the solid marching duple meter. The texture builds as every instrument plays a variation of the same melody, and the vocals mimic the last phrase of the chorus.3:53 Verse: Violin, snare drum, high hat, bass drum, and bass guitar drive the rhythm as the two lead guitars and vocal sing 3 variations of the same melody for the verse. The choral voices resonate the final phrase of the chorus in the background.4:35 End: On the fifth beat of the measure after a final repeat of the vocal phrase “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, the bass and lead guitar hold a final note as the crash symbol and bass drum pronounce the final beat and the song ends on one note.

28. bibliography • "Bono Biography." Bono: Biography • http://www.atu2.com/band/bono/ • Maddy Fry • June 29 2013 • "U2 Biography - Band Bio from 1976 to the Present." • http://www.threechordsandthetruth.net/u2bios/ • Phillip, Three Chords and the Truth • June 29 2013 • http://rokpool.com/category/tags/with-or-without-you • RokPool • July 1 2013 • http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/sing038.html • U2 Wanderer • July 1 2013 • http://www.macphisto.net/u2lyrics/Staring_At_The_Sun.html • Macphisto • July 1 2013 • “U2 Zoo TV Live from Sydney” • Island Records • July 1 2013 • “It Might Get Loud” • Sony Pictures • July 1 2013