One of the greatest classic rock stars of the 1980s and 1990s was Bono. In the 1980s, Bono fell in love with a song from the 1960s. Bono went on to write a track for the singer behind that fantastic song.

How Bono accidentally met the singer behind a classic rock song he loved

If anyone knows classic rock, it’s Bono. He and his band have covered songs by Elvis Presley, Phil Spector, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and other rock ‘n’ roll icons. During a 1988 interview with Hot Press, Bono discussed a classic rock single from the 1960s that really stuck with him.

“The song that stood out for me on the soundtrack of Blue Velvet — which was a film I really liked — was Roy Orbison’s ‘In Dreams,’” he said. “One night when I couldn’t sleep in London, just before we played Wembley Arena, I stayed up listening to this tape. Y’know the way you can put a tape in, and it just keeps going ’round and ’round, and you come in and out of consciousness — well, I always seemed to wake up on that song, ‘In Dreams.’ And I thought it was the most extraordinary song ‘cos it breaks all the rules of pop music. And then there was that extraordinary baroque voice.” Orbison’s voice is so transcendent it’s often compared to that of an opera singer.

Bono said that the next day, he couldn’t stop talking about Orbison — boring everyone around him. The “Running to Stand Still” singer started penning “She’s a Mystery to Me,” a track inspired by Orbison’s music. After performing a concert in Wembley Arena, he tried to purchase every album in Orbison’s catalog. Then, there was a knock at the door.

Afterward, Bono had a surprising experience when he learned for the first time that a certain celebrity was in the audience. “It was our security man, John, and he says, ‘Listen, I’ve got Roy Orbison outside could he come in?’” he said. “And he walked in and he just said (quiet American accent) ‘I’m an instinctive kinda guy and I can’t tell ya why I loved the show, but I loved the show.’” The two rock songs started discussing music and Bono played “She’s a Mystery to Me.” 

What Bono thought of Roy Orbison as a person

Bono and Orbison later met each other a few times in Los Angeles. Bono said the Orbison family opened up to him. The U2 frontman found the “Oh, Pretty Woman” star to be very wise. Bono felt that Orbison was surprised to be gifted with the voice of an angel.

Orbison covered the “She’s a Mystery to Me.” It appeared on his posthumous album Mystery Girl. That song forever stands as a testament to the mutual admiration between Bono and Orbison.

‘In Dreams’ became 1 of Roy Orbison’s biggest songs

“In Dreams” reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, lasting on the chart for 13 weeks. The track appeared on the album In Dreams. That record peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard 200 and lasted on the chart for 38 weeks. In Dreams remains Orbison’s longest-charting studio album in the United States.

“In Dreams” is a great song and it stayed with Bono when he was in dreams.