RECKONING: LETTER NEVER SENT

I've had many people say to me that this is one of their favorite R.E.M. songs of all time.  And why not?  It contains all of their hallmarks: tough to decipher lyrics, Mills and Berry in the background, some nice riffs, a good beat and a slamming chorus.  The thing I like most about this song is the overlapping chorus.  It probably best epitomizes the R.E.M. overlap technique.  Because of how the album was recorded, the consonant sounds of Bill, Mike, and Michael are difficult to track and in many cases make it sound as if Michael is using the 's' sound when it is in fact Mike.  The band uses this to great effect throughout their career, but no song more than this and perhaps Pretty Persuasion.     A note on the last line of the verse ... I have no idea, but what Michael reads of the internet in Dublin makes him laugh, so I'm going phonetic on this one.  Maybe he knows what he said.  Which brings me to what I thought at the beginning of this process would be a good touchstone.  Mike's vocals.  I figured if nothing else, I could figure out what he's saying and match it up to Stipe.  However, when watching early live shows it is pretty clear that Mike doesn't adhere to the album lyrics either.  Geez, why bother recording a song ... it's the lyrical equivalent of a Grateful Dead show.


LETTER NEVER SENT
It’s been pretty simple so far
Vacation in Athens is calming you
The knock, knock, knock on wood
I thought I’d left you behind

(Heaven is yours)
Heaven is yours
Heaven is yours where I live

I thought of the catacombs
Left my cereal at home
This letter never sent
Aha-ha-ha-aha-ha-ha-ha-ha-oh-oh-oh-oh

(And it’s so far and it’s all gone and it’s all lost)

(I think it’s scary)
(Heaven’s yours)
(It’s only scary for a while)
Heaven’s yours
(It’s always scary)
Heaven’s yours where I live

When I’m moving too fast
(When I’m so slow)
Here’s my new address
(Hello)

The water is evening now
The catacombs are filling in
If my soul was made of stone
No knock, knock so bar, dark and it oh

(And it’s so far and it’s all gone and it’s all lies)
(And it’s so long and it’s so far and it’s all lost)

(I know it’s scary)
(Heaven’s yours)
Heaven is yours
(It’s only scary for a while)
Heaven is yours
(It’s always scary)
Heaven is yours where I live

(I know it’s scary)
(Heaven’s yours)
Heaven is yours
(It’s only scary for a while)
Heaven is yours
(It’s always scary)
Heaven is yours where I live


This is a very fun guitar riff and in practice is actually very similar to Talk about the passion.  Starting on the D chord and working our way to the C9 (which is the C with the finger on the 3rd note of the B string instead of the 1st).  I also love the chorus riff which is just a fun walk from A to G.  Also, we're tuning down again ...


LETTER NEVER SENT

Tune down a 1/2 step

Intro/ Verse

d#|-------------------------------|

A#|-------------------------3-----|

F#|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----0---|

C#|-0-0-0-0-4-4-4-4-2-2-2--2------|

G#|----------------------3--------|

D#|-------------------------------|

Bridge to Chorus

d#|-2-2-2-2-3-3-3-3---------------|

A#|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3---------------|

F#|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0---------------|

C#|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---------------|

G#|---------2-2-2-2---------------|

D#|---------3-3-3-3---------------|

Chorus

d#|-0---------3---------------------|

A#|-2---------3---------------------|

F#|-2--2-0----0---------------------|

C#|-2-----2-0-0---------------------|

G#|-0---------2---------------------|

D#|-0---------3---------------------|

Middle Bridge

d#|-0--0----2-2-2-3-2--0--0--3-----|

A#|-7--2--3-3-3-3-3-3--7--2--3-----|

F#|-9--2--2-2-2-2-2-2--9--2--0-----|

C#|-9--2---------------9--2--0-----|

G#|----0---------------------2-----|

D#|--------------------------3-----|

Last Verse:

d#|--------------------------------------|

A#|-3-------------------3----------------|

F#|-2--------------0----2----------------|

C#|-0-0-0-2-4-2-0-2-2-0-0-0-0-2-4-2------|

G#|--------------------------------------|

D#|--------------------------------------|

End on A.

-BW