With U2 sidelined by Bono's arm, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots cover 'Desire'

With U2 sidelined by Bono&#039;s arm, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots cover &#039;Desire&#039;

(Image credit: The Tonight Show/YouTube)

last updated 8 January 2015

If Jimmy Fallon can't have U2 on The Tonight Show this week, he'll settle for a cover band. Bono's injured arm prevented the Irish band from performing in residency this week, and on Monday night, Fallon put on a Bono outfit, grabbed a guitar, and did an impressive performance of "Desire" with his own house band, The Roots.

It's a lively rendition, but a little disconcerting: Fallon, 40, is halfway between Bono's age (28) when the album Rattle and Hum came out — "Desire" was the first single — and his age now (54). So the audience got an All That You Can't Leave Behind Bono lookalike performing a Joshua Tree-era song in a Songs of Innocence outfit. Bravo. --Peter Weber

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox