FABLES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION: DRIVER 8

I don't have too much to add to this song lyrically, they are found as below with a few minor differences everywhere online.  The song was one of the few they had been playing live before the Fables demo sessions.  It's a great little railroad song that was released as a single in the US, but not abroad.  Perhaps the railroad thing was deemed as too American.  The lackluster video for the song didn't exactly help.
  There are some changes I considered making.  On the recording, the word 'crescent' sounds like 'pressing,' however after peeking at a couple of live recordings it was clear that Stipe says 'crescent.'  The second is the word 'shield' to 'shiel' which is a hut or a covering.  The word was also used to describe confidence games by con artists.  Shield is a safer bet, though even if Stipe doesn't finish the word.

DRIVER 8
The walls are built up
Stone by stone
The fields divided one by one
And the train conductor says take a break driver 8
Driver 8 take a break we’ve been on this shift too long

And the train conductor says
(Driver 8)
Take a break driver 8
(Driver 8)
Driver 8 take a break we can reach our destination
We’re still a ways away
(But it’s still a ways away)

I saw a treehouse on the outskirts of the farm
The power lines have floaters so the airplanes won’t get snagged
The bells are ringing through the town again
The children look up all they hear is sky blue bells ring

And the train conductor says
(Driver 8)
Take a break driver 8
(Driver 8)
Driver 8 take a break we can reach our destination
We’re still a ways away
(But it’s still a ways away)
But we’re still a ways away
(But it’s still a ways away)

A way to shield the hated heat
A way to put myself to sleep
A way to shield the hated heat
A way to put myself, my children to sleep

He piloted this song in a plane like that one
She is selling faith on the go tell crusade
Locomotive 8, southern crescent, hear the bells ring again
The fields of wheat is looking thin

And the train conductor says
(Driver 8)
Take a break driver 8
(Driver 8)
Driver 8 take a break we’ve been on this shift too long
And the train conductor says
(Driver 8)
Take a break driver 8
(Driver 8)
Driver 8 take a break we can reach our destination
We’re still a ways away
(But it’s still a ways away)
But we’re still a ways away
(But it’s still a ways away)


The versions of this song online are fairly accurate, but in looking at Buck's hands, he definitely goes up to the 9th fret for the riff instead of down the D string. Also, in the recording he doesn't slide from the 4th note to the 5th note of the D string, but he does so live.

DRIVER 8

Intro/ Bridge to last Verse

e|---------------------------------|

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

G|----------------------0--0-0-0-0-|

D|-2-------------4>5>9-------------|

A|-2------2-0-2-3-----10-10-9-7-0--|

E|-0-0-2-3-------------------------|

Verse

e|-0---0---3---3----|

B|-0---1---3---3----|

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

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

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

E|-0---0---3---2----|

Chorus

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

B|-7-7--3--3---------|

G|-7-7--0---0--------|

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

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

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

Chorus/ Outro

e|--------------------------|

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

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

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

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

E|-0---2---3---2---0--------|

Middle Bridge

e|-0---0----0---0---0-------0-------3---2-2-3-3-2-----|

B|-1---1----1---1---1-------1-------3---3-3-3-3-3-----|

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

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

A|-0---0----0---0---3-------3-------2-----------------|

E|-0---0----0---0---0-------0-------3-----------------|

End on Em