IN TIME: BAD DAY

   There's a lot to like about this song. After REVEAL it sounds like a band getting back to basics, they're dusting off the old trick of resurrecting old discarded tracks, and it was extremely timely politically. I remember hearing of PSA (Bad Day), but I had never heard a copy of the original before this version came out so as a fan I was super excited. The song gave them a #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and charted well everywhere. The original idea for this song was scrapped and became ITEOTWAWKI, and after a few listens it's easy to understand why as the repetitive nature of the song wears thin a little. I also turned off the song when Michael started playing harmonica on it live, which he also does in the demo, but--yuck, even as a sardonic nod to Dylan it's painful. It's the perfect mood song for a bad day, and a good song for the Bush/Iraq War era showing the frustration of watching a country do something stupid and not being able to stop it. Fifteen years later I guess we're not sick of being jerked around because we're at it again. Another exciting development is the Mike Mill vocal, which is a little bland, but one of the criticisms of REVEAL was his harmonies were not around, so it's good to hear him again. It's the perfect track for a compilation and 'Romance' worked so well on EPONYMOUS, this being a sort of sequel, the band tossed a few tracks on the album. By this time they realized putting new tracks on a best of would make it an essential purchase. Added the music video because it's very inventive and the demo because. Short story: When I asked my daughter what R.E.M. songs she had on her collection, somehow she only had this song and I think 'Imitation of Life' which wouldn't have been my first choices for her--this was when I knew I failed her musically, but kids are supposed to hate their parents music, right?





BAD DAY
A public service announcement followed me home the other day

I paid it never mind

Go away
Shits so thick you could stir with a stick
Free teflon whitewashed presidency
We're sick of being jerked around
Wear that on your sleeve

Broadcast me a joyful noise into the times lord
Count your blessings
We're sick of being jerked around
We all fall down

Have you ever seen the televised St. Vitus subcommittee prize
Investigation dance

Those ants in pants glances
Well look behind the eyes
It's a hallowed hollow anesthetized
Save my own ass, screw these guys
Smoke and mirror lock down

Broadcast me a joyful noise into the times lord
Count your blessings
The papers wouldn't lie, I sigh, not one more

It’s been a bad day
Please don’t take a picture
It’s been a bad day
Please

It’s been a bad day
Please don’t take a picture
It’s been a bad day
Please

We're dug in the deep the price is steep
The auctioneer is such a creep
The lights went out, the oil ran dry we blamed it on the other guy
Sure all men are created equal
Here's the church, here's the steeple
Please stay tuned, we cut to sequel
Ashes ashes we all fall down

Broadcast me a joyful noise into the times lord
Count your blessings
Ignore the lower fears

Oh this means war

It’s been a bad day
Please don’t take a picture
It’s been a bad day
Please

It’s been a bad day
Please don’t take a picture
It’s been a bad day
Please

I saw the light it can’t be right

Broadcast me a joyful noise into the times lord
Count your blessings
We're sick of being jerked around
We all fall down

It’s been a bad day
Please don’t take a picture
It’s been a bad day
Please

It’s been a bad day
Please don’t take a picture
It’s been a bad day
Please

It’s been a bad day
Please don’t take a picture
It’s been a bad day
Please

It’s been a bad day
Please don’t take a picture
It’s been a bad day
Please


   Another fun riff from Peter, re-purposed from the demo into something a little more solid but the finger slide to the notes was fun too. Just in this song versus its demo you can hear how Peter isn't above playing chords in the arena version of the band. This way Mike doesn't have to fill in the spaces as much!

BAD DAY

Verse/Riff (2^nd and 4^th times, don’t slide to C)

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

B|-1---------1----------3---3>5--|

G|-2---------0-----0----3---3>5--|

D|-3-3-3-2-0-2-0-2h-2-0-3---3>5--|

A|-0---------3----------1---1>3--|

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

Verse Riff (Guitars 1 and 2)

e|-6-6-6-5-3-5-5-5-3----|

B|------------------6---|

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

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

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

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

Bridge to Chorus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bridge to Chorus Riff

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

B|-1111-3333-5555-6---|

G|-0000-0000-0000-0---|

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

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

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

Chorus

e|-8---3---3--|

B|-10--5---3--|

G|-10--5---3--|

D|-10--5---5--|

A|-8---3---5--|

E|-8---3---3--|

Lead (Over Chorus Chords)

e|-13b----------------------------------|

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

G|-10b----------------------------------|

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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