Rock legend Bono has revealed that he ‘cringes’ when he hears some of his band’s songs.
The Dubliner has been the frontman for U2 since the 1980s and the band has enjoyed international success with numerous albums and hit songs such as With or Without You.
They have become one of the most iconic bands of the last 40 years so it would seem strange to think that their leader has not always been happy with their sound.
However, that is the case as Bono revealed during a discussion with the Awards Chatter podcast.
The 61-year-old star explained that other than the U2 track Vertigo from 2004, he finds it hard to listen to their music.
Bono explained: “I’ve been in a car when one of our songs has come on the radio, and I’ve been the colour of – as we say in Dublin – scarlet.
“I’m just embarrassed. I do think U2 pushes out the boat on embarrassment quite a lot.
“And maybe that’s the place to be as an artist is right at the edge of your level of pain for embarrassment, your level of embarrassment.
“And the lyrics as well. I feel that on Boy and other albums it was sketched out very unique and original material. But I don’t think I filled in the details.”
Bono was quick to defend the sound of his bandmates, and accepts full responsibility for his embarrassment as it is his own singing voice that jars with him.
He explained that he felt as a young man he was determined to come across as a macho singer, something which he no longer feels is important and didn’t always work at the time.
Bono continued: “I just found the voice very strained and kind of not macho and my Irish macho was kind of strained by that.
“A big discovery for me was listening to the Ramones and hearing the beautiful kind of sound of Joey Ramone and realising I didn’t have to be that rock and roll singer.
“But I only became a singer recently.”
It has to be said that U2 and Bono must have been doing something right all these years, as they have sold more than 150 million albums worldwide and have been winners of all manner of music awards and tributes.
Not bad for a band with a singer who cringes at his own voice.
