Maybe that this song was released in 1984 and didn't chart. What? Could it be that the world was indeed not ready for R.E.M. as Michael Stipe started claiming soon after? This is easily the most radio friendly song they had released. But, there's no video. Sorry MTV generation.
Let's trace its roots. This was a very early tune. The original incarnation was a straightforward rock song, not quite the punk song Buck claims it was, but faster. The lyrics remain largely intact and were most likely written by Mills. As far as changes, in the original Stipe is too 'fucked up' to see and does not have a country twang. The story is that they recorded it at the insistence of their lawyer and manager Bertis Downs. They had talked of putting it on Murmur, etc, but they felt it really didn't fit the direction the songwriting was going. How ironic. This song is the first taste of the mainstream R.E.M. and could easily go on Out Of Time and along with the entire Lifes Rich Pageant album is the sign of things to come. But does it fit on Reckoning? The song is definitely out of character, but along with 'Little America' rounds out the album quite nicely.
Let's trace the story. Mills wrote it to his friend Ingrid Schorr, later a journalist, as a plea to stick around. Not too long ago I was at a show where Ingrid was in the audience and Mike Mills sang the song lead vocalist style and since then, he's pretty much taken the helm on it.
Let's put it in perspective. Could this be the beginning of Alt-Country? Well, that might be a broad statement, but it certainly didn't hurt. Alt-Country can be traced further back, but this song encapsulates everything that Alt-Country is and is still played to this day on country stations. In 1984, mainstream radio just didn't grab at it and it's safe to say that college radio didn't have much use for it either.
(DON’T GO BACK TO) ROCKVILLE
Looking at your watch a third time, waiting in the station for the bus
Going to a place that’s far, so far away, and if that’s not enough
Going where nobody says hello, they won’t talk to anybody they don’t know
You’ll wind up in some factory that’s full time filth with nowhere left to go
Walk home to an empty house, sit around all by yourself
I know it might sound strange but I believe you’ll be coming back before too long.
Don’t go back to Rockville
Don’t go back to Rockville
Don’t go back to Rockville
And waste another year
At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend I don’t care that you’re not here with me
Cause it’s so much easier to handle all my problems if I’m too far out to see
But something better happen soon or it’s gonna be too late to bring you back
Don’t go back to Rockville
Don’t go back to Rockville
Don’t go back to Rockville
And waste another year
It’s not as though I really need you
If you were here I’d only bleed you
But everybody else in town only wants to bring you down and that’s not how it outta be
Well I know it might sound strange but I believe you’ll be coming back before too long.
Don’t go back to Rockville
Don’t go back to Rockville
Don’t go back to Rockville
And waste another year
Don’t go back to Rockville
Don’t go back to Rockville
Don’t go back to Rockville
And waste another year
This song is another fairly simple tune, but with some fun chord changes where you wouldn't think them necessary. The Bm switch in the Chorus Bridge is my particular favorite. Also, for the last couple of weeks on Grooveshark, Pete Buck has been marketing the album by Tired Pony and because of the placement of the search bar, he looks like Ben Franklin. It's hard to resolve that image with tabbing these early songs, but I suppose it's just nice to see Buck working. Hey, the new R.E.M. album is all but done ... 'Collapse Into Now' early next year. However, Pete ... dye your hair or something.
(DON’T GO BACK TO) ROCKVILLE
Tabbed by: Barnaby Wilde
Email:
Intro: E
Verse:
E-A
e|-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-0---------------------|
B|-0-0-0-0-0---2-3-2-3-2---------------------|
G|-1-2-1-2-1---2-2-2-2-2---------------------|
D|-2-2-2-2-2---2-2-2-2-2---------------------|
A|-2-2-2-2-2---0-0-0-0-0---------------------|
E|-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-0-0-0---------------------|
Verse (Second Guitar) Starts during second verse
e|--7-5-----7-5-----5-7-9-7-5-7-9-7-5---|
B|-5-9-9-7-5-9-9-7-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5----|
G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|
Bridge to Chorus
B-A-G#-C#m-Bm-A
e|-2---5-4-4---2-0-0-0-0-0-----------------|
B|-4---5-4-5---3-2-3-2-3-2-----------------|
G|-4---6-4-6---4-2-2-2-2-2-----------------|
D|-4---7-6-6---4-2-2-2-2-2-----------------|
A|-2---7-6-4---2-0-0-0-0-0-----------------|
E|-2---5-4-4---2-0-0-0-0-0-----------------|
Bridge to Chorus (Second Guitar)
Pick:
e|-7---5-4-4---2-0--0---0--------------|
B|-7---5-4-5---3-2-3--2--2-------------|
G|-8---6-4-6---4-2-----0---------------|
D|-9---7-6-6---4-2---------------------|
A|-9---7-6-4---2-0---------------------|
E|-7---5-4-4---2-0---------------------|
Chorus
E-F#m-B x3 -A
e|-0-2-2-2-2-----0-----------------------|
B|-0-2-4-5-4-----2--3-2-0-0-2-3-2-0---0--|
G|-1-2-4-4-4-x3--2-------2---------2-0---|
D|-2-4-4-4-4-----2-----------------------|
A|-2-4-2-2-2-----0-----------------------|
E|-0-2-2-2-2-----0-----------------------|
Middle Bridge
E-A-B-A-B x3 F#m-C#m-F#m-C#m-A-B
e|-0---0-2-0-2-----2-4-2-4---0---2----------|
B|-0---2-4-2-4-----2-5-2-5---2---4----------|
G|-1---2-4-2-4—x2--2-6-2-6---2---4----------|
D|-2---2-4-2-4-----4-6-4-6---2---4----------|
A|-2---0-2-0-2-----4-4-4-4---0---2----------|
E|-0---0-2-0-2-----2-4-2-4---0---2----------|
Ending:
e|-0-0-0----------0-0------|
B|------1>2-0-------0------|
G|-----------0-1h---1------|
D|------------------2------|
A|------------------2------|
E|------------------0------|
Bass Ending:
e|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|----------------------|
D|-----2-4h>6-----------|
A|-2-4h-----------------|
E|----------------------|
One more song on Reckoning and it's a doozy!
-BW
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