All Along The Watchtower - Rattle and Hum, 1988

All Along The Watchtower - Rattle and Hum, 1988

Transcribed by Collin Burgemeestre

The Rattle and Hum version didn't do much for me, but the Lovetown live
version blew me away. I remember seeing a live version of this song from
an Australian show on TV and when I heard the solo I thought, man, now he's
really starting to play some mean guitar!
I've transcribed this from one of the point depot bootlegs, but not the new year
concert. U2 playswith 2 guitars. Bono's part is straithforward, Dm, C and A#

s/ slide up
s\slide down
h hammer on
^
p pull off
^
* bend up 1 step

Here we go with the Edge, remember to tune down half a step!

Segue in from desire, tremolo with feedback
E--0--------------------------------------------------------------------
B--0--------------------------------------------------------------------
G--1--------------------------------------------------------------------
D--2--------------------------------------------------------------------
A--2--------------------------------------------------------------------
E--0------------s/12s\0-------------------------------------------------

Then Edge starts to play, 2 times
E------------------------
B-5-5---5--5-6-6---5--5-- This works best for me but feel free to improvise
G-6-6---5--5-7-7---5--5--
D-7-7---5--5-8-8---5--5--
A------------------------
E------------------------

Now Bono and Adam enter in, Edge plays riff 1 4 times
h p
B-5----5-----5^6^5----
G---7----7-7-------7--

Bono sings the 1st verse, Dm, C and A# during the 1st verse after which
comes riff 1 again, 4 times

Bono sings verse 2, Edge toys around D power chord for the first 2 lines
Then he plays riff 2 over the latter 2 lines, 4 times
G-7-|-10-9-7---7--7-7--7--------
D-0-|------0---0----0--0--------

Here comes Edge's killer solo
E-----------------------------h-----h--------p------
B--s/17bend to 18 & back-15-13^15-13^15-13-15^13----
G------------------------------------------------14-

E-----------------------------------------------15-13-
B-13*-13*-13-10-13-10---p--------13----------13-------
G---------------------12^10---14----14-12-14----------

tremelo picking for each note
E-10--12--13--13--15--13-12-8-10--10--12--13--15--17--17--
tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr

E-22-22-22-22-22\s--------22-22-22-22-22\s

p p All along the watchtower,
D------2/s^0--2/s3\s2^0---------------------------
A-3^5---------------------------------------------

the princes kept the views
D--------------------------h-p-h-p-----
A-------------------------3^5^3^5^3---5

Outside.... 4 times
E-----5-----3-----1-----3---
B---6-----5-----3-----5-----
G-7-----5-----3-----5-------

Howl....... 4 times
E-5-5--3-3-3-3-3--1-1--3-3-3-3-3-
B-6-6--5-5-5-5-5--3-3--5-5-5-5-5-
G-7-7--5-5-5-5-5--3-3--5-5-5-5-5-

E-5-5--7-7--8-8--10-10--12-12-12--13-13-13--15-15-15-15-15-
B-6-6--8-8-1010--12-12--13-13-13--15-15-15--17-17-17-17-17-
G-7-7--9-9-1010--12-12--14-14-14--15-15-15--17-17-17-17-17-

E-17----17-17-------17----17-17-------
B----18-------18-------18-------18----
G----------------19----------------19-

Shred your axe with the main chord progression, Dm, C, A#, for 5 times on
my bootleg, I favour the higher strings but anything goes. End with a
D powerchord. That's the song basicaly. I hope you like it, it's my first
try at tablature.
Collin Burgemeestre (collinburg@freemail.nl)

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER
------------------------
U2

This version I have transcribed was from the excellent New Year's Eve
radio broadcast in 1989/90. It was also played at lots of concerts around
1989 and is a far better version cover version from the one that
was on Rattle and Hum, in my opinion. It's available on many bootlegs.

Tune down a semitone.

Edge leaves the big E string ringing from the end of 'Desire' then
starts playing the INTRO chords, Dm C and Bb.

INTRO Dm C Bb etc.
E----------------5--5----3----1--1----3---------------------------------
B----------------6--6----5----3--3----5---------------------------------
G----------------7--7----5----3--3----5---------------------------------
D----------------7--7----5----3--3----5---------------------------------
A----------------5--5----3----1--1----3---------------------------------
E---0-------------------------------------------------------------------

After Bono sings "Rock and roll, that's all folks..." Edge starts
RIFF 1.

RIFF 1
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B----5--3------5--3------3--5b(6)r---------5--3------5--3------3--5b(6)r
G-----------------------------------------------------------------------

As Bono sings "There must be some way outta here.." Edge plays a muted
Dm chord. For the "Business men they drink my wine.." play the INTRO in
a
muted fashion. Then back to RIFF 1.

For the second verse "No reason to get excited.." play a muted Dm again.
For the "You and I have been through that.." play RIFF 2.

RIFF 2 etc.
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----6--5--3--------6--5--3--------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------------

After "The hour is getting late.." play the following. Not 100% sure
about some
of it since the delay makes it hard to figure exactly whats being
played.

E---12b(13)---12b(13.5)r--12--10--12--12--12p10/(8)------10b(11)r--10--8
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------------

start tremolo pick
E--10p8/(6)--3--5--6---5--6--8---6--8--10---|-10-10-12-12-13--13--13-
B-------------------------------------------|------------------------
G-------------------------------------------|------------------------

E15--15--13--12--13--8--10----10--10--12--12--13--13--15--15--17--17--17
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------------

E---22----------22------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G--------5-X------------------------------------------------------------
D--------5-X------------------------------------------------------------
A--------3-X---------3h5--5--(5)----------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Next there's some quiet stuff etc
E----12-----------------------------------------------------------------
B--------10--10--8h10---8--8--8h10----10p8/(6)----3--5--3--5--3--5------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------------

For "All along the watchtower, princes kept the view.." bit play
G-----------------------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A---3h5---3h5---3h5-----------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Outside in the distance..." repeat
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------6---------5---------3---------5-----------------------------
G-------7----------5---------3---------5--------------------------------
D----7----------5---------3---------5-----------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Near the end Bono adds some extra word to the song and the Edge plays
something like:
E--1--1--3--3--5--5--6--6--8--8--10--10--12--12-13--12--13-12-15--13--12
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------------

It ends with the INTRO chords and the final chord is Dm. Enjoy.

Send any corrections to the archive, cheers.

jules.