REVEAL: I'LL TAKE THE RAIN

   Upon reflection, there is an earnestness in this song that comes across as forceful philosophizing. However, I'm no longer sure I'll Take The Rain actually wants to push us in any direction and the character here is simply trying to make a point a la: if I were given the choice between a beautiful day with you and a rainy day alone, I'll take the rain. Sort of a punch line, like in Grease where summer ends and Danny and Sandy miss each other, except in the case of this song it didn't end well. Here interpretations are beside the point, what is the point is why I didn't care for the song one way or the other for a long time--this is where the album fell flat for me and summed up everything about why I wasn't infatuated with REVEAL as a whole. I'm not really given a reason why such a drastic choice is made in this song, plus at the time it felt like the song was trying too hard to be musically anthemic when it's actually rather personal in nature. As I've combed through the song for this post I've come to appreciate it in a different context, but I can't put it up there with the other re-discovered gems on this album. Some key lines: 'In summer's yawn now hopeless' and my favorite 'summer schemes and stretches out to stay.' This song makes me think the summer of the album is over, but the Beachball of the next song helps us remember the wistful times.




I'LL TAKE THE RAIN
The rain came down

The rain came down
The rain came down on me
The wind blew strong and summer's song

Fades to memory

I knew you when
I loved you then
In summer's yawn now hopeless
You laid me bare and marked me there
The promises we made

I used to think as birds take wing
They sing through life so why can't we?
We cling to this and claim the best
If this is what you're offering
I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain

The nighttime creases
Summer schemes and stretches out to stay
The sun shines down you came around
You love the easy days

But now the sun the winter's come
I wanted just to say
That if I hold
I’d hoped you'd fold and open up inside

Inside of me

I used to think as birds take wing
They sing through life so why can't we?
We cling to this and claim the best
If this is what you're offering
I'll take the rain, I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain

This winter song I'll sing along
I've searched it’s still refrain
I'll walk alone if given this take wing and celebrate the rain

I used to think as birds take wing
They sing through life so why can't we?
We cling to this and claim the best
If this is what you're offering
I'll take the rain, I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain, I'll take the rain, I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain




   A fairly basic strum here, but I love the F7 into a G with the same shape. The picking is fun as well, it's hard for me to play notes above my 12th fret, so I play it at the 3rd in the same shapes and it still sounds cool. 

I'LL TAKE THE RAIN

Intro : Am (Lift finger for Am7 at end of measure)

Verse

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

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

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

D|-2---3---2---5-3----|

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

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

Chorus

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus Pick (Chords above 12^th fret)

e|-----15------15------17------17------15------15------17------17---|

B|---17--17--17--17--17--17--17--17--17--17--17--17--18--18--18--18-|

G|-17------17------17------17------16------16------17------17-------|

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

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

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

End Chorus Lead

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

B|------13-12-13--------13-12-13--12-12-13h-12-10-13-10--13-10-13-10--13-|

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

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

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

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

e|-12-10--------10-12-10--------10------------------13-------------------|

B|------13-12-13--------13-12-13--12-12-13h-12-10-13--13-13>15-13-10-13--|

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

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

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

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

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

B|------13-12-13--------13-12-13--12-12-13h-12-10-13-10--13-10-13-10--13-|

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

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

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

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

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

B|------13-12-13--------13-12-13--12-12-13h-12-10-10-13>15-13-10-13>15-12-13|

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

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

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

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

Middle 8 Lead (G-Bm x3, G-F-G-F)

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

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

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

D|-------------------------------4-4-5-3-----|

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

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

REVEAL: CHORUS AND THE RING

   Peter has said this was a song that came together fairly easily and the chords bear this out. He claims much of it is live and that's why the chord changes seem to be a bit behind the guitar--giving the song an eerie echo. Michael counts the second verse as one of his favorites and has said the entire song was inspired by two things: a conversation he had with Peter about Deus ex Machina, literally a device used in Greek Theater to bring in a God character with a machine, and a conversation he had with William S. Burroughs about Kurt Cobain. Somewhere out of all of that is tragedy, pity and catharsis, anxiety and climax--always there's a chorus to sing. Some great phrases in here, I've always loved 'that's when the insults start to sting' and 'Hammered, shooting plywood in the backyard.' Super evocative. The first line is a bit of a mystery as I've seen a couple of interpretations, I've leaned toward the name Willy being William S. Burroughs.




CHORUS AND THE RING

Hey there now young Willy swing along, quote the scriptures

Keep them guessing which pit you crawled from
Just defy it, just deny it, was it fun, your time has come
What have you done? What have you done?

That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine of god

Singing

It's the poison that in measures brings illuminating vision
It's the knowing with a wink that we expect in southern women
It's the wolf that knows which root to dig to save itself
It's the octopus that crawled back to the sea

That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine of god

Ring

Hammered, shooting plywood in the backyard
Laughing 'cause the racket makes the blackbirds sing
Write the holy terror, suck the marrow from the bone

Singe your own wings burning books 

You got the chorus and the ring

That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine sings

That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine sings

That's when the calibration brittle as a stick 

Gets you the gold ring in the tar museum 

Che Guevera wink gold ring

Gold ring

Sing
Sing
Sing
Sing

   I have been able to find zero live versions of this song, so all of the following is based on the album. I really love playing this song, it's simple and inventive--the verse is similar to the picked chorus of Maps and Legends with some extra notes. Going into deciphering I thought it was going to be very tricky because of how the album sounds. Imagine my relief. I've thrown in the lead under the chorus and bridge which I think might be a keyboard, but at times sounds like a guitar? IDK.

CHORUS AND THE RING

Verse (A-D)

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

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

G|-2---7---|

D|-2---7---|

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

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

Chorus (D2-Bm7(11))

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

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

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

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

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

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

Middle 8 (G-D2 x3, Bm7(11))

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

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

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

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

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

E|-3-----x3--0--|

Chorus Lead (Keyboard)

e|-10---------------------10--|

B|-------10-12-10----10-12----|

G|---9-11--------9-11---------|

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

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

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

Middle 8 Lead (Keyboard)

e|-9-10h-10-10---------7-9-10h---------7-9-9-10h--|

B|---------------7-8-10----------7-8-10-----------|

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

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

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

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

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

B|----7-8-8-8-7-5-0---5-0-5-0---------|

G|-7-9-----------------------2--------|

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

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

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

Final Pick

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

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

G|--2--0-7-7---|

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

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

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

End on A

REVEAL: SUMMER TURNS TO HIGH

   I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but the more I dig into these later songs the more I like them. When I first listened to REVEAL when it came out, many of the songs morphed together as part of the soundscape and 'Summer Turns To High' is a prime example of that melding. It's a lazy song because the narrator is taking it easy, I've always loved the line about the 'bedsheet cape and sandals' (yet another glib line from Michael), and summer is a reason to take a moment to 'move like syrup through the evening.' This song never really impacted me then as it does now. As always the writing is top-notch and the sentiment is followed through on, if the original guitar heavy demo had been my introduction it might be my favorite song on the album. However there's no way that version fits the album and deconstructing it turns the sound into something otherworldly. I've posted both versions below and I challenge anyone not to think of the heavy acoustic version fitting onto OOT or AFTP.







SUMMER TURNS TO HIGH

Mercury is rising still
Turn the fan on high
I won't step on my own shadow
No one wants to cry

Someone put a pox on me
I'll spit in their eye

Summer turns to high

With my bedsheet cape and sandals
Circle citronella candles
Summer's here the light is raising
Hopes and dragonflies

If those hopes are overshadowed
Cotton candy, caramel apple

Summer turns to high
Summer turns to high
Summer turns to high
Summer high

After wine and nectarines
The fireflies in time
Move like syrup through the evening
With a sweet resign

I won't pine for what could have been
I'm preoccupied

Summer turns to high
Summer turns to high
Summer turns to high
Summer high

   Before hearing the demo, I had no idea what to do with this one. There's some light chord strum in the second verse, but everything else is peeled away in the album version. The hard chords make it easier to hear the key E Major chord that moves the song. The bridge to chorus pick sounds best with a capo, but can be done without it.

SUMMER TURNS TO HIGH

Verse (C-G-F-Am-F-C-G)

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

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

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

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

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

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

(C-G-F-Am-Dm-Am-E)

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

B|-1---3---1---1---3---1---0---0--|

G|-0---0---2---2---2---2---1---1--|

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

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

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

Bridge to Chorus (Bm-E)

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

B|-3---3---0---0--|

G|-4---4---1---1--|

D|-4---4---2---2--|

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

E|-2---2---0---0--|

Bridge to Chorus Pick (Capo 2)

e|----3-----3-----2-----2-----3-----5-----2-----2---|

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus (C-G/B-Fmaj7)

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

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

G|-5---4---2--|

D|-5---5---3--|

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

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

Bridge to Verse (Gm walk down)

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

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

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

D|-5---3---2---0---|

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

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

  

Bridge to Verse (Pick/Slide)

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

B|--5-5-5-1--|-5<3<1<0--|

G|-5-4-2-2-0-|--------0-|

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

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

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

Final Pick (Follows Verse Chords)

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

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

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

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

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

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

REVEAL: IMITATION OF LIFE

  And we get to the single for this album and the only song to make the final cut from REVEAL on their retrospective PT,PL,PH,PG. This lead single was the worst performer from an R.E.M. album in a long time, but it definitely sets up the listener for what they can expect from a forthcoming album. Little did fans know that this would be the radio friendliest song from the album, but it's for sure--like the album--a grower. So many great things in this song! First off, the metaphors and similes are excellent and unique, if there's a lyric that better illustrates the sardonic humor of the band than 'since bread came sliced' IDK what is (although this could be a separate blog). I have belabored this point lately, but Michael is really stretching his lyrical muscle and pointedly trying to give the songs some different perspectives. That said, I used to play this song live with 'Losing My Religion' calling it the sequel. That was really only based on the 'corner' mention and the 'try, cry' allusion, so it was a stretch but why not? Mostly because the LMR corner was forlorn love isolation and this song's corner is an attempt to convey the isolation of stardom. There's also no way Michael didn't want to write a song with the lyric 'c'mon' in it ... sort of like his 'yeahs' in MOTM. In retrospect the song has become very popular and I hear it all the time when I'm out shopping on musak store radio--it's upbeat and catchy. It's placement on the album I liken to Radiohead's 'Karma Police' on OK COMPUTER, it kicks in just when you need it--and maybe even a little past when you need it. Also, the video is insane ... I've added below!




IMITATION OF LIFE

Charades, pop skill, water hyacinth

Named by a poet
Imitation of life
Like a koi in a frozen pond
Like a goldfish in a bowl
I don’t want to hear you cry

That’s sugarcane that tasted good
That’s cinnamon that’s Hollywood
C'mon, c'mon no one can see you try

You want the greatest thing
The greatest thing since bread came sliced
You've got it all, you've got it sized
Like a Friday fashion show teenager
Freezing in the corner
Trying to look like you don’t try

That’s sugarcane that tasted good
That’s cinnamon that’s Hollywood
C'mon, c'mon no one can see you try

No one can see you cry

That’s sugarcane that tasted good
That’s freezing rain that’s what you could
C'mon, c'mon no one can see you cry

This sugarcane
This lemonade
This hurricane, I'm not afraid
C'mon, c'mon no one can see me cry
This lightning storm
This tidal wave
This avalanche, I'm not afraid
C'mon, c'mon no one can see me cry

That’s sugarcane that tasted good
That’s who you are, that’s what you could
C'mon, c'mon no one can see you cry

That’s sugarcane that tasted good
That’s who you are, that’s what you could
C'mon, c'mon no one can see you cry

 
   After recording this song, Peter realized he wrote DRIVER 8 again. What better way to juice it up than with electronics and open chords? I'm partial to the Am in the verse. This song is crazy fun to play and people know it, even if they don't think they do.


IMITATION OF LIFE

Intro/ Chorus

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

B|-0---3---|-3---0---1---1-3-3--3--3--3--|

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

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

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

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

Verse                  

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

B|-0---0---0---3---|-0---0---0---3-3--|

G|-9---5---4---2---|-9---5---4---2-0--|

D|-9---7---5---0---|-9---7---5---0-2--|

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

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

Break                  

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

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

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

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

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

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

End on Em

REVEAL: BEAT A DRUM

  The album starts to go heavy into the summer feeling here, but I've realized that summer in this album relates more to the heavy, hazy, humid feeling as opposed to the Beach Boys hitting the surf feeling. The song is lazy contentment, a sense the world is moving on without your minuscule cares and the insects are more upset than you are about the current state of things. It's really cool how halfway through the album we're halfway from coal (The Lifting) halfway to diamond (Beachball). Even the music changes at the chorus signify a weight lifting, or maybe its the 'Six Million Dollar Man' effect thrown in there, but in any case the song pushes us confidently into Imitation. I've always enjoyed the simplicity of the song.






BEAT A DRUM

The sun reflected in the back of my eye
I knocked my head against the sky
The dragonflies are busy buzzing me
Or seahorses if we were in the sea

Halfway from coal, halfway to diamond
My fall knocked a mean chip out of me
I'm gathering as far as I can reach
We're perched up on the precipice and this is what I've seen

This is all I want it's all I need
This is all I am it's everything
This is all I want it's all I need

A blue jay hectors from the felled catalpa tree
Doctorate in science and a theologian's dream
The dragonflies are trying to lecture me
Or seahorses if we were in the sea

This is all I want it's all I need
This is all I am it's everything
This is all I want it's all I need

Beat a drum for me, like a butterfly wing
Tropical storm across the ocean
But don't explain I'm sure I'll want to know
But don't forget we're just halfway from coal

This is all I want it's all I need
This is all I am it's everything
This is all I want it's all I need


   Great fun to play, again I didn't do any piano below but I did transcribe quite a bit of it to guitar, particularly in the break. Peter adds the pinky g to the high e-string pick live, but on the album it's open so do as you will--I enjoy the live version better. I also added some bass notes in the chorus to mimic the feel of the song that aren't necessarily in the guitar. I bypassed the lazy slide guitar as its just following the chorus notes.

BEAT A DRUM

Verse (F-G x2, Dm/F-C/G x2)

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

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

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

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

A|-3---2------1--------------3-------------|

E|-1---3-x2---1--------------0-------------|

Chorus                 

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

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

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

D|-5---3-------2-------|

A|-5---3-----0-3---1-0-|

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

Bridge

(Dm-C-Dm-Bb-F-F-Dm-C-Dm-Bb)

e|----8-7------5-8-7----6-6-5------|

B|-6-----8--5-8-----10-8-----8-5---|

G|---------5-----------------------|

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

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

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

e|----------5-8-7-10-----5-8-7----6-6-5------|

B|-8-6-----8----------5-8-----10-8-----8-5-6-|

G|----7-8-7----------5-----------------------|

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

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

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

Outro                  

Dm-Dm-C-F