U2's The Edge knows what it takes to produce magic

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On May 14 2005, U2 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There was some great stuff, but it was The Edge, U2's guitarist, and not Bono, the front man, who really had something profound to say. Maybe you'll have the opportunity to see it on VH1, but just in case, here's the transcript of what "The Edge" said...

Above all else, what U2 have tried to avoid over the last 25 years is not being completely crap. But next on the list down from that was to avoid being typical, predictable, and ordinary, because it’s so very hard to avoid the clichés – everyone else’s of course, but most of all your own.

It’s so hard to keep things fresh and not to become a parody of yourself. And if you’ve ever seen that movie “Spinal Tap”, you will know how easy it is to parody what we all do. The first time I ever saw it I didn’t laugh – I wept…. I wept because I recognized so much… so many of those scenes. I don’t think I’m alone amongst all of us here in that… you know, we’re all guilty of taking ourselves and our work way too seriously. We have all gone to go hangout in the hotel lobby like we were doing something REALLY important.

But the reason we’re all here tonight, is that in spite of all the clichés, which do exist, you know rock and roll – when it is great, it is amazing… it changes your life. It changed our lives. Witness, for instance, tonight… The O’Jays, Percy Sledge, Bo Didley, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, The Pretenders – I mean really magic stuff.

You can break it down. You can study it all you want. But you cannot just dial it up. It doesn’t work like that. And as far as U2 goes, I’ve stopped trying to figure out how, or more importantly when, our best moments are going to come along. But I think that’s why we’re still awake, and that’s why we’re still paying attention. And we know in the end, you see, we know… that it is magic.

And so we end up waiting around, just like they did in that “Spinal Tap” movie, in the lobby, waiting with Bono, with Adam, and Larry, and Paul for those moments to come along.

So I just want to say thank you to my family for being so patient… My mom and dad for showing me how… the rest of the band, particularly. And tonight, you know, for all of you… for this evening. And most of all for, I guess, making space for me as we all wait together for something magic to happen. Thank you.

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