Bono's way with words has won him audiences with popes, presidents and prime ministers. But if U2's frontman secretly craved further recognition of his linguistic talent, he can rest easy. The line "One life, with each other, sisters, brothers" from the Irish band's song, One, has just been voted Britain's most adored lyric.
The words, which Bono wrote in the early 1990s for the album Achtung Baby, are back in the charts now in the form of a re-released version by Mary J Blige.
Bad choice? Perhaps "So you go, and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home, and you cry, and you want to die" is the appropriate riposte from the band that just missed out on the top spot, The Smiths, from their song How Soon is Now.
Few of the 13,000 music fans surveyed for the music channel VH1's poll are likely to have known the precise meaning behind U2's arrangement. The band's video, which depicted Bono in drag followed by several buffalos running across a plain, doesn't give much away.
The only apparent clue is a remark by guitarist Dave "The Edge" Evans, to the effect that although the anthem is often played at wedding receptions, "it's not that kind of song".
The top 100, which were shortlisted by leading musicians before being put to the music channel viewers' vote, encapsulated the full array of pop subjects, from the staples of love, hate and jealousy to the perils of late-1970s education policy (Pink Floyd's "We don't need no education") and the dangers of drink-fuelled antisocial behaviour (as expressed in Kaiser Chiefs' "Watching the people get lairy, is not very pretty I tell thee"). Then there are Abba's words about winning - or, in their case, coming 12th: "Beside the victory, that's her destiny."
But most recognisable lyrics are the oldies, with words from Marvin Gaye's protest song against the Vietnam war, What's Going On, voted tenth, and a line from Bob Marley's Redemption Song -"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds" - coming fourth.
The top ten
1 One "One life, with each other, sisters, brothers"
U2
2 How Soon Is Now "So you go, and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home, and you cry, and you want to die"
The Smiths
3 Smells Like Teen Spirit "I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us"
Nirvana
4 Redemption Song "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds, have no fear for atomic energy, cause none of them can stop the time"
Bob Marley
5 Yellow "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you"
Coldplay
6 Lose Yourself "Look, if you had one shot or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip?"
Eminem
7 Angels "And through it all she offers me protection, a lot of love and affection, whether I'm right or wrong"
Robbie Williams
8 My Generation "Hope I die before I get old"
The Who
9 Creep "I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo, what the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here"
Radiohead
10 What's Going On "Father, father, we don't need to escalate, you see, war is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate"
Marvin Gaye