Bono says he’s “embarrassed” by U2’s songs and can’t listen to his own voice

Bono has opened up on his dislike of U2‘s name, as well as their songs and his own singing voice.

Speaking on the Awards Chatter , the Irish rock icon explained that his hatred of his own voice is so intense that he often turns off the radio when the group’s tracks are played.

Opening up on how he “still” doesn’t like U2‘s name, Bono added: ” “I really don’t. But I was late into some kind of dyslexia,” he said. “I didn’t realise that The Beatles was a bad pun either.

“In our head it was like the spy plane, U-boat, it was futuristic – as it turned out to imply this kind of acquiescence, no I don’t like that name. I still don’t really like the name.”

He continued: “Paul McGuinness, our first manager, did say, ‘Look, it’s a great name, it’s going to look good on a T-shirt, a letter and a number’.”

While admitting that most vocal performances make him “cringe a little bit”, Bono allowed himself to concede that 2004 track ‘Vertigo’ was “probably the one I’m proudest of”.

“It’s the way it connects with the crowd,” he added.

“I’ve been in the car when one of our songs has come on the radio and I’ve been the colour of, as we say in Dublin, scarlet. I’m just so embarrassed.”

He added: “I do think U2 pushes out the boat on embarrassment quite a lot and maybe that’s the place to be as an artist, you know right at the edge of your level of embarrassment.”

Bono went on to claim that U2’s 1980 debut record ‘Boy’ contained “very unique and original material”.

“But I don’t think I filled in the details,” he continued, “and I look back and I go ‘God’.”

Last year saw U2 release a 30th anniversary edition of ‘Achtung Baby’ which includes a limited edition vinyl and huge digital boxset.