Bono on the bridge in Rome

Part of the inspiration for the lyrics of One reportedly grew out of a note Bono had sent to the Dalai Lama declining an invitation to a festival called Oneness. The note included, in part, the line, “one – but not the same,” a line which would later appear in the song’s lyrics. That idea of “oneness,” Bono would later say, was a key concept for the song.