>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WE'RE BACK WITH THE AUTHOR OF
"SURRENDER," BONO. >> THANK YOU!
OH? >>
>> Stephen: CATS OR DOGS? >> DOGS.
>> Stephen: YOU ONLY GET-- SMATTERING OF APPLAUSE.
YOU ONLY GET ONE SONG TO LISTEN TO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE,
LISTEN TO IT. LET ME BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS
BECAUSE SOME MUSICIANS HAVE ASKED.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT CONSTANTLY, BUT WHEN YOU
GO TO MUSIC, THIS IS THE ONLY SONG YOU GET TO PLAY.
>> THE SONG PRESENTLY THAT BRINGS ME LITERALLY TO MY KNEES
IS A BEEGEE'S SONG CALLED "IMMORTALITY."
WHEN BARRY GIBBS CAME TO DUBLIN HE ENDED THE SHOW PLAYING
"IMMORTALITY. IT'S NOT A WELL-KNOWN BEEGEE'S
SONG, BUT IT'S A PRAYER. IT'S GETTING TO THE TIME NOW
WHERE WE STOP FIGHTING AND WE START CRYING.
( LAUGHTER )
( VOICE BREAKING ) WHEN SHE DROPPED ME ON THE HEAD
AS A BABY, SHE SAID...
THE. THE.
>> Stephen: AND YOU, YOU REMEMBER THAT FROM WHEN YOU WERE
A BABY. >> YES.
I COULD COUNT, I COULD READ BY TWO.
PEOPLE. >> Stephen: YOU COULD READ
PEOPLE, IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN? >> AND COUNT THEM.
( LAUGHTER )
>> TWO. >> Stephen: BY THE WAY,
QUICKLY, VERY QUICKLY, MAYBE WE'LL CUT THIS OUT.
THE FIRST TIME I HEARD "ONE," "ONE," I WAS-- I WAS WITH A
FRIEND, AND I SAID, "WHO IS THIS?"
AND THEY SAID, "THIS IS U2." I SAID, "I KNOW THAT'S BONO
SINGING, BUT WHO WROTE THIS?" >> NHAT'S VERY HURTFUL.
>> Stephen: WAIT A SECOND. >> WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT,
STEPHEN. >> Stephen: HE SAID, "HE DID."
I SAID, "NO, THIS IS TOO PERFECT OF A SONG.
IT'S NOT THAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF IT.
BUT IT'S SO PERFECT I THOUGHT IT HAD TO BE CREATED BEFORE.
IT IS LIKE HE PULLED-- >> IT'S ETERNAL.
>> Stephen: THAT'S WHAT I MEAN.
>> IT ALWAYS EXISTED. >> Stephen: EXACTLY.
IT SEEMED LIKE SUCH A PERFECT SONG, IT SEEMED SO EVOCATIVE OF
A COMMON HUMAN FEELING AND EXPERIENCE, IT HAD SUCH DEPTH
AND SUCH PERFECT RHYTHM AND PATHOS TO IT, I THOUGHT IT HAD
TO HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT WAS, LIKE, ANCIENT OF DAYS THAT YOU
HAD REVIVED AND MY RESPECT FOR YOU WENT THROUGH THE ROOF WHEN I
FOUND OUT, NO, NO, NO, OUT OF YOUR HEAD, LIKE ATHENA.
AND I--
THAT'S YOUR GREATEST SONG TO ME. >> THANK YOU.
WE WROTE THAT SONG BECAUSE IT WAS A SONG WE NEEDED TO HEAR AS
A BAND. BECAUSE WE WERE RIGHT AT
LOGGERHEADS AND THE BAND BREAKS UP ALL THE TIME AND THEN GETS
BACK TOGETHER AGAIN IS THE TRUTH WE DON'T TELL ANYONE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT IT FEELS LIKE. AND, YEAH, THAT SONG, WE REALLY
NEEDED IT. >> Stephen: ISN'T THAT
INTERESTING HOW THE PERSONAL IS THE UNIVERSAL IF YOU'RE HONEST
ABOUT IT? >> YUP.
WE-- YOU KNOW, WE WERE IN BERLIN, THE WALL HAD JUST COME
DOWN. AND WE WERE RECORDING IN BERLIN,
AND THE WALL WAS COMING UP IN OUR STUDIO, YEAH.
WHICH IS MAD. THERE YOU GO.
>> Stephen: WHAT-- WHAT NUMBER AM I THINKING OF?
>> YOU BETTER BE... WHAT NUMBER AM I THINKING OF?
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: NO. >> 40.
2
OF YOUR LIFE IN FIVE WORDS. >> IT'S GETTING BETTER ALL-- NO.
IT'S GETTING BETTER. >> Stephen: "IT'S GETTING
BETTER." >> WHAT'S THAT?
>> Stephen: THAT'S THREE. >> IT'S GETTING BETTER ALL THE
TIME. >> Stephen: THAT'S SIX.
>> I'M A-- I'M A SONGWRITER, NOT A MATHEMATICIAN.
WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM? >> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU. >> Stephen: BONO,
CONGRATULATIONS. I HOPE YOU CAN FEEL IT, BECAUSE
NOW YOU ARE KNOWN. >> I FEEL KNOWN, THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: "SURRENDER" IS OUT NOW.
IT'S BONO, EVERYBODY. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.