Mothers of The Disappeared - The Joshua Tree, 1987

Mothers of The Disappeared - The Joshua Tree, 1987

Notation:
s - sixteenth note
e - eighth note
q - quarter note
h - half note
w - whole note
. - play note for one and a half times the value before it (just like a dot in standard notation)
^ - ties two note lengths together
NOTE LENGTHS IN CAPITAL LETTERS MEAN REST FOR THAT VALUE OF TIME!
/ - slide up
\ - slide down
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off

"Mothers of the Disappeared" as performed by U2, from The Joshua Tree
Words by Bono, Music by U2

(Acoustic guitar - let ring)
A5 A A5 A (Asus9)
e e e q q. e e q. q. q. e e e q q. e e h Q e e e q q. e e
E---------|----------------|----------------|--------------------|-------------|------------------|
B---------|----------------|----------------|--------------------|-------------|------------------|
G---------|----------------|----------------|--------------------|-------------|------------------|
D---11-12-|-12/14-14-14-12-|-11--11---11-12-|-12/14---14---14-12-|-11----11/12-|-11\9-9----9-11---|
A-0-------|-0--------------|-(0)----0-------|-(0)---0----0-------|-(0)-0-------|-(0)-----0--------|
E---------|----------------|----------------|--------------------|-------------|------------------|
q. w h^e q. q q. q. h^e q. h^e q.

(Asus4) (A) A5 A
e q q e e e s e^e. s s^q s s e Q e e Q e e e q q. e e h^e q e
E--------------------|--------------------|-----------------|------------------|------------------|
B--------------------|--------------------|-----------------|------------------|------------------|
G--------------------|--------------------|-----------------|------------------|------------------|
D-11/12---12-12-11-9-|-9\7----7-7---7/9\7-|-----7-7---11-12-|-12/14-14---14-12-|-11---11---12-----|
A-(0)---0------------|-0------0-0---------|-(0)-----0-------|-(0)------0-------|-0--0----0--------|
E--------------------|--------------------|-----------------|------------------|------------------|
q h. q. s s^h h E q. h^e q. q. q. q

A5 A (Asus9) (Asus4) (A)
e q q. e e q. q. e e e q q. e e e q q. e e s e.e q. q e q. h
E------------------|----------------|---------------|-------------------|-------------|-------------|
B------------------|----------------|---------------|-------------------|-------------|-------------|
G------------------|----------------|---------------|-------------------|-------------|-------------|
D-12/14-14---14-12-|-11--11---11h12-|-11\9-9---9-11-|-11h12---12---11-9-|-9\7-7-7---7-|-(7)-7---7---|
A-(0)------0-------|-(0)----0-------|--------0------|-(0)---0----0------|-(0)-----0---|-(0)---0---0-|
E------------------|----------------|---------------|-------------------|-------------|-------------|
h^e q. h^e q. (h^e) q. q q. q. h^e q. q Q q q.

A5 E5
Midnight, our sons and daughters were cut down taken from us hear their heartbeat,
E q q. q e q e e e s s e e q. q. e q q. e q E q. q q
E------------|--------------------|---------------|--------------------------|--------------|
B------------|--------------------|---------------|--------------------------|--------------|
G---9-9---9--|-(9)-9-9-9-9-9/11\9-|-(9)-9---9---9-|-(9)---9---9-9------------|--------------|
D------------|--------------------|---------------|--------------------------|---9---9---9\-|
A-0-----0----|--0----0------------|--0----0---0---|-(0)-0---0---0------------|--------------|
E------------|--------------------|---------------|--------------------------|-0---0---0----|
h^e q. q. h^e q. q. q e q. q q q. q q.

(F#m) (D) A5
you hear their heartbeat. In the wind you hear their laughter,
e e e e e e e e E q. q. e q q. q e e q. q. e q q. q e
E-----------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B-----------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G-----------7---7-|---9---9---9-|-(9)---9---9---9-|-(9)-9---9---9---|-(9)---9---9---9-|
D---4---4---------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A---------5---5---|-0---0---0---|-(0)-0---0---0---|-0-----0---0-----|-(0)-0---0---0---|
E-2---2-----------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
q. q. q e q. q q q. q. q e q. q q

E5 (F#m) (D) A5
in the rain we see their tears, hear their heartbeat, we hear their heartbeat.
e q e q. e q q. q e E q. q q e e q e e e e E q. q. e q h e e
E---------------|-----------------|--------------|---------------|-------------|-------------------|
B---------------|-----------------|--------------|---------------|-------------|-------------------|
G-(9)-9-9-9---9-|-(9)---9---9---9-|--------------|---------7---7-|---9---9---9-|-(9)---9---10-9----|
D---------------|-----------------|---9---9---9\-|---4-----------|-------------|-------------------|
A-0-----0---0---|-(0)-0---0---0---|--------------|-------5---5---|-0---0---0---|-(0)-0---0---------|
E---------------|-----------------|-0---0---0----|-2---2---------|-------------|-------------------|
q. q. q e q. q q q. q q. q. q. q e q. h

D A5 D D5
Whoo whoo whoo whoo
E q. q e e e e q. q e E q. q e e e e h e e q. q. q e q q. e e
E------------|------------------|---------------|--------------|-----------|--------------------|
B---7--7---7-|-(7)---7---10---7-|---------------|--------------|-7---7---7-|-(7)-10---10---10-7-|
G--------7---|-(7)-7------------|---9--9---9/11\|\9-9-9---10-9-|-----------|--------------------|
D-0----------|-0-------0----0---|---------------|--------------|---0-0-0---|-(0)----0----0------|
A------------|------------------|-0------0------|---0---0------|-----------|--------------------|
E------------|------------------|---------------|--------------|-----------|--------------------|
w h q q h^e q. E h q. E q q q. q q. q.

A5
E h q. q. e q q E q q. q e q q. s s e e q e q e e e e q e e s s e
E---------|---------------|-------------|----------------------|---------------|--------------------|
B---------|---------------|-------------|----------------------|---------------|--------------------|
G---9-9---|-(9)---9-9---9-|---9---9---9-|-(9)-9---9-----9/11\9-|-(9)-9-9-9---9-|-(9)---9---9-9/11\9-|
D---------|---------------|-------------|----------------------|-----------7---|-----7---7----------|
A-0-----0-|-(0)-0-----0---|-0---0---0---|-0-----0---0-0--------|-0-----0-------|-0-------0----------|
E---------|---------------|-------------|----------------------|---------------|--------------------|
| h. q q q. q. q q. q. q q e q. q. h^e h h
|
|(2nd guitar)
|
| h.. e q q Q. e h.. e q q Q. e
E---------|---------------|-------------|----------------------|---------------|-----------------|
B---------|---------------|-------------|----------------------|---------------|-----------------|
G---------|---------------|-------------|----------------------|---------------|-----------------|
D---------|---------------|-------------|----------------------|---------------|-----------------|
A---------|---------------|-------------|-12-12\---12\---------|---------------|-12-12\----12\---|
E---------|---------------|----5----(5)/|----------------------|-----5-----(5)/|-----------------|

e q. q. e e e q e e s s e E q. q. e q q q e e
E-------------|--------------------|-------------|---------------------|
B-------------|--------------------|-------------|---------------------|
G---9---9---9-|-(9)---9---9-9/11\9-|---9---9---9-|-(9)---9---9---------|
D-7-----------|-----7---7----------|-------------|---------------11-12-|
A-0---0---0---|-(0)-----0----------|-0---0---0---|-(0)-0---0---0-------|
E-------------|--------------------|-------------|---------------------|
| q. q. q h h q. q. q e q q q.
|
|(2nd guitar)
|
| h.. e q q Q. e h.. e q q Q. e
E-------------|--------------------|-------------|---------------------|
B-------------|--------------------|-------------|---------------------|
G-------------|----14\-------------|-------------|---------------------|
D-------------|----14\-------------|-------------|---------------------|
A-------------|-12-12\---------12\-|-------------|-12-12\-----12\------|
E-5-------(5)/|--------------------|-5-------(5)/|---------------------|

A A5 A
e q q. e e h. e e e q q. e e h. e e
E--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
B--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
G--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
D-12/14---14---14-12-|-11------11-12-|-12/14---14---14-12-|-11------11-12-|
A-0-----0----0-------|-0--0--0-------|-0-----0----0-------|-0--0--0-------|
E--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
q q. q. q q. q. q q. q. q q. q.

(Asus9) (Asus4) (A)
e q q. e e q. q e e e s e^e. q e s s s s e q. q e e
E-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
B-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
G-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
D-11-9---9---9-11-|-12---12-12-11-9-|-9p7-----7-7-7h9p7\5-|-7-7---7---11-12-|
A-0----0---0------|----0------------|-0-------0-----------|-0---0---0-------|
E-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
q q. q. Q h. q. h^e q. q q.

A5 A A5 A
Night hangs like a prisoner, stretched over black and blue, hear their
e q q. e e h. e e e q q. e e h. e e
E--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
B--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
G--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
D-12/14---14---14-12-|-11------11-12-|-12/14---14---14-12-|-11------11-12-|
A-0-----0----0-------|-0--0--0-------|-0-----0----0-------|-0--0--0-------|
E--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
q q. q. q q. q. q q. q. q q. q.

(Asus9) (Asus4) (A)
heartbeats, we hear their heartbeats.
e q q. e e q. q e e e s e^e. q e s s s s e q. q e e
E-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
B-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
G-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
D-11-9---9---9-11-|-12---12-12-11-9-|-9p7-----7-7-7h9p7\5-|-7-7---7---11-12-|
A-0----0---0------|----0------------|-0-------0-----------|-0---0---0-------|
E-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
q q. q. Q h. q. h^e q. q q.

A5 A A5 A
In the trees, our sons stand naked, through the walls, our daughters cry, see their
e q q. e e h. e e e q q. e e h. e e
E--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
B--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
G--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
D-12/14---14---14-12-|-11------11-12-|-12/14---14---14-12-|-11------11-12-|
A-0-----0----0-------|-0--0--0-------|-0-----0----0-------|-0--0--0-------|
E--------------------|---------------|--------------------|---------------|
q q. q. q q. q. q q. q. q q. q.

(Asus9) (Asus4) (A)
tears in the rain fall.
e q q. e e q. q e e e s e^e. q e s s s s e q. q e e
E-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
B-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
G-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
D-11-9---9---9-11-|-12---12-12-11-9-|-9p7-----7-7-7h9p7\5-|-7-7---7---11-12-|
A-0----0---0------|----0------------|-0-------0-----------|-0---0---0-------|
E-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
q q. q. Q h. q. h^e q. q q.

(Repeat next 4 bars 6 times)
D D5 A5
Whoo Whoo
e q q. q e q q. e e E q q e e e e e e e q e e
E---------------|--------------------|----------------|--------------------|
B-7-7-7-----7---|--7--10---10---10-7-|----------------|---------------10-9-|
G---------------|--------------------|---9---9-9-9/11\|\9---9-9-9-9--------|
D-0-----0-0---0-|-(0)----0----0------|----------------|--------------------|
A---------------|--------------------|-0---0---0------|-(0)-0-------0------|
E---------------|--------------------|----------------|--------------------|
h e q e q q. q. q q. q. e h q.

(Repeat the next two bars and fade out)
E e e e e e e e e e q e e e e
E-------------------|---------------------|
B-------10-----10---|-10-------10---------|
G-----9------9----9-|----9--------9-9-----|
D---7------7--------|------7----------7\--|
A-0-----------------|--------0------------|
E-------------------|---------------------|
| w q. h^e
|
|(2nd guitar)
|
| h.. e q q Q. e
E-------------------|---------------------|
B-------------------|---------------------|
G-------------------|---------------------|
D-------------------|---------------------|
A-------------------|-12-12\-----12\------|
E-5-------------(5)/|---------------------|

The end. The book also gives this little fill, but for the life of me, I can't figure out where it
is supposed to be played. The book never says. For completeness, however, I'm including it.

q. q e s s e e q. q q
E------------------|-------------------------------------------|
B------------------|-------------------------------------------|
G------------------|-------------------------------------------|
D-7----7-7-11h12-9-|-7-11---11---11----------------------------|
A----0---0---------|-0----0----0-------------------------------|
E------------------|-------------------------------------------|
Q q. q. q. q q.

There may be discrepancies in the rhythm. Not all of the note values add up in the book, and where
I could, I tried to correct them to the best of my ability. In any case, this should do you fairly
well in terms of thoroughness. It may look like a mess, but trust me: just about everything you
could need to play this song is in there. Dynamics and tempo, maybe, but that you should be able to
get from just a single listen to the song.
--
Marc Hirsh (marc@owlnet.rice.edu)

"Good, bad, I'm the one with the gun."
--- snappy end-of-file sign-off reelin', rockin' quote from Army Of Darkness

\ /
^ --- ugly red filthy rich source of all evil
V