DEAD LETTER OFFICE: WALTER'S THEME/ KING OF THE ROAD

'I suppose that if we had any shame we would have never allowed

this little gem to see the light of day. This was recorded at the very end

of a long alcohol soaked day, and I can barely remember cutting it. The

first part was an attempt at writing a commercial for Walter's

Bar-B-Q. The second part is King of the Road, kind of.  If there was any

justice in the world, Roger Miller should be able to sue for what we did

to this song.'

-Peter Buck



This is a great little snapshot into the recording world of REM.  Of particular note is Mike Mills shouting out the chords of King of the Road to Peter and then half a verse later, Michael saying: 'Take it slim ... '  It's fun to lead on a song you've figured out two seconds ago.  That said, Peter doesn't embarass himself too much.  It makes me think that the lead might have been a different track, but I don't think it was. 

  Lyrically, Michael destroys this song.  He repeats his bastardized first verse because it's clearly all that he remembers.  He has to work longer than Roger Miller and I think it's a miracle that in the last verse he finally says 'four bit room' as per Mr. Miller.  The best part is that as much as almost no one can decipher Mr. Stipe's lyrics, it's nice to know that he interpreted a song like 'King of the Road' incorrectly.

Links to the songs:
Walter's Theme

http://youtu.be/_1Y5uTN2wUw
Roger Miller: King of the Road
http://youtu.be/OmOe27SJ3Yc
R.E.M.: King of the Road
http://youtu.be/A6daSPiRDzo

WALTER’S THEME

Hey, it’s David
I've got a hat the size of Oklahoma

Hey, it’s David
I've got a hat the size of Oklahoma

Put on my boots and go on down to Walter's
Get me some barbecue
Bring some home to the misses
They'll give you a bag to put it in

This is David, signing out
(That was the end)

KING OF THE ROAD
Trailers for sale or rent
(That was the end)
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let 50 cents
No cars, no pools, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
It takes four hours of pushin' broom
(Hey, hey, it’s in a different key)
… four by twelve cubic room

I'm a man of men by no means
King of the road

(C!)
Trailers for sale or rent
(F … G!)

Rooms to let, fifty cents
No cars, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
It takes eight hours of pushin' a broom
It buys a four by twelve cubic room
I'm a man of men by no means
King of the road
Take it slim …

It takes eight hours of pushin' broom
To buy a four by twelve cubic room
I'm a man of men by no means
King of the road

One more time
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents
No cars, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
It takes eight hours of pushin' broom
It buys a eight by twelve four bit room
I'm a man of man, by no means
King of the road

(Mike: I hope that’s on tape,
Bill: Yes, it’s on tape
Mike: It’s not
Bill: It is too, they were tapin’ the whole friggin thing
Mike: You don’t know it, let’s look at it
Bill: I’ll bet you right now I can see the little red light, next to the blue light …
Mike: Let’s do somethin’ else tonight, think if there’s anything else we can consider
Bill: I want to listen back to all of it)


Special thanks again to You Tube for Walter's Theme.  I had it way down the fretboard at first ...

WALTER'S THEME

Verse

e|--------------5-5-5>7-7----|

B|-----9--------0-0-0>0------|

G|------9-11-9--6-6-6>8--8---|

D|----9---------7-7-7>9---9--|

A|-6>7------x3---------------|

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

Chorus

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

B|-10-9-7-0-0-----0-0---|

G|-------9---8>9-9------|

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

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

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

KING OF THE ROAD

Opening

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

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

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

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

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

E|-0-1-1-2-2-3---3---0-1-1-2-2-3-0---|

e|--5-3--0---0---------0---|

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

G|-5-3-0-0---0---------0---|

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

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

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

Verse

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

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

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

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

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

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

e|-1-----------3----7-5--0---|

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

G|---2-2>3-3>4-4---7-5-3-0---|

D|---3-3>4-4>5-----------2---|

A|---3-3>4-4>5-----------3---|

E|---1-1>2-2>3-----------0---|

Lead

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

B|-1-1-3b-1>----1-3h-1-3h-5-3<1-1-8b---------6-6---8-8--|

G|-------2-----------------5------7b--------5-5-5>7-7---|

D|----------------------------------7<5-5-7h------------|

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

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

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

B|-8b---------6-6---8-8-8-8-----------8------|

G|-7b--------7-5-5>7-7-7-7-7-10-9-7--7-7b-5<-|

D|---7<5-5-7h----------------------10--------|

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

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

Key Change

e|-4---2---4---4---4---2---2-3-4-------|

B|-6---2---4---6---6---2---2-3-4-------|

G|-6---3---5---6---6---3---3-4-5-------|

D|-6---4---6---6---6---4---4-5-6-------|

A|-4---4---6---4---4---4---4-5-6-------|

E|-4---2---4---4---4---2---2-3-4-------|

e|----4-4---2-2----2--4--4-4--------|

B|----6-6---2--2-4h----6b--6-7-6-4--|

G|----6-6---3-------3>-----6--------|

D|----6-6---4--------------6--------|

A|--4-4-4---4--------------6--------|

E|-6--4-4---2--------------4--------|

e|-4---2-3-4-------------------------------2---------|

B|-6---2-3-4---6b-4-6b-4-------------------4-3b-5----|

G|-6---3-4-5------------6-4-6b-4-----------4-----3-5-|

D|-6---4-5-6--------------------6-4--------4---------|

A|-4---4-5-6-----------------------6-4-6b--2---------|

E|-4---2-3-4-----------------------------2-2---------|