“Why U2?” I get asked that a lot. Maybe some of you do, too. It’s a fair question, actually. What is it about U2 that has turned me, and others, into the raving, obsessed fanatic that we are? Of course, when I get asked this question, my first thought is usually “isn’t it obvious?”, but I want to give a serious answer. Maybe clue someone in to what they’ve been missing. The problem is, there’s a multitude of reasons, much too much for small-talk in the elevator at work, and I never know where to start. That’s the purpose of this. My goal is to start every week with another reason that U2 has gone far beyond “favorite band” status for me – following the band is a way of life for us, and, in no particular order, here’s why.

#1) Their music is about something. Whether it’s the troubles in Ireland or the hole that the death of the singer’s mother left in his life, U2’s music always has a deeper meaning beyond just “hey baby, let’s do it”, or any of the countless other inanities that populate the airwaves. That’s not to say that U2 are above expressing base instincts, (see Desire or If You Wear That Velvet Dress, for example) but those expressions come with with an attempt to understand WHY we feel the way we do. What drives us, what makes us human? Is it something we can overcome, and if we can, should we? Life is very rarely simple. Every day is filled with complexities involving our inner motivations, the way we act out those desires, the consequences of those actions, and the results of placing a bunch of equally complex people with equally intricate ambitions in a tiny box and shaking vigorously. Rather than blindly following instinct–damn the repercussions–U2’s music is about viewing the bigger picture and how all the pieces fit together. In short, it’s about humanity, and what it means to be part of it.