Subject: u/u2/like_a_song.tab
Date: Mon, 26 May 1997 20:37:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ryan Fitzsimmons
U2
Like A Song
from the album War
transcribed by Ryan Fitzsimmons
The is my take on "Like A Song". You will have to listen
to the recording for the timing. I put the chord names
above each measure for reference.
It starts off with these weird sustained notes, for which I
use harmonics to try to get close to the sound, letting them
all sustain together.
Eb-------------------
Bb---<12>------------
Gb--------------<12>-
Db--------<7>--------
Ab-------------------
Eb-------------------
The main riff in each verse is this
Riff A
Em D Asus2 C
Eb------------]--------------]------------]--------------]
Bb---0--------]---3----------]---0--------]-1--0--1--0---]
Gb------0-----]------2-------]------2-----]--------------]
Db-2-------2--]-0-------0----]---------2--]--------------]
Ab------------]--------------]-0----------]--------------]
Eb------------]--------------]------------]--------------]
Like a song I have to sing I sing it for you..
Riff A repeats once and then goes into this solo
Solo
Em D Asus2 C
Eb---------------]-------------]------------]--------------]
Bb---------------]-------------]------------]--12-13-12----]
Gb---------------]--11--12-11--]-/14--------]-----------14-]
Db-----14-----14-]-------------]------------]--------------]
Ab---------------]-------------]------------]--------------]
Eb-12------12----]-------------]------------]--------------]
Em D Asus2 C
Eb---------------]-------------]-------]-10-12-14-10-12-14\]
Bb---------------]-------------]-------]-------------------]
Gb---------------]--11--12-11--]-/14---]-------------------]
Db-----14-----14-]-------------]-------]-------------------]
Ab---------------]-------------]-------]-------------------]
Eb-12------12----]-------------]-------]-------------------]
Then Riff A repeats twice, followed some funky chords with
heavy delay - there are two guitars in this part, but they
both basically do the same thing, as shown in Riff B.
Riff B
Em D Asus2 C
Eb-7-----7---]-7------8--]--7------7--]--7----7------------
Bb-8-----8---]-8------8--]--8------7--]--7----7------------
Gb-9-----9---]-9------9--]--9------7--]--7----7------------
Db-----------]-----------]------------]--------------------
Ab-----------]-----------]------------]--------------------
Eb-----------]-----------]------------]--------------------
I won't wear it on my sleeve.....
Riff B happens Twice before the chorus, which basically uses
the chords shown below
Chorus
C D
Eb-10------10--10-]--10---10--]-/12-----12---------]-12----
Bb-8-------8---8--]--8----8---]-/10-----10---------]-10----
Gb-9-------9---9--]--9----9---]-/11-----11---------]-11----
Db-10------10--10-]--10---10--]-/12-----12---------]-12----
Ab----------------]-----------]--------------------]-------
Eb----------------]-----------]--------------------]-------
I'm too old to be told.. Exactly who are you?
In the first chorus (I'm too old to be told..), the chords above
only happen once, but in all the other chorus it happens twice
After the second and third chorus there is a bridge that goes
like this
Bridge
(No Chords) (G) (D)
Eb--------------]--------------]------------]--------------
Bb--------------]--------------]--8---8---8-]--7---7---7---
Gb--------------]--------------]--7---7---7-]--7---7---7---
Db--------------]--------------]--5---5---5-]--4---4---4---
Ab--------------]--------------]------------]--------------
Eb--------------]--------------]------------]--------------
Let the bells ring out ... (ahh ahhhhh)
The Bridge always repeats once.
After you get through the second chorus, and then the bridge shown
above, The Edge rips a great solo much like the one at the
beginning of the song, with lots of delay.
Solo #2
Em D Asus2 C
Eb---------------]-------------]------------]--------------]
Bb---------------]-------------]------------]--12-13-12----]
Gb---------------]--11--12-11--]-/14---14---]-----------14-]
Db-----14-----14-]-------------]------------]--------------]
Ab---------------]-------------]------------]--------------]
Eb-12------12----]-------------]------------]--------------]
Em D Asus2 C
Eb---------------]-------------]-------]--14------14-------]
Bb---------------]-------------]-------]-------------------]
Gb---------------]--11--12-11--]-/14---]------14------14---]
Db-----14-----14-]-------------]-------]-------------------]
Ab---------------]-------------]-------]-------------------]
Eb-12------12----]-------------]-------]-------------------]
Em
Eb-14----14---]-14----14--]-14---14----]-10-12-14-10-12-14\]
Bb------------]-----------]------------]-------------------]
Gb----14----14]----14---14]----14---14-]-------------------]
Db------------]-----------]------------]-------------------]
Ab------------]-----------]------------]-------------------]
Eb------------]-----------]------------]-------------------]
Ater that it goes through the third verse and chorus, where
the only thing that is really differen't is that Riff B
gets played three times instead of twice. The song the breaks
down into a drum groove, the bass changes key to D minor,
and one of the guitars plays some funky riffs like this
Ending Riff
Eb---5----5----5----5----5--3--3--3-
Bb---6----6----6----6----6--3--3--3-
Gb---7----7----7----7----7--4--4--4-
Db----------------------------------
Ab----------------------------------
Eb----------------------------------
It does this untill it fades out
Confused? Here are the lyrics with the parts indicated where they
happen
(Intro)
(Riff A)
Like a song I Have to sing, i sing it for you
(Riff A)
Like the words I have to bring, I bring them to you
(Solo)
(Riff A)
And in leather, lace or chains, We stake our claim
(Riff A)
Revolution once again, But I won't
(Riff B)
I won't wear it on my sleeve, I can
(Riff B)
see through this expression,
And you know I don't believe.
(Chorus)
I'm too old to be told, Exactly who are you?
(Riff A)
Tonight, tommorrow's too late
(Riff A)
And we love to wear a badge, a uniform
(Riff A)
And we love to fly our flag, but I won't..
(Riff B)
..let others others live in hell
(Riff B)
As we divide againts eachother
And we fight amongst ourselves
(Chorus)
To set in our ways, to try to rearrange
(Chorus)
To right to be wrong, in our rebel song.
(Bridge)
Let the bells ring out
(Bridge)
Let the bells ring out
(Riff A)
Is there nothing left?
(Riff A)
Is there nothing left?
Is honesty what you want?
(Solo #2)
(Riff A)
A generation without name, ripped and torn
(Riff A)
Nothing to lose, nothing to gain, nothing at all
(Riff B)
And If you can't help yourself
(Riff B)
Well take a look around you
When others need your time
(Riff B)
You say it's your time, your time
(Chorus)
Angry words won't stop the fight,
Two wrongs won't make it right
(Chorus)
A new heart is what I need
Oh god let it bleed.
(Bridge)
Is there nothing left?
(Bridge)
Is there nothing left?
(Ending Riff)
If you listen to the song for the timing, it should be pretty easy
send any comments to
rfitzsim@oswego.edu
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