 " Mothers of the Disappeared " was favourably received by critics . Steve <unk> of The Boston Globe called the song " powerful " and described the backing vocals as tender and <unk> . Don <unk> of the Chicago Sun @-@ Times described it as a " hymn to human rights " . Adrian <unk> of NME called it " a simple , plaintive lament of stunning beauty and sadness " . Nicholas Jennings of Maclean 's felt that it was The Joshua Tree 's " most topical song " . Music journalist Andrew Mueller felt the track was a " <unk> <unk> finale " . In Rolling Stone , Steve Pond said " ' Mothers of the Disappeared ' is built around desolate images of loss , but the setting is <unk> and restorative — music of great sadness but also of <unk> compassion , acceptance and calm . " Lennox <unk> of The Dallas Morning News stated that there was " an <unk> sadness in Bono 's vocals and images where ' Night hangs like a prisoner / <unk> over black and blue ' " , calling it " a moving tribute " to people around the world who had lost loved ones to warfare and conflict . He added " [ w ] hat 's remarkable about the song is that despite the intrinsic pain , it remains <unk> cleansing . Even in the midst of decay and excess and horror , Bono can find hope and <unk> . " In 2006 Bono described it as " a beautiful end to the album " , saying , " That song means as much to me as any of the songs on that album , it 's right up there for me , " and noting that it is a song " I 'm very proud of to this day . " 
