DOCUMENT: THE ONE I LOVE

What can I say about this song?  It's so simple it's brilliant.  There's something about the production level of this song where everything R.E.M. falls into place.  The enigmatic vocals, the background and harmonies, the picking of the guitar, the lead guitar, all of which further the intensity of the song. This is perhaps R.E.M. at their peak (one of many).  It was also their first official hit song reaching #9 in the US.
  The video for the song is another great addition and includes the band in performance and also portrait-style at the end.  Michael Stipe is depicted in various ways, as a character and as a band member in the video.  It was directed by Robert Longo, an artist who dabbled in video direction for a while.



THE ONE I LOVE
This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I’ve left behind
A simple prop to occupy my time
This one goes out to the one I love

Fire
Fire

This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I’ve left behind
A simple prop to occupy my time
This one goes out to the one I love
(Love)

Fire
(Comin’ down on your own, now)
Fire
(Comin’ down on your own)

This one goes out to the one I love
(Love)
This one goes out to the one I’ve left behind
Another prop has occupied my time
This one goes out to the one I love
(Love)

Fire
(Comin’ down on your own, now)
Fire
(Comin’ down on your own)
Fire
(Comin’ down on your own, now)
Fire
(Comin’ down on your own)

The key to this song is the riff and I've really grown fond of Peter Buck's inventive endings.  Another thing I've noticed with this album is how Buck and Mills really play off of each other, they meet at the beginning of riffs and go off in different directions.  It's quite nice actually.

THE ONE I LOVE

Intro/Chorus Riff

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

B|---------3-3>5-3-5p-5-0--3-0-0---|

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

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

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

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

Verse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

D|-2-------------2p0-2--------|

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

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

End

e|---------5-6-7--|

B|---------7-8-8--|

G|---------7-8-9--|

D|-2-------7-8-9--|

A|-2-----5-5-6-7--|

E|-0-3b-5--5-6-7--|