Mandocello

This was written on a mandocello, a plucked string instrument of the mandolin family, hence the song title. Guitarist Rick Nielsen explained to Uncut: "It was actually an acoustic mandocello, not an electric one. It was kind of semi-popular in the 1910s or '20s, and I just liked the tuning of it – C, G, D, A. It's such a beautiful instrument that the song wrote itself."

Want to hear another song featuring the mandocello? Check out the acoustic version of Bon Jovi's "Lay Your Hands On Me" which can be found on their This Left Feels Right album. It features Richie Sambora playing the mandocello as the primary instrument.