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Hi guysI have some problems with the comprehension of certain lines below. If I had problems with something I set a type in boldface.1. And when someone says, 'Hail, man of peace,' I can hear Larry laughing under his breath: 'You're lucky he didn't nut you.' The band are very bemused by my attraction to non-violence, because they know you couldn't get further from the songs than the singer.--- What does he mean by saying that you cannot get further from the songs than the singer?2. There is a rage in me and it is not all injustice. I have developed good manners to disguise it.I am better at it now, but it used to be difficult to talk to me after a show, because I would be very hyped-up for about an hour, and, if the show hadn't gone well, I would feel cheated and raw--- Does he mean that injustice is not the only thing which rages him? I'm not sure I understand what he means by saying "raw"?3. I can feel if the crowd are losing interest and I might just throw a firecracker into that part of the crowd, and the firecracker would probably be me. Light the fuse, see what happens.---  Does it mean that he feels like throwing a fireckracker into the crowd? Does it mean that I (Bono) light the fuse and then watch what's going on?4. Your mate is ruining his life with a bag of smack. It's 'Bad'. You're in those emotions. And I think the band have been very good about realizing that I get to that spot. At times it must have been very difficult for them, because the singer would be right out there.--- Is he saying that he can feel these emotions? When he says "I get to that spot" he means that he is where? And then he says "the singer would be right out there" Again, where? I don't get these two lines!5. One of the extraordinary transferences that happen in your spiritual life is not that your character flaws go away but they start to work for you.--- does he mean that my flaws become positive for me? Later he writes: "A negative becomes a positive: you've a big mouth: you end up a singer. You're insecure: you end up a performer who needs applause."That's it for the time being. Thanks.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

1. (don't really know) The implication seems to be that someone in the crowd had reason to be offended by the lyrics of the song, and that as performers, the members of the band understand that the singer is only a conduit, and is not personally invested in the subject matter of the lyrics (therefore not responsible). But this makes absolutely no sense, since many prominent band members write the songs, and are very much involved IMO.

2. Same subject. The audience may assume that the emotions of the performers derive from the subject matter of their songs (eg., injustice). But in actual fact, their emotions derive more from the everyday realities - problems - of being on stage (eg., we really suck tonight). But we have to put on a good face for the people.
I think "raw" here is similar to the expression "my nerves are frayed." Additionally, "raw" can mean "exposed." "In the raw" = "in the nude." or, "My skin is raw." - "worn away by abrasion, leaving the tender parts unprotected."

3. Pure fantasy - hard to say. More about the rage. He's so emotionally upset by the band's failure to connect with a portion of the audience that it totally consumes him. Perhaps his first thought is to imagine throwing a real firecracker into their midst to get their attention. But that morphs into his being the firecracker. "Light the fuse, see what happens" is imperative mood, but I think poetic license obtains here. He's both the subject and the object. He both wants to explode and to watch it.

4. Another tough one. At first I think he's talking about holding the moral high ground - the virtuous position. (That spot.) The band know that sometimes he gets very emotionally involved in considering the "badness" of his buddy's ruining his life with smack.
Perhaps he means the singer fronts the band. It's vitally important to the success of a performance that they be totally committed and connected to each other. The leader of the band can be an authority figure as well as the one who brings the music together. I think we're back to the same subject of the music vs. the hard realities of life and performance. He's always out there making the band cook, and he thinks it may be hard for them to put aside a possible life-style conflict, eg., over the smack. (maybe)

5. I think you're right about this one.

- A.

Avangi · Answer

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Newguest · Answer

Thank you very much for your help, Avangi <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/5.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/5.gif' alt='Emotion: wink'/>

Newguest · Answer

Hi

I have one more question

Over the years the band has really struggled with musical deficiencies, so just playing together can be a challenge. Live shows can be a bit like an obstacle course and occasionally we fall over. So I try to be rock-solid. I would like to think that if there is any confusion about where anybody is in a song, they would know that, as their drummer, I would be on top of it. Easier said than done.

--- I'd like to ask you about the explanations of the last but one sentence above, it starts with the words "I would like to think...."
Can you somehow rephrase it for me, so that it sounds clearer?
Thanks

Avangi · Answer

Compare a symphony orchestra and a rock band in this respect. The symphony has a conductor; the rock band has a drummer. Some conductors are legendary genius types who commit the details of perhaps twenty different instrumental parts of a half-hour work to memory. The more human ones have the score in hand. They always cue the critical entrances, so if a "musically deficient" trumpet player gets lost, there's no danger of his blaring out a high "C" at fortissimo when in fact the flute is supposed to be playing a low "C-sharp" at pianissimo. The skilled conductor who is "on top of the situation" will bring the trumpet player in at exactly the right spot.

Rock drummers can be musically deficient too, but (Bono's) position is that it rests with the drummer to be the navigator. He wants the band to know that they can depend on him in this role. They should be able to give him that look that says, "Hey, man, I'm lost! Bring me in!"
There's also that terrifying experience when a guy with no sense of rhythm drops a beat and throws the rhythmic pattern out of kilter - like being out of step in a parade - or marching to a different drummer.

I'd like to think that if one of the guys gets lost in a song, he would know that he could count on me to cue him.

Newguest · Answer

Thanks again Avangi <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

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