To be united is a great thing, but to respect difference is maybe even a greater thing.

Music expresses the inexpressible. All our songs are about that, about inarticulation.

Up too early with everyone looking wrecked. Arrive in Denver and Edge discovers a ski resort 50 miles up country. The four of us head off. It had to be hushed up as a broken leg at this stage of the tour would not be welcome. Stories were fabricated and changed so that no one had any idea where we were. It was a lovely drive through the Rockies to the resort. Once there, Edge organises the activities, as he is the experienced amateur. We get our skis on and Bono falls over immediately. We potter about on the nursery slopes under Edge’s instructions. I eventually feel confident enough to try my luck on the mountain. I wish I hadn’t. I’ve never been so frightened in all my life. To reach the top of the mountain we have to hang on chair lift, hundreds of feet above the ground with no safety bar. I was so hysterical I would have gladly thrown myself off had Edge not kept me talking.

At the top it soon becomes obvious that I had been over optimistic. I tell Edge to go off and enjoy himself, I’ll walk down. The mountain very nearly claimed me. Edge goes up and down twice in the time it takes me to walk. Then he did a black slope. As you might know black slopes are very serious. And then some, like black holes and black belts. We retire to the bar for the only bit of ski I like — apres ski and Gluewein. We make the mistake of ordering Irish Coffees, which are barely coffee and certainly not Irish. The cream comes from one of those aerosol jobs and there’s a nasty green mint liqueur to boot. Once back in the hotel we decide to go and see Reds. It’s a good film but I felt it lost its punch in places, but maybe that’s because I was so tired.

Anonymous asked: Do you have a video or something of Bono saying that last quote?

No, sorry. Most of the quotes I post are usually from written interviews in magazines and books or things I’ve seen in online quote archives. If it’s from a video I’ll usually make an animation to go with it and just post it on my other blogs.

I’ve got a book….I’ve written poems, but I don’t know if I’ll publish them. If I do I’ll call it ‘FUCK OFF!! Volume 1’. I get annoyed when people expect me to be a great all-arounder.

All celebrities tend to milk their celebrity when it suits them, but, when you’re as blessed, privileged, and, let’s be honest, over-rewarded, as I have been in my life, I think you have a responsibility to put something back.

I have fallen off stage on a couple of occasions. The first thing is to protect the guitar, because you can fix an ankle, you can fix a bruise, but when you break a guitar that’s the end of it.

Revolution starts at home, in your heart, in your refusal to compromise your beliefs and your values. I’m not interested in politics like people fighting back with sticks and stones, but in the politics of love. I think there is nothing more radical than two people’s loving each other, because it’s so infrequent.

Bono had been talking about this religious festival and he mentioned it to me, thinking that I’d shoot it down. And I said, “Actually, that’s a good idea, I’d like to go back to Morocco.” The last time I was there the food was shite. I was vegetarian, full-blown, verging on vegan, and so it was a difficult time. But underneath all the cultural shock I enjoyed it. So I was happy to go back. I felt musically it would be a very good thing.

Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice. It makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties. It doubts our concern. It questions our commitment. Because there is no way we can look at what’s happening in Africa, and if we’re honest, conclude that it would ever be allowed to happen anywhere else.