U2 - "like a song" Tablature

Subject: u/u2/like_a_song.tab
Date: Mon, 26 May 1997 20:37:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ryan Fitzsimmons <rfitzsim@Oswego.EDU>

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 ..



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 ...

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 ..
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 ..
(Riff A)
Like ..

(Solo)

(Riff A)
And in ..
(Riff A)
Revolution ..

(Riff B)
I ..
(Riff B)
see ..,
And ..

(Chorus)
I'm ..
(Riff A)
Tonight, ..

(Riff A)
And we ..
(Riff A)
And .....

(Riff B)
..let ..
(Riff B)
As ..
And ..

(Chorus)
To ..
(Chorus)
To ..

(Bridge)
Let ..
(Bridge)
Let ..

(Riff A)
Is ..
(Riff A)
Is ..
Is ..

(Solo #2)

(Riff A)
A ..
(Riff A)
Nothing ..

(Riff B)
And ..
(Riff B)
Well ..
When ..
(Riff B)
You ...

(Chorus)
Angry ..
Two ..
(Chorus)
A ...
Oh ...

(Bridge)
Is ..
(Bridge)
Is ..

(Ending Riff)


If you listen to the song for the timing, it should be pretty easy
send any comments to

rfitzsim@oswego.edu