How music 'communicates at the deepest level', and instinct trumps intellect every time. From yesterday's speech at the Silver Clef Awards.

The band accepted a 'lifetime achievement' award from the British Music Industry yesterday, at the 30th Nordoff-Robbins Silver Clef Awards.

Nordoff Robbins is a charity which administers music-related therapies to mentally and physically handicapped people for whom music becomes a vital means of expression.

Here's the speech Bono gave:

'A humbling thing for a lyricist to accept is that the band might have been right, back in the early days when they told me: no one listens to the lyrics, just get us a chorus

I took their advice in the '80s, I fought against them in the '90s, now in the early zeros, I'm starting to realize that they might have been right all along...

The head can't rule the heart... a feeling is so much stronger than a thought...

'A feeling is so much stronger than a thought.'

That's really been the modus operandi of this band, and that's something you wouldn't have to explain to Dr Nordoff and Mr Robbins.

They've always known it.

Using music as a tool for education, not really lyrics, music - because music communicates at the deepest level.

In truth, the band have been more eloquent than their singer... I'm in the band too...

I may suggest the location, sketch the terrain, but they go there. I try to put into words and melody the music we create as a band.

Sometimes I feel a bit like a weatherman, watching the way the wind blows.

The Irish don't talk about the weather much -- you Brits do it much better. But actually, I've written a lot about the weather. I've been called the Michael Fish of lyricists. Not just in the 80s, even recently. Beautiful Day, Electrical Storm, Staring at the Sun.

Our music has always been elemental, instinct over intellect every time.

If we've pulled off anything as a band, it's the emotional directness of our music. But why do we still go on?

Because we need it... in truth, we're holding on to the music more tightly than anyone who comes to our shows or buys our albums.

We need it. The therapy.'