MURMUR: 9-9

Just a few songs to go and I must say that this was the most difficult.  There is nothing online at this time to go by, everything is wrong.
  A special nod to whoever originally figured out what Stipe was saying in the spoken word bits ... I just added and subtracted a couple of things ...
  If you're wondering, the stripe down his back thing ... it always conjured up the color yellow because growing up I heard people who were afraid referred to as having a yellow stripe down there back, so that is what the line always meant to me.  Even though the song never mentions the color yellow, the stripe thing does date back to a quote by a guy who was quoting an English evangelist who was reported to say something to the effect of the lord putting yellow stripes down the backs of those who were not yet converted, so he could identify them and preach the gospel to them. This could explain the religious quoting in the bridge section.


9-9

Steady rep … steady repetition is a compulsion mutually reinforced. Now what does that mean? Is there a just contradiction? Nothing much. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep if I should die before I wake, I pray the lord hesitate.

A two-punch
Right on target
Twistin’ tongues
Got a stripe
Down his back
All 9 yards
Down her back

Give me a cup of charm
Give me a couple of pointers
Turn to lies
In conversation fear

A two-punch
Right on target
Twistin’ tongue
Got a stripe
Down his back
All 9 yards
Down her back

Give me a cup of charm
Give me a couple of pointers
Turn to lies
In conversation

What you see na,na
Listen, na, na
Steady repetition is a compulsion mutually reinforced. Is there a just contradiction? Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep if I should die before I wake, I pray the lord come on hesitate … hesitate.

A two-punch
Right on target
Justice done
He’s got a stripe
Down her back (down his back)
All 9 yards (yards)
Down his back (her back)

Give me a cup of charm
Give me a couple of pointers
Turn to lies
In conversation fear
The conversation fear
Conversation fear
Conversation fear

The guitar on this was a lot of fun as I had to start from scratch as you can only find chords online at this point.  I found that a lot of the trick to figuring out some R.E.M. songs lies in the bass part.  If you can figure that out, you're in good shape.  This isn't the easiest song to play as there is only one true chord hit and the rest is scratching, harmonics and picking.  By the way, I think the overlaying guitar in the chorus with the heavy effect is just hitting a B chord.  You really have to listen and play with this song a few times to get the correct rhythm. You can alternately tune the high E string down to D and it sounds really nice, but if you don't want to mess with tuning the below works just as well.

9-9

Bass Intro:
e|------------------|

B|------------------|

G|------------------|

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

A|--4-5-5>7-7-5<4-4-|

E|-5-5-5>>7<<<5-----|

Intro over bass (strum):

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

B|-5-7-8-7-7-----|

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

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

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

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

Verse:
e|-----7-7-7-7-7--7--7--7-7---------------|-----------|

B|-----9-9-9-9-9-10-10-10-9--12-12>13<12--|-----------|

G|-----9-9-9-9-9--9--9--9-9---------------|-14-0-14-0-|

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

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

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

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

B|-----9-9-9-9-9-10-10-10-9--10-7-10-7-10-7-|

G|-----9-9-9-9-9--9--9--9-9-----------------|

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

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

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

Harmonics:
e|-----7-7-7-7-7--7--7--7-7--9-8-6--|

B|-----9-9-9-9-9-10-10-10-9--9-8-6--|

G|-----9-9-9-9-9--9--9--9-9--9-8-6--|

D|-7-7-9-9-9-9-9--9--9--9-9--9-8-6--|

A|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7--7--7--7-7--9-8-6--|

E|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7--7--7--7-7--9-8-6--|

Chorus:
e|-0--0--0---|

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

G|-8--6--4---|

D|-9--7--5---|

A|-9--7--5---|

E|-7--5--3---|

Bridge (Pick and slide):
e|-5--7--10<7<5--7----7---7-|

B|-3--5---8<5<3--5----------|

G|-4--6---9<6<4--6-4>6—4>6--|

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

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

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