U2 singer Bono recently released his first book, a memoir called Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. He popped up on The Late Show yesterday to promote it through a chat with Stephen Colbert. During the conversation, the Beatles documentary Get Back came up and Bono came up with a funny comparison.
Colbert asked Bono about Get Back, specifically about if Bono noticed any parallels between the creative process of The Beatles and that of U2. Bono exalted the film, saying:
“I was riveted. I mean, first of all: who knew that The Beatles had created reality TV? I was like, ‘Wow!’ They had microphones in the flower pots and… and then, I also felt so privileged because it was like being there when Jesus wrote, you know, the Sermon On The Mount. You know, if Jesus had a roadie be like, ‘Blessed are thee… blessed are the… geek! No, meek! Meek!’ I mean, you’re hearing them write these songs and they’re going, ‘What is it,’ you know? ‘Hey George’… no, ‘Jude.’”
He then went on to more directly answer Colbert’s question, saying that improvisation is a big part of U2’s songwriting process. He noted that while he and The Edge do most of the “formal” songwriting for the band, most of Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.’s creative input comes through improvising.
Check out the interview above and below. Bono also performed a modified solo rendition of U2’s “With Or Without You,” so find that below as well.