THE AUTOMATIC BOX SET: THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT

  This is a very faithful cover of The Tokens cover of a Weavers arrangement of a South African folk song by Solomon Linda called "Mbube" or lion.  The lyrics were added for The Tokens' version although at first they were not taken with the lyrics.  This of course means that the song rocketed to the #1 position on the music charts in 1961.  It's a great track and has been covered a million times over.  R.E.M. just added the drum machine ... must be Bill on the deep part ...

THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT

In the jungle

The quiet jungle

The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle

The mighty jungle

The lion sleeps tonight

In the village

The quiet village

The lion sleeps tonight
In the village

The peaceful village

The lion sleeps tonight

Hush my darling

Don't cry my darling

The lion sleeps tonight
Hush my darling

Don't cry my darling

The lion sleeps tonight

  In this version, the trombone replaces the sax and the Slide replaces the operatic voice of Anita Darian.  I've tabbed both.

THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT

Guitar 1

e|-3---0---3---2---|

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

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

D|-5---2---5---0---|

A|-5---3---5-------|

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

Guitar 2

e|-7----8---7---5--|

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

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

D|-----10-------7--|

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

E|------8-------5--|

Horn Lead

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

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

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

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

A|----10-9-7-5-3-----10-9-7-5-5--|

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

Slide Lead

e|-----12<10-------------|

B|-8>13-----------10<8---|

G|------------7>11-------|

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

THE AUTOMATIC BOX SET: DARK GLOBE

  So for this one, I am not including any tab.  It is recorded with all piano and since it is not an R.E.M. original track, I'll not attempt it.  It should be noted that in Syd Barrett's version it is all guitar.  As you listen to the tracks you'll find that they are structurally similar, but their tempo and theme are vastly different.  Of course I prefer R.E.M.'s version, but perhaps that is because it is cleaner.


DARK GLOBE

Oh where are you now?
Pussy willow that smiled on my sleeve
When I was alone 
You promised a stone from your heart
My head kissed the ground
I was half the way down 
Treading the sand
Please
Please lift a hand
I'm only a person
Whose armbands beat on his hands hang tall

Won't you miss me? 
Why don't you miss me at all?

My head touched the ground
I was half the way down
Strumming the sand
Please lift a hand
I'm only a person
With eskimo chain
You tattered my brain all the way

Won't you miss me? Why don't you miss me at all?

THE AUTOMATIC BOX SET: ARMS OF LOVE

  The beauty of R.E.M. covers is that the band is focused on adding or introducing new takes on songs that are great, but that might not have been outrageously popular.  I heard R.E.M.'s version of this song before Robyn Hitchcock's, but when I heard the original I was blown away by how different they really are.  Different lyrics, different chord progression, different approach, two takes on the same theme.  They are both quite brilliant.  I particularly like how Mr. Stipe changes the last verse to be more monumental, the idea that heartbreak feels like the end of the world.  Late in the background vocals Bill is definitely alternating Love and low and at one point sounds like he's saying loave like singular loaves (which should be loaf), but he likely is just messing with the alternation. As with previous covers posts, below are both versions.

ARMS OF LOVE

Maybe tonight you're achin’
For someone you're dreamin’ of
Tomorrow you (will) will be wakin’

(Into the arms)
Into the arms of love

Maybe tonight you're cryin’
Like a poor wounded dove
Tell me you'll soon be flying
(Into the arms)

Into the arms of love

Maybe tonight you're takin’
You couldn't get enough
Honey you'll soon be wakin’
(Into the arms)

Into the arms of love

Maybe the world is fallin’
(Love love, love low, love low, love low)

It wasn't strong enough

(Love love, love low, love low, love low)
Tell me you'll soon be crawlin’

(Love love, love low, love low, love low)
(Into the arms)

Into the arms of love

(Love love, love low, love low, love low)
(Into the arms)

Into the arms of love

(Love love, love low, love low, love low)

(Into the arms)

Into the arms of love

   Very simple chords here ... no guitar solo ... 

ARMS OF LOVE

Verse

e|-3---0---3---0-3---3---1---0---|

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

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

D|-0---2---0---2-0---0---3---2---|

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

E|-3---0---3---0-3---3---1---0---|

Chorus

e|-2---2---0---2---3---0---|

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

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

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

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

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

THE AUTOMATIC BOX SET: NEW ORLEANS INSTRUMENTAL #2

  A companion piece to the first installment only in that they were both written in New Orleans.  This one is really all keyboards, but the line lends easily enough to guitar that I went ahead and tabbed.  Below are the long form version of the notes, there actually is more variation on the recording, but if you play along to the song, you'll be able to pick those moments out easily enough.  During the bass breakdown, just play the bass notes of the Verse Chords.




NEW ORLEANS INSTRUMENTAL #2

Verse (E-A x3 D)

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

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

G|----9-7--------6-7-9---|

D|-------11-9-7-9--------|

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

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

Verse

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

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

G|----9-7--------6-7-9-7--|

D|-------11-9-7-9---------|

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

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

Chorus (F-C x3 D)

e|---5--------------------------|

B|--6-6-8-----8---------7-------|

G|-5-----9-5-9-----7-7-9-9-7-9--|

D|-------------(X3)-------------|

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

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

THE AUTOMATIC BOX SET: FRUITY ORGAN

  Another fun little instrumental track.  Again, I suspect that these are laid down in the studio by the three musicians for the use of Michael Stipe when choosing songs to put lyrics to.  Some I'm sure are just the guys doodling around in the studio.  In both cases it seems that when the group think they've hit upon something interesting they run with it.  Some interesting informational tidbits about how the band works come from these sessions.  Peter Buck once said he's often surprised by Michael's choice of lyrical options, sometimes having the group expand on a small portion of what he's been given as opposed to writing lyrics to a completely composed piece.  I've added the bass line opening here and have conceded Peter's non-barre chord F for once.

FRUITY ORGAN

Bass Riff Verse

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

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

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

D|-----2-3-2-----2----2-3-2-0----|

A|--2-3-----5-3-5--2-3-------3---|

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

Verse

e|-3---0---1---1---|

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

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

D|-0---2---3---3---|

A|-2---3---0---0---|

E|-3---0---1---1---|

Chorus

e|-0---0---0---1---|

B|-1---1---1---2---|

G|-2---2---0---3---|

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

A|-0---0---3-------|

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

e|-0-0-1----------0---1--|

B|-0-1-2----------1---2--|

G|-0-2-3----------0---3--|

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

A|-2-0--3-2-0-----3------|

E|-0-0-------(x3)-0------|

End with three quick verse chords ... 

THE AUTOMATIC BOX SET: MANDOLIN STRUM

  This song is pretty much what it says it is ... some claim it was a precursor of Losing My Religion, but it was likely just any number of tracks the band cut for Michael to listen to.  It doesn't really play like Religion at all ...





MANDOLIN STRUM

Verse

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

A|-5-7-----5-7-3-0--0-0----------------|

D|-----------------5-2-0-2-------------|

G|------------------------5-2-0-2-2-0--|

Chorus

E|-1-1-1-0-0-0-0-0-5--|

A|-0-------0-0-5---0--|

D|-3-------2-2-0---0--|

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

Out of Chorus

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

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

D|-2--5--5-5>7-7-7-7-7-7-5-2--|

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

Bridge

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

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

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

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

Out of Bridge

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

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

D|-2-5h-5--5-5>7-7-7-7-7-7-5-2--|

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