OUT OF TIME: ME IN HONEY

This is a great last song for the album and perhaps helps the album title live up to its name.  Me In Honey is out of place ... a strange rocking ode to love and forced commitment.  If the album is a document to unrequited love, then this song is more accidental love ... or forced love.  Kate Pierson is a great addition here, adding a female voice to the relationship ... she only echoes the chorus, but the intention is clear.  It takes two to make a commitment.  The lyrics below are pretty straightforward ... I've made some changes to what you can find online, but very minor.  I think any "official songbook" for R.E.M. is a load of hooey incidentally.  A lyric sheet you have to turn in is extremely cold and unsatisfying ...
  Below is a live version right after recording ...

ME IN HONEY

I sat there looking ugly
Looking ugly and mean
Knew what you were saying
You were saying to me

Baby's got some new rules
Baby said she's had it with me
It seems a shame to waste your time on me
It seems a lot to waste your time for me

Left me to love what it's doing to me

There's a lot of honey in this world
Baby this honey's from me
Got to do what you do
Do it with me
It seems a shame to waste your time for me

Left me to love what it's doing to me

Knocked silly
Knocked flat
Sideways down
These things they pick you up
Turn you around
Say your peace
Say you're sweet for me
It's all the same to share the pain with me
It's all the same, save the shame for me

Left me to love what it's doing to me

Baby's got some new rules
Baby said she's had it with me
There's a fly in the honey
And baby's got a baby with me
That's a part
That's a part of me

Left me to love what it's doing to me
Left me to love what it's doing to me
What about me?

What about me?


  So, most versions of this song have you Capo 4.  Don't be lazy!  Tune down 1/2 a step and play it like Buck.  It's basically D-A when you do it.  Oh and there's a mandolin in the song ... surprise!  Very light in the background ... most noticeable during the Drum Break (as in pause) ...  

ME IN HONEY

Tune down ½ Step

Intro: Db w/ Sustain

Verse:

eb|----------------------------|

Bb|-3---3-3--3-3-3-3-3-3--3-3--|

Gb|-2---0-2h-2-2-0-0-0-2h-2-2--|

Db|-0---0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0--|

Ab|----------------------------|

Eb|----------------------------|

Chorus:

eb|----------------------------|

Bb|----------------------------|

Gb|-2-2--2-2-2-2-2-2--2-2------|

Db|-0-2h-2-2-0-0-0-2h-2-2------|

Ab|-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0------|

Eb|----------------------------|

Mandolin:

Db-Ab

Eb|------------------------|

Ab|-5-5--5-5---------------|

Db|-------------0-2h-2-2---|

Gb|-0-2h-2-2----4-4--4-4---|