Bono: Lead singer of the Irish rock band U2 and longtime humanitarian activist. Author of the memoir 'Surrender' and the man behind the ONE/PEPFAR-era global AIDS advocacy.
What this episode covers
Bono recounts the making of his black-and-white concert film and memoir, the emotional roots of U2 songs, and his friendships with Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, and Pavarotti. The conversation turns serious as he argues passionately against the sudden cuts to USAID and PEPFAR, crediting George W. Bush and bipartisan effort with saving 26 million lives. Rogan and Bono dig into free speech, social-media bots, political overcorrection, and the danger of fundamentalism. Rogan shares his own origin story in martial arts and stand-up comedy, and the two find common ground in the idea of 'the way', total dedication to a craft. They close on faith, evil, community, and music as a shared, almost religious experience.
Recommended on this episode
The Book of Five Rings
Miyamoto Musashi
“he wrote a book on strategy called the book of five rings. Yeah. And go read no show the book of five rings”— Joe Rogan
Live on the Sunset Strip
Richard Pryor
“My parents took me to see Live in the Sunset Strip in a theater and it was Richard Prior... I think it's his greatest performance”— Joe Rogan
The guest's own work
Surrender
Bono
“my book, you know, wrote this book, Surrender, and sort of if there's a point to it at the very end”— Bono
The Joshua Tree
U2
“I I gave you the Joshua tree because I you know it's not just as an Irishman but probably more because I as an Irishman fell under the spell of America”— Bono
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
Consilience
E. O. Wilson
“I think it was I don't know who wrote I wrote a book called consilience but it's the idea that all disciplines all art forms everything comes together”— Bono
The Master and Margarita
Mikhail Bulgakov
“there's a great book by by Bulgakov called The Master in the Margarita. Have you heard about this?”— Joe Rogan
The Chronicles of Narnia
C. S. Lewis
“Got though love be deeper, friendship is more wide from like Chronicles of Narnia”— Joe Rogan
American Recordings
Johnny Cash
“those American recordings were were a result of a conversation he had with Rick Rubin... if you hear those American recordings um amazing version of nine inch nails”— Bono
Hurt
Nine Inch Nails
“amazing version of 9in nails um hurt hurt did a version of one also to pesh mode's personal Jesus”— Bono
Big reveals from this episode
- Bono reveals U2's rehearsal room was beside the cemetery where his mother is buried, and the song 'I Will Follow' was secretly about her.
- Johnny Cash told Rick Rubin 'if you don't work with me, I will die', the origin of the American Recordings.
- Bono praises George W. Bush for leading the fight against AIDS, calling it bipartisan and crediting it with saving 26 million lives.
- Bono cites reports that 300,000 people have already died from the hard cut to USAID, with food rotting in warehouses including in Houston.
- Bono claims Zelensky once played piano with his penis on television before becoming Ukraine's president.
- Bono's godson quit cage fighting because he couldn't beat the best guy in his gym, who turned out to be Conor McGregor.
- Both agree they have been talking roughly three hours, alone 'at the fire.'
Worth remembering
- Bono owns a recording of Sinatra singing 'My Way' 20 years later, same key and arrangement, but now sounding like an apology instead of a boast.
- A fax from Nippon EMI mistranslated Bono's Sinatra duet 'I've Got You Under My Skin' as 'I've Got You Under My Chicken.'
- Warren Buffett advised Bono to appeal to America's greatness, not its conscience, to get things done.
- Joe tells the story of Daryl Davis, a Black blues musician who personally talked over 200 people out of the KKK.
- Joe's love of stand-up began as a teen watching Richard Pryor's 'Live on the Sunset Strip' in a theater.
- Bono's would-be tattoo is Nietzsche's line: 'a long obedience in the same direction.'
- Joe has a Miyamoto Musashi quote tattooed on his arm: 'once you understand the way broadly, you can see it in all things.'
- Paul McCartney told Bono the Beatles' great collaboration began when he shared half a bar of Cadbury's chocolate with John Lennon.