DOCUMENT: EXHUMING MCCARTHY

Funny story: When I first got a copy of this album it was on a cassette with no song titles and I thought this songs ending was "Exhumingly Corky."  When I bought the CD it was an 'I'm an idiot' moment and the song finally made sense.  I also enjoy singing "Exhuming my car keys."
  I suppose this is the first overtly political song from Mr. Stipe.  Up until now the political device had been more subtle (pretty much half of Lifes Rich Pageant), but actual quotes from the McCarthy hearings?  Definitely political.  The quotes are pulled from McCarthy's attack on the Army from their defense attorney Mr. Joseph Welch.  McCarthy attacks one of Welch's colleagues as a response to Welch's attack on Roy Cohn, which Welch claims was not meant as an attack (ha,ha).  Welch then sticks it to McCarthy, and later on tells him to move on to the next witness as he is sick of McCarthy's line of questioning on this particular matter.  The gallery applauds and the rest is history.
  Realpolitik is a term coined by the 19th Century writer Ludwig von Rochau, meaning politics geared toward power and materialistic goals and not morality or principles.

http://youtu.be/95fCtMGhpf0

EXHUMING MCCARTHY

You’re beautiful more beautiful than me
You’re honorable more honorable than me
Loyal to the Bank of America

It’s a sign of the times
It’s a sign of the times

You’re sharpening stones, walking on coals
To improve your business acumen
Sharpening stones, walking on coals
To improve your business acumen
Vested interest, united ties, landed gentry, rationalize
Look who bought the myth (look who bought the myth)
By jingo, buy America

It’s a sign of the times
It’s a sign of the times

You’re sharpening stones, walking on coals
To improve your business acumen
Sharpening stones, walking on coals
To improve your business acumen
Enemy sighted, enemy met, I’m addressing the realpolitik
Look who bought the myth (look who bought the myth)
By jingo, buy America

JOSEPH WELCH: ''Let us not assassinate this lad further Senator.”
JOSEPH MCCARTHY: “Look, look, look …”
JOSEPH WELCH: “You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir?
At long last, have you left no sense of decency?''

You’re sharpening stones, walking on coals
To improve your business acumen
Sharpening stones, walking on coals
To improve your business acumen
Enemy sighted, enemy met, I’m addressing the realpolitik
You seem start and you’ve seen quick
(Meet me at the book burning, meet me at the book burning)
(I’m addressing the table of content)
(Meet me at the book burning)
I always thought of you as quick

Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning, meet me at the book burning)
Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning)
Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning, meet me at the book burning)
Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning)


Pretty much just chords here and a crazy lead ...

EXHUMING MCCARTHY

Verse Progression 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verse Progression 1 cont.

e|-4---4---4---4---4---4---6---4------|

B|-4---6---4---6---4---6---8---6------|

G|-5---6---5---6---5---6---8---6------|

D|-6---6---6---6---6---6---8---6------|

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

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

1^st Chorus Lead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

G|-6-4-2--------2--------------------|

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

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

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

Verse Progression 2 Begins 2^nd Verse

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

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

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

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

A|-4---2-4---2-4-x4--|

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

2^nd Chorus Lead

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

B|-------------------------0---------------2-2---------|

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

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

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

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

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

B|----------5-7b-|

G|-2-4-2-4>6-6---|

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

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

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

Middle Bridge

e|--8---6------8---6---4---2---|

B|--8---8-----10---8---6---4---|

G|--9---8-----10---8---6---4---|

D|-10---8-----10---8---6---4---|

A|-10---6-x3---8---6---4---2---|

E|--8---6------8---6---4---2---|

End Progression

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

B|-2---4---2---4---2---4---0---4------|

G|-3---4---3---4---3---4---1---4------|

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

A|-4---2---4---2---4---2---2---2------|

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

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

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

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

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

A|-4---2---4---2---4---2---4---2---4---|

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