Acrobat by U2
Transcribed by Richard Zangoli.(ahowden@magna.com.au)
This is what I can make of the album version of this song. The
tuning is standard and use some delay.
Right at the beginning Edge plays some harmonics-
E---------------------
B----------------------
G------------------12--
D-------------12--------
A-----------------------
E------12---------------
Then ad lib a bit perhaps with some open/mute stings and/or 5th fret
harmonics. Then Edge plays some sort of E minor chord. That is,-
RIFF 1
E-----0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--
B---s/8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--
G---s/9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9-- etc..
D---s/9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--
A--------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------
And then the intro chords kick in-
INTRO CHORDS-
E---s/8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8s/--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3s/8--8--8--8-
B---s/10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10s/-5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5s/10-10-10-10-
G---s/9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9s/--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4s/9--9--9--9- etc.
D---s/7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7s/--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2s/7--7--7--7-
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These chords (Am,Em) are also played during the first part of the first
verse but with variations in timing. When Bono starts singing "when I first
met you darling.." Edge plays something like this-
RIFF 2
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G--9--7s/5--4--5h7--9--7--5--4--4h5--7--9--7--5--4--4h5--4--2--2--0-----------
D------------------------------------------------------------------------0--2------
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------0-----------------------------
B--------------------------------------------
G--2--2s/5--5------5s/7--7--7s/9--9--9---
D--------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------
This will give you some idea of what is played over the chorus but play
around with it.-
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-------13--13--13---------13---------13----------13----------13---------13-------13
G---12----------------12---------14---------12----------12----------14--------14-----
D------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------
B---13--15--------13-------13--
G-------------12-------14------- x 3 but on the last time it is played
finish on
D------------------------------ the high note on the 15th fret and slide
A------------------------------- it up the fretboard.
E-------------------------------
Then play RIFF 1 again and then the Am and Em INTRO CHORDS. Play them during
the first part of the second verse as in the first but right at the end Edge
slides from the Am chord to a Bm. That is-
E--8--8--8--8--8--8s/10--10--10--10--10---
B--10-10-10-10-10-10s/12-12--12--12--12--
G--9--9--9--9--9--9-s/11-11--11--11--11--
D--7--7--7--7--7--7-s/ 9--9---9---9---9---
A-----------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------
Then play RIFF 2 again, and then the chorus progression. For the bit just
before the solo, play an open Am chord and then ad lib playing it arpeggio.
For example-
E--0----------------------------------------------------0--------
B--1------------------1p0--3--1-----------1-------------------1--
G--2-------------------------------2-----------2-----------------
D--2-------------------------------2------------------------------
A--0---------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------
Now for the solo-
E----s/17----------17-----------17------17---17---------------17-----------17---
B-----------17-----------17-------------17---17-------17------------17----------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----17-------------17--17--17--17--17--17--17-----15--15--15--15--15--15----14-
B-----------17-----------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-14-14--14--14--12--12--12--12--12----10--10--10--10--10--10--8--8--8--8--8--8-
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7----3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3-------5--5--5--5--5--5--5
B------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E---10--8--10--10--10--10--10----12--12--12--12--12--12--12--12------5--5--5--5-
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--5--5--5--5----8--8----10--10--10--10--10--10--10----12--12--12--12--12--12-12
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5---8--8---10--10--10--10--10--10--10---12--12--12-12
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--12--12-----5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----10--8--10--10--10--10--10--10--7-7--7--7
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--7--7--7----8--8--8--8--8--8--8----5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----1--1--1--1--1-
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--0--0--0--0--0-----
B--------------------- and then Edge plays something that sounds like-
G----------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B---s/10--10--10-----------10--------------10---------------10-----------------
G--------------------12--------------12-------------12------------------12------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------10----------------10-----10--10s/13--13--------------10---------10------
G----12--------------12------------------------------------12---------12------------
E--------------------
B--------10------10--- etc..
G--12--------12-----
The next bit is quite hard to hear because there is so much going on so ad
lib using the structure from RIFF 2. However, this is just an example of
what can be played-
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----7--7s/9--7s/5--5--5h7p5--2--2--2h4--5--4--2--4--7--5--7--9--9--9--9-----
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you play around with the above notes you should be able to get something
that sounds OK. Edge then plays this a few times-
E--------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------------
G----------11--12--14----------------11--12--
D---------------------------------------------
A----0----------------------0-----------------
E---------------------------------------------
and then perhaps finish off with playing an A power chord-
E--------------------------------------------
B--10--10--10--10--10--10--10--10--10--10s/--
G---9--9---9----9---9---9---9---9---9---9s/--
D---7--7---7----7---7---7---7---7---7---7s/--
A---0--0---0----0---0---0---0---0---0---0s/--
E--------------------------------------------
This transcription is far from perfect but it should give a decent basis for
playing the song.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"
-John Lennon
Richard Zangoli.(ahowden@magna.com.au)
"Acrobat"
-------
tabbed by: Harry C. Nye, hcnyeiv@esu.edu
Intro: Em7 Am
Am G Fmaj7 Em/D
Don't believe what you hear, don't believe what you see
Am G Fmaj7 Em/D
If you just close your eyes you can feel the enemy
When I first met you girl, you had fire in your soul
What happened your face of melting snow?
C
Now it looks like this
Am7
and you can swallow or you can spit
F G
You can throw it up or choke on it
And you can dream, so dream out loud
F G Am7
You know that your time is coming 'round
F G Am
... Don't let the bastards grind you down
No nothing makes sense, nothing seems to fit
I know you'd hit out if you only knew who to hit
And I'd join the movement if there was one I could believe in
Yeah I'd break bread and wine if there was a church I could receive in
'Cos I need it now
To take the cup, to fill it up
To drink it slow, I can't let you go
And I must be an Acrobat to talk like this and act like that
And you can dream, so dream out loud
... Don't let the bastards grind you down
What are we going to do now it's all been said?
No new ideas in the house, and every book has been read
And I must be an acrobat
To talk like this and act like that
And you can dream, so dream out loud
And you can find your own way out
You can build and I can will
And you can call I can't wait until
You can stash and you can seize
In dreams begin responsibilities
And I can love, and I can love
I know that the tide is turning 'round
...Don't let the bastards grind you down
CHORD FORMATIONS
----------------
Am7 x 0 2 0 1 0 Em/D 0 2 0 0 0 0