COLLAPSE INTO NOW: BLUE

For my money this is a more appropriate song for Patti Smith to be a part of than 'E-Bow.'  Although they are similar in theme as they are clearly poetry in the form of Michael Stipe's lyrics, 'Blue' more so than 'E-Bow.'  And how chilling and haunting is Patti's voice at the end.  Just wonderful.  I like the 'Discoverer' ending as well, but personally I would have brought the music in with Patti's last word instead of a slow build to the song.  This is the first time the band has tried to carry any kind of theme through an album and while it doesn't make the album a 'conceptual' album, it does bring it full circle. 



BLUE

I hear the circus left their stakes
The broken ropes useless, mud
The ties that bind, ha ha
I can be that poet, street poet
Shit poet, kind poet too
Subway homeless, 4am
Halloween
I’d had enough to drink to make my own party
All my fellow writers in half costume
Half asleep, half silly gone to seed
I don’t mark my time with dates
Holidays, fate, wisdom, luck, karma
Or whatever’s convenient
I am made by my times
I am a creation of now
Shaken with the cracks and crevices
I’m not giving up easy
I will not fold
I don’t have much, but what I have is gold

(Oh, I saw your face)
I sing in platinum, I dress in brass
(Blue drifting smoke)
I eat at Zinc, let it pass, am part of your toast, I like that
(In the drifting smoke)
I understand courage, I still roll with the shout of the cab drivers attitude
Today I try to see outside myself
I understand the eyes, excuse all eyes
Sorry, I am sorry, ha ha


(Boy of Berlin)
I like you, love you
(I like your face)
Every coast of you, I’ve seen your eddies
And tides and hurricanes and cyclones
Low ebb tide and high, full moon
How close and distant
I reach you, look the sky
The sea, the ocean, the sun, the moon
Blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue
(Naked and blue)
Naked and blue
Breathing with you
Touch, change, shift, allow air
(Breathing with you)
Window open drift, drift away into now
I want Whitman proud, Patti Lee proud
My brothers proud, my sisters proud
I want me, I want it all
I want sensational, irresistible
This is my time and I am thrilled to be alive
Living, blessed, I understand
Twentieth century collapse into now

Cinderella boy
You lost your shoe
Cinderella boy
(Blue, blue, blue, blue … )
Your coach awaits
A sunlit shadow
All over the place
As you sit, naked and blue
Into view

Discoverer
Discoverer
Discoverer
Discoverer
Discoverer
Discoverer
Discoverer


Basically, this song is three chords and 'Discoverer'.  It is very similar to 'Country Feedback' in tone and chords, but not chord structure.  It's simply a format for the lyrical poetry of Stipe and Smith.  The lead that follows is a loose interpretation as there are two guitars (at least) and they overlap.  Suffice it to say that if you play around the chord formations, you'll be fine.

BLUE

Chord Progression

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lead

e|---------------------0-----2-3>7-|

B|----------------7-7-7-0-3>5------|

G|------0-----9-7------------------|

D|-2-2-4-4-4-2---9---4-------------|

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

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

Michael Vocal Starts
e|--12-10--12---10-12-10--------|

B|-5-----13---10--------12----5-|

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

D|------------------------------|

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

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

Patti Vocal Starts
e|-----0-----0-----0-12-------------|

B|-5-3-5-5-3-5-5-0-5--12—3-3-3>5-10-|

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

D|----------------------------------|

A|-------------------------------etc|

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

End
e|------|

B|-12b--|

G|------|

D|------|

A|------|

E|------|

Discoverer Finale

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

B|-0---0---0---0-------|

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

D|-4---4---2---4-------|

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

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

Guitar 2

e|-4-5-7-9-10h-9-10h-9-9-10h-9-5-4-5h-4-2---|

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

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

D|------------------------------------------|

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

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