U2 - All Along The Watchtower guitar tab
All Along The Watchtower, 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
sslide 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-------------------------------------------------
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-22-22-22-22-22s--------22-22-22-22-22s
p p All along the watchtower,
D------2/s^0--2/s3s2^0---------------------------
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.
