NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI: NEW TEST LEPER

  The character in this song comes from when Stipe was a little hung up on lyrics for this piece and found himself watching a daytime talk show. He wondered if the tragedy of these shows was if someone was really trying to communicate something meaningful to the audience, they would be overlooked or not heard. This could also be a reflection or result of the band touring and being interviewed over and over again, and if you watch some of the interviews the band seems exasperated by the inanity of the sessions. If a rock band really has something to say, would anyone really listen or care? Particularly if the music was bombastic and easy to digest? This is a really lovely song and has some great wordplay, the lyric sheet is actually featured in the video for the song and I've added some of the hey's, but most of this is straight from there. The concept of healing the lepers is brought into the psychological realm in this song by focusing on the needs of the self and of a character needing to be emotionally saved over physically saved. Healing the scars that are unseen is more difficult to measure or quantify than the healing of physical ailments, so could this be the new test of the title?



NEW TEST LEPER

I can't say that I love Jesus
That would be a hollow claim
He did make some observations
And I'm quoting them today
“Judge not lest ye be judged”
What a beautiful refrain
The studio audience disagrees
Have his lambs all gone astray?

Call me a leper

Ay, ay, hey
Call me a leper

Ay, ay, hey
Call me a leper

Ay, ay, hey

Mmmm

“You are lost and disillusioned”
What an awful thing to say
I know this show doesn't flatter
It means nothing to me
I thought I might help them understand
But what an ugly thing to see
-I am not an animal-
Subtitled under the screen

Call me a leper

Ay, ay, hey
Call me a leper

Ay, ay, hey
Call me a leper

Ay, ay, hey

Mmmm

When I tried to tell my story
They cut me off to take a break
I sat silent five commercials
I had nothing left to say
The talk show host was index carded
All organized and blank
The other guests were scared and hardened
What a sad parade

What a sad parade
Call me a leper

Ay, ay, hey
Call me a leper

Ay, ay, hey
Call me a leper

Ay, ay, hey

Mmmm

Mmmm

  This is about as fun and creative a song to play in these MONSTER/ HI-FI years and it sounds great acoustically. The picked part in the Chorus can also be strummed as chords, so remember that the pick is based around chord formations. The last chord is satisfying, but I suspect on the album is actually simpler ... what I have here is a nod to the bass note as well ... 

NEW TEST LEPER

Verse

e|-5---0---0---0>0----|

B|-7---5---3---3>5----|

G|-7---6---4---4>6----|

D|-0---7---5---5>7----|

A|-0---0---0---6>0----|

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

2^nd time through hold on G

Chorus

e|---------------5--------0-----|

B|---2--3----5--7----5---3-3----|

G|--2--2----4--7----6-6-4---4---|

D|----4--4>6-------7---5--------|

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

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

Chorus (Last time through)

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

B|---2--3----5--7----5-5----5---|

G|--2--2----4--7----6-6--6-7----|

D|----4--4>6-------7----7-------|

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

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

Lead

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

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

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

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

Last Chord

e|-0--|

B|-0--|

G|-2--|

D|-0--|

A|-2--|

E|-0--|