OK.
My first exposure to U2 that I recall was someone blasting "Sunday Bloody Sunday" from their boom box after getting off the bus in high school, not too long before the Joshua Tree came out. I thought it was cool, and despite the popularity of their later album, that remains my favorite U2 song even if I know it's a blatant piece of propaganda.
That said, Bono had always looked unhealthy to me, his movements, manner "off." And I never did like the cover to War, and never even looked at Boy because the name alone was unsettling. And in the early 90's when they changed gears again, I tried to like it, but couldn't. To this date the only album of theirs I've bought is War.
He also certainly came across like another sanctimonious liberal prick telling us how to live. Much like why I couldn't give to shits about the Cranberries.
And since I didn't pay attention, there's a lot that slipped past my radar that would have otherwise raised my hackles.
Owen goes on a deep dive of who he voluntarily not only associates with - but he doesn't trust Trump - but calls out and publicly honors, such as a certain Cardinal. And that's just the beginning. Explicit anti-christian imagery, subtle callouts to the occult, dressing as a demon, and the creepy history behind the boy on the first two covers.
Look, I can get, given the Hollywood obsession with youth, the exhortaion in an autograph to stay young, but "I like you that way?"
For that matter, that same obsession is a hell of a lot more sinister now that I've learned what a nest of vipers and sexual predators Hollywood is. And I get that there may be one or two snakes in your circle as a celebrity - psychopaths travel in the circles of fame - but the people he's buddies with is a who's who of predators and psychos.
I am not sure I'd go as far as to say that "One" is about a pedophile, but I will say this - that, and "With or Without You" are about relationships with incredibly abusive, manipulative, and needy people. Much like codependent relationship in Romeo and Juliet is actually a tragedy, they're nevertheless looked at as "romantic". You can write about relationships with awful people - look at "Cryin is a Thing That You Do" by JD McPhereson or "Little Miss Can't be Wrong" by the Spin Doctors as just two examples - but you can also recognize them for the poisonous people they are and the part you played in getting involved. instead of romanticizing it.
