--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: U2 - that's a band that never should have…" description: "\"U2 - that's a band that never should have existed. There's no life experience in any of their songs.\" — John Lydon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/john-lydon-1234_band_u2-that-s-a-band-that-never-should-have_1179755.jpg" --- # U2 - that's a band that never should have existed. There's… ![“U2 - that's a band that never should have existed. There's no life experience in any of their songs.” quote by John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/john-lydon-1234_band_u2-that-s-a-band-that-never-should-have_1179755.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/john-lydon-1234_band_u2-that-s-a-band-that-never-should-have_1179755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/john-lydon-1234_band_u2-that-s-a-band-that-never-should-have_1179755.jpg) > “U2 - that's a band that never should have existed. There's no life experience in any of their songs.” [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker dismisses a band as unnecessary, implying their music lacks authentic experience. **In simple terms:** He thinks the band is pointless and shallow. Key Takeaway Question the value of music lacking personal depth. Themes music criticism authenticity subjectivity culture Mood critical skeptical analytical Type opinion musical When to use this quote - music reviews - cultural commentary - evaluating art Key Concepts artistic relevance personal experience genre bias Questions to Reflect On - What makes music meaningful to you? - Can a band be valuable without personal experience? A Different Perspective The statement is overly dismissive and ignores diverse listener experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-experience/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [We really try to bring a really joyful and happy and uplifting experience through the songs, through the words, through the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-tedeschi/we-really-try-to-bring-a-really-joyful-and-happy-and-uplifting/) [Susan Tedeschi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-tedeschi/) > [It was a very bizarre experience for me, to get the songs together, go in there, and try to deliver them as I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/it-was-a-very-bizarre-experience-for-me-to-get-the-songs-together-go/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [It seems that the Internet is setting the standard for almost everything. I can't imagine having something like punk rock happen where an entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/memory-tapes/it-seems-that-the-internet-is-setting-the-standard-for-almost/) [Memory Tapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/memory-tapes/) > [I was not a fan of the Clash or, for that matter, any other punk band that existed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glyn-johns/i-was-not-a-fan-of-the-clash-or-for-that-matter-any-other-punk-band/) [Glyn Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glyn-johns/) > [The Velvet Underground is probably the best band that's ever existed, assuredly the best American one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/the-velvet-underground-is-probably-the-best-band-that-s-ever-existed/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [“It was as if he had known her for a long, long time and before he knew her, he knew nothing because he felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faraaz-kazi/it-was-as-if-he-had-known-her-for-a-long-long-time-and-before-he-knew/) [Faraaz Kazi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faraaz-kazi/) > [Factory Records would not have existed and my life would not have been what it was without Joy Division.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-wilson/factory-records-would-not-have-existed-and-my-life-would-not-have/) [Tony Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-wilson/) > [If the hypothesis of evolution is true, living matter must have arisen from non-living matter; for by the hypothesis the condition of the globe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/if-the-hypothesis-of-evolution-is-true-living-matter-must-have-arisen/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [“For the first time I envisaged the idea that we - that is, our family - were not the only people in the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/for-the-first-time-i-envisaged-the-idea-that-we-that-is-our-family/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I harbored in my mind a sort of utopia about ‘an age of genius’ that supposedly existed in my life once upon a time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-schulz/i-harbored-in-my-mind-a-sort-of-utopia-about-an-age-of-genius-that/) [Bruno Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-schulz/) > [In the last 680 million years of the four and a half billion that this planet has existed, life has been determined by two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wynn/in-the-last-680-million-years-of-the-four-and-a-half-billion-that/) [Steve Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wynn/) > [Before World War II, I was living a very cloistered existence, as most cartoonists do. 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Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## More by John Lydon > [Music is escapism from the grim realities of life. But then as soon as you escape into the music, from my point of view,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/music-is-escapism-from-the-grim-realities-of-life-but-then-as-soon-as/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I'm not one for like soul-searching, sour fizzy moments. I come from the school of hard knocks, "f\*\*king get on with it", that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-m-not-one-for-like-soul-searching-sour-fizzy-moments-i-come-from/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [All the things that you would have thought would have made me a professional A1 criminal... wrong. I decided that was too lazy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/all-the-things-that-you-would-have-thought-would-have-made-me-a/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Stroll into work at 10. Lunch from 12 till three. Leave work at five. That's living!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/stroll-into-work-at-10-lunch-from-12-till-three-leave-work-at-five/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Live music is healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/live-music-is-healthy/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I never wore a studded leather jacket, y'know. Ne-va! 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And you couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/a-record-company-used-to-be-a-very-good-thing-but-they-ended-up-soul/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Destroy everything. That's all well and fine, but you got to offer something in it's place. Since I always have a point and purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/destroy-everything-that-s-all-well-and-fine-but-you-got-to-offer/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [For me people are people, without meaning to sound corny, it's a plain natural fact, music is a universal language and I've always known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/for-me-people-are-people-without-meaning-to-sound-corny-it-s-a-plain/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I'm not great at dealing with death, I have to say. I find death very hard: my mum, my dad, Sid Vicious. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-m-not-great-at-dealing-with-death-i-have-to-say-i-find-death-very/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [The joy of life is in the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/the-joy-of-life-is-in-the-work/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I have a sensible set of values that tell me to never lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-have-a-sensible-set-of-values-that-tell-me-to-never-lie/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I always knew the Sixties wasn't a revolution. It really was just a bunch of university students with wealthy parents having fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-always-knew-the-sixties-wasn-t-a-revolution-it-really-was-just-a/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) [Explore all 269 John Lydon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. 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