Thursday, September 23, 2010

MURMUR: PILGRIMAGE

The second song off of Murmur holds a couple of surprises from what you can find at lyrics.com.  First of all almost all of the lyrics say "punks with a broken lip" but in Michael's blog interview in Popsongs he states it is 'it's worth a broken lip.'  This is also the first song where Stipe invokes the "L" word.  Love.  A subject he avoids facing directly until Up.  Indirectly he can't stop talking about it starting with Out of Time and particularly on Monster ... probably the only reason he brings up love here is because it rhymes with luck and is a cool replacement.  Also most other versions incorrectly have Stipe saying "Take our fortune." Not sure where that came from ....



PILGRIMAGE
Take a turn, take a turn
Take a fortune, take a fortune

They called the clip a two headed cow
Your hate, clipped and distant, your luck with pilgrimage
Rest assured this will not last, take a turn for the worst
Your hate, clipped and distant, your luck a two headed cow

Pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn, take a turn
Take a fortune, take a fortune

Speakin' in tongues, it's worth a broken lip
Your hate, clipped and distant, your luck with pilgrimage
Rest assured this will not last, take a turn for the worst
Your hate, clipped and distant, your luck a two headed cow

Pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn (take a turn), take a turn (take a turn)
Take a fortune (take a turn), take a fortune

Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage

Speakin' in tongues, it's worth a broken lip
Your hate, clipped and distant, your luck
Rest assured this will not last, take a turn for the worst
Your hate, clipped and distant, your love two headed

Pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn (take a turn), take a turn (take a turn)
Take a fortune (take a turn), take a fortune

Pilgrimage, Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn (take a turn), take a turn (take a turn)
Take a fortune (take a turn), take a fortune (take a turn)
Take a turn (take a turn), take a turn (take a turn)
Take a fortune (take a turn), take a fortune

With the guitar line, I will say only a couple of things.  First, on the album the instruments are tuned to the piano, you'll have to flatten out if you want to play along with the song.  Just adjust the tuning until it sounds right because it's a little in between the notes.  It can also be played without adjusting I assure you.  Also, I played around with a Capo on this one.  If you put it on the third fret it is a lot easier to play and with less bar chords.  I've transposed the riffs for Capo 3, but the chords you'll just have to work out yourself.  For what it's worth, Peter Buck does not use a capo.

PILGRIMAGE

Opening Bass/ Piano Line
e|-------------------|
B|-------------------|
G|-------------------|
D|-------------------|
A|-3-3-3-3-----------|
E|--3-1-3------------|
Verse
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|---0--0------------------|
D|--3--3-0--0--0-----------|
A|-1--1----3--3-0----------|
E|--------1--1-------------|
Capo 3 option
e|---0---0-----------------|
B|--3---3-3----0--0--------|
G|-0---0------2--2-2-------|
D|-----------0--0----------|
A|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|
Transition to Bridge
e|------0----|
B|------1----|
G|----0-0----|
D|---0--2----|
A|--3---3----|
E|-1----0----|
Capo 3
e|----0-0-------------------|
B|---0--2-------------------|
G|--2---2-------------------|
D|-0----2-------------------|
A|------0-------------------|
E|------0-------------------|

Bridge to Chorus:
F-G

Chorus: (F-C-G)
e|--1----3----3--3--3--|
B|---1----1----3--3----|
G|-2--2-0--0-0--0--0---|
D|---------------------|
A|---------------------|

E|---------------------|

Bridge after Chorus:
C-G-Bb-G

Bridge Transition at the end
Bb-C

End:
e|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|------0---------------|
D|--3-3-----------------|
A|-1-1------------------|
E|----------------------|
Capo 3
e|-----0---------------|
B|--3-3----------------|
G|-0-0-----------------|
D|---------------------|
A|---------------------|

E|---------------------|








5 comments:

  1. Speak in tongues
    It's worth a broken lip

    ?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well ... I did look into that option, but I believe the drum part obscures the 'b' in 'boats.'

    ReplyDelete
  3. To add to that, chck out this r.e.m. clip of pilgrimage live at about 30 seconds in ..
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEIzZ2KjOA4

    ReplyDelete
  4. I like your enthusiasm for this song. It is one of my early favorites by REM also. I was looking up the word "clip" to get an idea of what he could have meant by "clipped and distant". I think he is using the word as in "fast paced" or "fast and distant".

    "Your hate, clipped and distant, your luck with pilgrimage". I think this fits with the image of a clipper on the horizon and the clipper with a broken lip (as you surmised above). If he is sailing at crack speed of the bow then he is sailing very fast, indeed.

    "Pilgrimage has gained momentum.
    Take a turn, take a fortune."

    The journey has gained an advantage. Turn the wheel, take a chance.


    [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper The term "clipper" most likely derives from the verb "clip", which in former times meant, among other things, to run or fly swiftly. Dryden, the English poet, used the word "clip" to describe the swift flight of a falcon in the 17th century when he said "And, with her eagerness the quarry missed, Straight flies at check, and clips it down the wind." The ships appeared to clip along the ocean water. The term "clip" became synonymous with "speed" and was also applied to fast horses and sailing ships. "To clip it," and "going at a good clip," are familiar expressions to this day.[1]]

    ReplyDelete