There is a New Orleans Instrumental No. 2, but it is all organ. I might throw the Piano Tab up here when I tackle the outtakes from this album known as the "Automatic Box." This song is a nice little respite, and a very nice use of controlled feedback.
This is a great song. It is simple, but effective. The video is great. There is nothing wrong or strange about this song and is one of those songs that, though it is delivered by R.E.M., seems to come from somewhere else. It is cosmically inspired. The song started with Bill Berry and evolved with the entire band.
Personally, I have seen and been close to some tragedy lately. To be honest, the song in personal terms seems trite. It has no meaning after tragic events except to stop more tragedy. This is a crisis song, a preventative tone, a plea before desperate action. As a culture, we are given to drama. We seem pulled toward the reckless and unseemly primarily because they are more interesting than living simply.
I used to think "Don't throw your hand" was a plea not to hit someone or hurt yourself, but now I feel it is a card players reference to not give up.
EVERYBODY HURTS
When your day is long
And the night, the night is yours alone
When you're sure you've had enough of this life
Well hang on
Don't let yourself go
‘Cause everybody cries
Everybody hurts
Sometimes
Sometimes everything is wrong
Now it's time to sing along
When your day is night alone
(hold on, hold on)
If you feel like letting go
(hold on)
If you think you've had too much of this life
Well hang on
‘Cause everybody hurts
Take comfort in your friends
Everybody hurts
Don't throw your hand
Oh, no
Don't throw your hand
If you feel like you're alone
No, no, no, you’re not alone
If you're on your own in this life
The days and nights are long
When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on
Well, everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody cries
Everybody hurts
Sometimes
Everybody hurts
Sometimes
So hold on
Hold on
Hold on, hold on
(no, no, no, no, no)
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
(Oh, no, no, no, no, no)
Everybody hurts
(no, no, no, no, no)
You are not alone This is a very easy song to play. It was the first song that I learned how to adjust my hands counter to the rhythm of the picking and get the sound right. That was when I used the full chords ... how much easier it is to just move 2 fingers! Also, at the end, I like to play the power chords on the 10th fret ... the parenthetical 0 is played before the second Bm in the bridge ... EVERYBODY HURTS
For a long time this was my favorite song on the album. It reminded me of staying at a friend's house in the middle of nowhere because it has this sort of lonely community feel to it, which is where I was at the time. The lyrics are fairly whimsical, loosely based on The Lion Sleeps Tonight, and as I've said I won't get into too much interpretation with Stipe's lyrics, this is definitely one of the tunes I'll shy away from. To me, it's a bit depressing and is simply about someone who doesn't want to be reached. The band rarely plays the song live ... in fact, perhaps they never played it ... the band doesn't seem to think that the song fits anywhere. I personally think it could've been pretty cool live, but by the time they were playing live again, they had a monster to deal with. According to Buck, the track is "a little too lightweight."
Some notes on the chorus. The official lyric sheets throw the word "me" in the line. However, because of Stipe's accent, the word "When" sometimes sounds with a long 'e.' Particularly because of the short 'a' in "Call." Also, when you sing the second part, try dropping the hard 'C' sound at the beginning of "Call" ... it all falls into place. In the bridge, I spelled out the word 'Wreaked' to be pronounced like 'wrecked' as it can have either pronunciation.
THE SIDEWINDER SLEEPS TONITE
Dee, dee, dee, dee
Dee, dee, dee, dee
This here is the place where I will be stayin’
There isn't a number, you can call the pay phone
Let it ring a long, long, long, long time
If I don't pick up, hang up, call back let it ring some more
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa
If I don't pick up, pick up, the sidewinder sleep, sleep, sleeps in a coil
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
Oh
There’s scratches all around the coin slot
Like a heartbeat baby, tryin’ to wake up
But this machine can only swallow money
You can't lay a patch by computer design
With just a lot of stupid, stupid signs
Tell her, oh, oh, whoa
Tell her she can kiss my ass and laugh and say that you were only kidding
That way she'll know that it's really, really, really, really me, me
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
Oh
Baby, instant soup doesn't really grab me
Today I need something more sub-stub-sub-sub-substantial
My can of beans or black-eyed peas, some Nescafe and ice,
A candy bar, a falling star, or a reading from Dr. Seuss
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
Oh
The cat in the hat came back
Wreaked a lot of havoc on the way
Always had a smile and a reason to pretend But their world has flat backgrounds and little need to sleep but to dream
The sidewinder sleeps on his back
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
I can always sleep standing up
Call when you try to wake her
Oh
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
I can always sleep standing up
Call when you try to wake her
Oh
Call when you try to wake her up
Call when you try to wake her
I can always sleep standing up
Call when you try to wake her
I can always sleep standing up
Call when you try to wake her
We've gotta moogie, moogie, move on this one This is a fairly easy one ... just some barred chords and a little riff ... overall it sounds better if you play the chords the entire time. During the chorus, remember to strum the chords up and staccato ... THE SIDEWINDER SLEEPS TONITE Tune up 1/2 step for album
