FABLES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION: WENDELL GEE

Here we are at the end of another album and another character study.  Reportedly, Wendell Gee is another real life person if in name only.  While travelling to film Left of Reckoning the boys travelled through a town where it seemed that everyone's last name was Gee.  Any other similarities to the real Wendell apparently end there.  This is a touching song, and sad for some reason, but uplifting.  Something about the line: 'If the wind were colors/ and if the air could speak' really sums up many things.  This song pretty much comes out of left field with abstract imagery, I mean, where does the whole chicken wire to lizard skin thing come from?  It's such an odd visual.  Who's climbing inside of that? 
  This song was actually released as a single in the UK as opposed to Driver 8.  I can only assume that this was because of the railroad theme?  Maybe it was deemed too American?  Or perhaps it was due to the poor charting in the states.  On another note, Peter Buck for a long time hated this song, he has since revised his vote to liking it, but not loving it. 
  As promised, I'm not finished with this album.  Next up will be When I Was Young, a song listed on some of the first printings of the album, but never meant to be included.  Then I will move on to Lifes Rich Pageant. 

WENDELL GEE
That’s when Wendell Gee
Takes a tug upon the string that held the line of trees
Behind the house he lived in
He was reared to give respect
But somewhere down the line he chose

To whistle as the wind blows
(Gonna miss you boy)
Whistle as the wind blows did he
(Gonna miss you boy)

Had a dream one night
That the tree had lost its middle
So he built a trunk of chicken wire
To try to hold it up
But the wire, the wire turned to lizard skin
And then he climbed inside

There wasn’t even time to say
(Gonna miss you boy)
Goodbye to Wendell Gee
(Gonna miss you boy)
So whistle as the wind blows
(Gonna miss you boy)
Whistle as the wind blows did he
(Gonna miss you boy)

There wasn’t even time to say
(Gonna miss you boy)
Goodbye to Wendell Gee
(Gonna miss you boy)
So whistle as the wind blows
(Gonna miss you boy)
Listen as the wind blows did he
(Gonna miss you boy)
If the wind were colors
(Gonna miss you boy)
And if the air could speak
(Gonna miss you boy)
Whistle as the wind blows
(Gonna miss you boy)
Whistle as the wind blows
(Gonna miss you boy)


I will not even pretend to know anything about the banjo.  What I have posted here was devised by me tuning my guitar like a banjo and messing around.  Originally I thought that the progression would be straight banjo chords.  Wrong!  It might be true for the chorus, but the verse is a little doodle Mr. Buck found.  It does sound nice with the song.  As far as guitar goes it's fairly straightforward.  On the demo version, Peter has a nice little doodle riff around an A chord, but I guess in the final version it was lifted for simplicity.  Speaking of simplicity, the piano and orchestration in this song are pretty much perfect, supposedly the song is pretty much all Mike Mills.

WENDELL GEE

Verse:

e|-0---1---3---1---0---3--------|

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus:

e|-1---0---0---1---0---3----------|

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

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

D|-3---2---2---3---2---0----------|

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

E|-1---0---0---1---0---3----------|

Banjo Tab:

Verse

d|-5---5---5---5---5---5----|

B|-5---3---3---3---3---3----|

G|-5---2---4---0---0---0----|

D|-5---0---5---3---2---0----|

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

Chorus

d|-3---5---5------|

B|-1---5---3------|

G|-2---5---4------|

D|-3---5---5------|

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