Mothers Of The Disappeared (tabs) Guitar Tab

The Joshual Tree Tabs:

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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-|-119-9----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-|-97----7-7---7/97-|-----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-|-119-9---9-11-|-11h12---12---11-9-|-97-7-7---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...
  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)-9-9-9-9-9/119-|-(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 ...
  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 ....
   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
  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-----9/119-|-(9)-9-9-9---9-|-(9)---9---9-9/119
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---9-9/119-|---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-----7-7-7h9p75-|-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 ...
  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...
  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-----7-7-7h9p75-|-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 ..
  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                       ..
  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-----7-7-7h9p75-|-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

Brought to you by the GUITARMASTA - http://www.guitarmasta.net

Source: http://www.guitarmasta.net/u/u2/321443.html

Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


No Picture Vicky Average	#1 by Vicky Barnard at Feb 16, 1971 at 5:32 AM EST
	This song is the conclusion of Bono's long trials to reach physical maturity as a man. "Night" is the wrong word here. It should read "Mine" and if you listen to the album you will see I am right. It is a sad song about the loss of innocence that every person must go through to reach sexual maturity as a man or woman.

No Picture ian Average	#2 by ian mckinly at Jun 9, 1973 at 10:34 AM EST
	You guys got it all wrong. It doesn't talk about Chile. It's about Argentina and the Mothers of Plaza the Mayo, whose children were taken from them, tortured and killed. Babies were also taken from their families and given to those who suported the military regimen. These mothers still want justice for what was done to their families, to their children. Yet justice is still not being done, and it's now 30 years since the military took charge here in Argentina.This is what the song is about, there is no doubt about it. Plus, I went to the show U2 made here in Buenos Aires, Argentina in March and at the end, he thanked the Mothers of Plaza the Mayo he had invited for attending. For more information about the song, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_of_the_Disappeared

No Picture Zane Rhythm Player	#3 by Zane Haight at Jun 12, 1984 at 3:17 AM EST
	I always wondered about the story behind this song...very sad set of events, but I have to hand it U2 for putting something like this together...even though it's sad...it symbolizes that those souls aren't forgotten.

No Picture keith Wanna Be	#4 by keith mckinlay at Dec 17, 1985 at 4:55 AM EST
	if you want to watch more on the topic, there's a really good movie called 'la historia official' and its worth watching. we watched it in spanish class and it's about a teacher coming to grips with the reality of what is happening. and i saw u2 today at the clinton libray opening and even though i was freezing cold and wet i thought bono was amazing.

No Picture Daniel Average	#5 by Daniel Johnson at Nov 12, 1987 at 12:17 PM EST
	South American dictators kidnapping 30,000 enemies of the state in the 70's. No one seemed to miss them. Vietnam was crucially important for the saving of the free world. http://www.u2faqs.com/songs/#11

No Picture Tom Average	#6 by Tom Gregory at Jan 2, 1990 at 6:54 PM EST
	the song is about the strife that the parents of children from Chile faced during the communist regime. Kids were kidnapped and killed. Chilling to hear, and better live in the 1980's when the band involved actual mothers that had lost children.

No Picture austin Rhythm Player	#7 by austin ballard at Apr 4, 1990 at 12:02 PM EST
	I never said the interpretation was wrong, I found it a very unusual way to look at this song. I think if you read the rest of my last post you can deduce I was extremely pissed off at that time. and anyway, what I meant was, that's a different way to look at it, I hadn't thought of that at all.

No Picture tristan Rhythm Player	#8 by tristan drew at Jan 5, 1994 at 3:25 AM EST
	The beginning of the song sounds like when i'm on a train, looking out of the window, watching the fields go by....As for the meaning, theres no doubt that its refering to the Chilean mothers whos children were taken from them and murdered. murdered

No Picture Obtuse Professional	#9 by Obtuse at Mar 27, 1994 at 4:12 PM EST
	I think that it is because of this song that Sting was able to write "They Dance Alone" and put it on Nothing Like the Sun. Same topic.

No Picture Punk Rock Princ Wanna Be	#10 by Punk Rock Princess at Nov 9, 1994 at 2:46 AM EST
	Muffinorwak, I think that probably vschtyle's interpretation is not as important as the political message but if you can read it both ways, then good. It's always important to acknowledge that people have different ways of reading things, some political, some personal. It's up to you to decide when to use the word 'wrong' about an interpretation but I hope you won't have to use it too often.

No Picture Rene Average	#11 by Rene Salojärvi at Nov 18, 1996 at 7:26 AM EST
	looking back it does sound kind of harsh so I apologize.

No Picture Goat Average	#12 by Goat Screwer at Aug 3, 2003 at 5:10 PM EST
	The sheer irony and ignorance in the first post is astounding. The song is about witch hunts against communists and socialists. There was nothing communist about pinochet's regime, in fact he came to power in a military coup funded by the CIA in order to slaughter the left-wing government. The people who 'disappeared' and were murdered in Chile during the 70s and 80s were mainly socialists, communists, and other Marxists.

No Picture Austin Average	#13 by Austin Schrauben at Mar 8, 2006 at 2:42 AM EST
	it has little to do with chile, as x__maggie says is about the madres of plaza de mayo. Tha mothers of more than 30,000 people hat dissapeared during the military regimen (1976-1983) in Argentina. This amazin women were brave and confronted the regime and started searching ther sons and daughters and also their sons and daughters that were kidnapped too. There is, actually, another organization called Grandmothers of plaza de mayo that search the grandchilds. Chile suffered a military regime(Pinochet) too, but it is not known for the braveness of the mothers that loose their children, neither has chile an organization such as mothers of plaza de mayo. Also i recomend the movie"la historia oficial" that won an oscar as Best Foreign Language Film if anyone is interested by the theme.

No Picture Aaron Wanna Be	#14 by Aaron Frederick at Mar 20, 2007 at 6:09 PM EST
	to rossclark: it's true, pinochet's regime was NOT communist. But that doesn't make his regime any better. You make it sound like it was the dissapeared's own fault that they were kidnapped, tortured and murdered by the government. Let me tell you what: Salvador Allende was the one that made sure every single child in the country would be provided milk. He may as well have ended poverty in Chile if the whole thing hadn't happened. The capitalist world may have decided pinochet was the best thing that could happen to the country, but why don't you tell the mothers of the disappeared that? I know so many people that lost relatives to the military government - why don't you tell them how right it was that pinochet took over and made our country suffer? huh? My uncle was arrested, my parents went through a lot thanks to the curfew - maybe it would have been a lot better if Allende's government had prevailed. and to vschtyle: what the hell?