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---|