MURMUR: RADIO FREE EUROPE

From the beginning, let me state that this is RFE from Murmur, not Eponymous/Hib-Tone.  The original recording of this song distributed by Hib-Tone has a number of unintelligible lyrics.  This is on purpose perhaps because the lyrics weren't finished or that the band wanted listeners to be befuddled.  The only line I miss in the Murmur recording is "... pushing foreigners too far." I can do without "Don't ask--pronounced axe--cut you from" or whatever the line is. 
  Below is an edit of my earlier version which I have adjusted based on isolated vocal tracks on You Tube which have since been removed and the account taken down.


RADIO FREE EUROPE
Beside yourself if radio’s gonna stay
Reason it could polish up the grey
Put that, put that, put that up your wall
That this isn’t country at all

Raving station
Beside yourself

Keep me out of country in the word
Dealer porches leading us absurd
Push that, push that, push that to the whole
That this isn’t nothing at all

Straight off the boat
Where to go?

Calling out, in transit
Calling out, in transit
Radio Free Europe, Radio

Beside defying media too fast
Instead of pushing palaces to fall
Put that, put that, put that before all
That this isn’t fortunate at all

Raving station
Beside yourself

Calling out, in transit
Calling out, in transit
Radio Free Europe, Radio

Beside yourself
Calling on a boat
Media’s too fast

Keep me out of country in the word
Disappointers into us absurd

Straight off the boat
Where to go?

Calling out, in transit
Calling out, in transit
Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Europe

Calling out, in transit
Calling out, in transit
Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Europe


On the Eponymous RFE, the tone of the song is more urgent and punky.  The guitar is more sparse, but the opening verse riff is really nice.  Instead of the normal D chord, pull your finger off of the B string and pick this on the way to the E chord, which can be just the high E string open. 
  Below, please note that the bridges are picked madly and that the chorus is made up of jangly open chords, also played madly.  The verse pulses in a staccato rhythm on the A and then opens up in the E chord. Try to emphasize the low end during the verse and chorus and save the high strings for the picked bridges.  There is an urgency to this song, so feel free to flail about madly and with seemingly no purpose.  As with above, feel free to play along with the song, not only will this make you feel like Peter Buck, but it will also give you a clue to his picking patterns and will become useful as you move through the catalog.

RADIO FREE EUROPE

Verse:

A-D-E

e|--0---0---2-0-----|

B|--0---0---3-0-----|

G|--2---2---2-1-----|

D|--2---2---0-2-----|

A|--0---0-----2-----|

E|--0---0-----0-----|

Bridge 1:

“Raving Station …”

e|--0--0--0-0-0----0--0--0----0--------|

B|--0--0--0-0-0----0--0--0----0--------|

G|--3--6--1-2-1----3--6--8----1--------|

D|--4--7--2-2-2----4--7--9----2--------|

A|--4--7--2-0-2----4--7--9----2--------|

E|--0--0--0-0-0----0--0--0----0--------|

Chorus: (Open these chords up without the barre if you want!)

“Calling out … “

e|--7---5-5-5---------------------------|

B|--9---5-5-5---------------------------|

G|--9---6-7-6---------------------------|

D|--9---7-7-7---------------------------|

A|--7---7-5-7---------------------------|

E|--7---5-5-5---------------------------|

Bridge 2:

"Beside yourself ..."

e|---0--0--0-0--0----0--0--0-0--7-----|

B|----4--4----4--4-0--5--5----5--5-5--|

G|--4--4--4----4--4-6--6--6----6--6---|

D|------------------------------------|

A|------------------------------------|

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

End on E/A