U2 frontman Bono has admitted he is “embarrassed” by many of his band’s songs - and don’t even get him started on the name.

The Irish rocker, 61, formed the band with his school friends and having been together for over four decades, they have gone on to sell more than 150 million albums.

Despite their huge levels of success however, Bono feels there was room for improvement.

“I’ve been in a car when one of our songs has come on the radio, and I’ve been the colour of – as we say in Dublin – scarlet,” he said during an interview on the Awards Chatter podcast to promote new animated movie Sing 2.

“I’m just embarrassed. I do think U2 pushes out the boat on embarrassment quite a lot. And maybe that’s the place to be as an artist is right at the edge of your level of pain for embarrassment, your level of embarrassment,” he continued.

Adding: “And the lyrics as well. I feel that on Boy and other albums it was sketched out very unique and original material. But I don’t think I filled in the details.”

He was joined on the podcast by bandmate The Edge, who brought up the delicate issue of the band’s name, which it turns out none of them like.

The guitarist explained they had originally intended to be called The Hype, but found themselves at a loss after deciding it didn’t sound very original.

Their graphic designer friend, Steve Averill, then came up with a few other options for them, including U2, which they eventually settled on.

“Of the suggestions, it wasn’t that it [U2] jumped out to us as the name we were really looking for, but it was the one that we hated the least,” he recalled.

“I still don’t, I really don’t,” clarified Bono.