OUT OF TIME: LOW

Perhaps the boldest choice of Out Of Time is sticking this song right after Losing My Religion.  It's the setup for Near Wild Heaven, sort of a set 'em up and knock 'em down mentality.  Slow 'em up and speed 'em up.  I liken this to the song Round Here by Counting Crows in that it has that almost unexpected middle bridge rock before soothing back into the dark groove. 
  The song is a dangerous love song, at first listen, the song can be likened to Losing My Religion as unrequited love, however the song seems to carry a deeper understanding of love.  Perhaps a love you cannot keep that has been taken away, or a love you can never have, or one that is taboo.  The singer seems to have come to terms with this love and is at peace. 
  Vocally, I hear some differences from official lyrics.  Stipe definitely clips the word 'skip' to make it present tense and signify that this love still exists, something he doesn't do live which leaves the possibility of him leaving the 'ed' ending off or it not being audible when recorded.  I also hear 'grassly bent' among other things in the end of the second verse.  I must have listened to this sequence a hundred times and I stand by the interp ... it doesn't particularly clarify anything, but I like to be accurate.  In the live unplugged version, Stipe definitely deviates and seems to be reading off lyric sheets, but as always I go by the recorded version.  Other than that it's not a particularly difficult song and is a perfect example of Stipe's raw and understated power.  The track is him alone, no background vocal, no doubling.  This is a style that the band and Stipe uses to great effect from time to time, see Swan Swan H.




LOW
Dusk is dawn is day
Where did it go?
I’ve been laughing
Fast and slow
Moving in a still frame
Howling at the moon
Morning found me laughing
Up and down, down
Low, low, low
Night suits me fine
Morning suits me fine
I’ve been so happy, happy
Way up high, high
In between
Down below
Low, low, low
Low, low, low

I skip the part about love
It seemed so silly and low

Low, low, low
Low, low, low
I said the morning
It isn’t your time
Barefoot naked
I can see your lines
It doesn’t bother me
If you are right
Your grass is grassly bent
Your light white is bright
Like bright light

I skip the part about love
It seemed so shallow and low

Low, low, low
Low, low, low
You and me
We know about time
We know how things go
They come and go
They live and grow
They pass and go
And glow and glow
Up and down
High and low
Low, low, low
Low, low, low

I skip the part about love
It seemed so silly and low
I skip the part about love
It seemed so shallow and low

Low, low, low
Low, low, low

I like your hands
All full of glory
All full of glory


This is a pretty simple tune with an emphasis on muting power chords.  I love the ending and the orchestration behind the guitar ...

LOW

Verse (Muted)

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

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

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

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

A|-7---5---9---|

E|-5---3---7---|

Chorus

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

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

G|--9---4---0---|

D|-10---5---2---|

A|-10---5---2---|

E|--8---3---0---|

Last Verse

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

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

G|-6---4---8---|

D|-7---5---9---|

A|-7---5---9---|

E|-5---3---7---|

End

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

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

G|----8-8---|

D|---9-9----|

A|--9-------|

E|-7--------|