U2's Song Of The Year Candidate Came From A True Story

With eight nominations, U2 is the unquestioned favorite at tonight's (February 27) Grammy Awards ceremony, which takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. All of the nominations hail from the Irish group's 2000 release All That You Can't Leave Behind, including the song of the year nod for "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of."

U2 frontman Bono tells LAUNCH that the song was inspired by a true story. "'Stuck In A Moment' was written for a friend of mine [INXS frontman Michael Hutchence] who kind of lost it all. In fact, he took his life, took his own life. All the kind of guilt and anger that went with that--like, the whole frustration in the first person, which is extraordinary--and I was asking myself, 'Why are you writing a song about your mate, but it's all about you?' And I think that was just really defensiveness at not having noticed somebody on the slide," he says.

But Bono adds that he was careful not to castigate himself in the song's lyrics. "It's also very unsentimental and kind of very merciless, 'cause it's an argument with someone who's letting go of their, of their life and just kind of is on the slide."

Besides hoping to make several acceptance speeches, U2 is slated to perform at tonight's Grammy festivities, which air starting at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. (by Gary Graff, Detroit)

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