LIFES RICH PAGEANT: FALL ON ME

Why does this song stand out on Eponymous?  It's the lone representative from Lifes Rich Pageant and a lovely song.  It's also the perfect bridge from These Days to Cuyahoga.  At the time of recording Unplugged it was also Michael's 'favorite song in the entire R.E.M. catalogue.'  It's also the beginning of extremely well crafted and recorded pop songs.
  The middle verse is vexing.  The background vocals are so far back that they're hard to make out and I saw all of the versions online and they are the same which tells me that they are from a specific source.  I listened to the live show in Germany an the remastered track and frankly, I hear what is below.

FALL ON ME
There’s a problem, feathers, iron
Bargain buildings, weights, and pulleys
Feathers hit the ground before the weight can leave the air

Buy the sky and sell the sky and tell the sky and tell the sky

Don’t fall on me
(What is it up in the air for?)
Fall on me
(If it’s there for long)
Fall on me
(It’s over it’s over me)

There’s the progress we have found
(In the rain)
A way to talk around the problem
(Two children)
Building towered foresight
(Keep your conscience in the dark)
Isn’t anything at all
(Melt the statues in the park)

Buy the sky and sell the sky and bleed the sky and tell the sky

Don’t fall on me
(What is it up in the air for?)
(It’s gonna fall)
Fall on me
(If it’s there for long)
(It’s gonna fall)
Fall on me
(It’s over it’s over me)
(It’s gonna fall)
Don’t fall on me

Well I would keep it above
But then it wouldn’t be sky anymore
So if I send it to you you’ve got to promise to keep it whole

Buy the sky and sell the sky and lift your arms up to the sky
And ask the sky and ask the sky

Don’t fall on me
(What is it up in the air for?)
(It’s gonna fall)
Fall on me
(If it’s there for long)
(It’s gonna fall)
Fall on me
(It’s over it’s over me)
(It’s gonna fall)


Don’t fall on me
(What is it up in the air for?)
(It’s gonna fall)
Fall on me
(If it’s there for long)
(It’s gonna fall)
Fall on me
(It’s over it’s over me)
(It’s gonna fall)
Don’t fall on me

Don’t fall on me
(What is it up in the air for?)
(It’s gonna fall)
Fall on me
(If it’s there for long)
(It’s gonna fall)
Fall on me
(It’s over it’s over me)
(It’s gonna fall)

This is a well thought out song.  The acoustic work alone is great and the guitar line in the chorus mirroring the bass is really cool.  I've added the doodle at the end of the first chorus to the guitar line which sounds like it actually came out of the picking of the F7 into the Dm on the acoustic.  Also here is the transition in the last chorus that is slightly different than all the rest.  I've also made the picked guitar in the middle bridge the owner of the walkdown when in reality it should be in the guitar line, I just figured, if it sounds good in the picking it should stay.


FALL ON ME

Intro

Guitar 1

e|-------------------------------------|
B|------8---10p8------8---10p8---------|
G|-------0------0------0------0--------|
D|-9-10h--10-----9-10h--10-----9-10-10-|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

Guitar 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verse

F6-Am

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bridge to Chorus

F6-G6-C-Am-F6-G6-G

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

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

G|----2>4--4-0---0---2----2>4--4-0----|

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

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

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

Chorus

Guitar 1 (Acoustic)

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

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

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

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

A|------3-3-----3-3-5-5----|

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

Guitar 2

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

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

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

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

A|--0-2-3-3-5-5-----------3-3-5-5-----------3-3-5-5----------|

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

End of Chorus

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

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

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

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

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

E|-1-----------------------|

Guitar 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

Middle Bridge

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

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

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

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

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

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

End of Last Chorus Transition

e|-1--1-1-0-1h-0-0--------|

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

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

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

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

E|-1----------------------|