Bono’s Confession About U2

U2 has become Dublin’s prominent rock band since its appearance on the music scene in 1976. The band initially appeared in the rock industry by embracing the post-punk genre under the name ‘Feedback.’ One year later, they took the stage for their first gig at St. Fintan’s High School. Later, they changed their name to ‘The Hype.’ However, the name was not permanent, and they came up with ‘U2’ in 1978.

Following this last change, U2 started to reach a broader audience with their upcoming works. The band achieved its first most significant success with the fifth studio album ‘The Joshua Tree,’ which was released in 1987. Their achievements continued in the 2000s with popular records like ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind.’ Even though U2 has now become a cult band, Bono has not always felt happy with the band’s name.

Bono Does Not Like U2’s Name

Bono revealed in a previous conversation with the Awards Chatter podcast that U2’s name was not what they were looking for, but it was the least hated one among the other suggestions. He mentioned they loved this name because it did not hint at the band’s sound and style, making them mysterious. Regarding this opinion, the name felt original to them.

Bono said the following about how the band came up with its name:

“Of the suggestions, it wasn’t that it jumped out to us as the name we were really looking for, but it was the one that we hated the least. And what we loved about it was that it was not obvious from the name what this band would sound like or be about. It felt fresh in that sense.”

The vocalist added in the same conversation that they were not a fan of this name in the past. Moreover, he confessed that he still does not like it. Bono noted they initially thought the name would sound more futuristic and cool under the title of U2. However, according to him, it turned into a ‘bad pun,’ just like the Beatles’ name. The rocker repeatedly emphasized in the interview that he does not like U2’s name.

Bono’s feelings towards the band’s name:

“It was the one we chose, and we didn’t really love it at first. I still don’t. I really don’t. But I was late into some kind of dyslexia; I didn’t realize that the Beatles was a bad pun either. If we’d thought of the implications of the letter and the number, in our head, it was like, the spy plane; it was a U-boat, it was futuristic. But then, as it turned out to imply this kind of acquiescence, no, I don’t like that name. I still don’t really like the name.”

Although Bono does not like this name, U2 has achieved significant success under this title. Moreover, it has encouraged fans worldwide to come up with theories about the name’s actual meaning. Even though the members have not given a detailed origin story, U2 fans have speculated about the band’s name and analyzed its meaning.