AROUND THE SUN: HIGH SPEED TRAIN

   Multiple times I've stumbled into the back part of this album and forgotten how many songs are crammed in here, there's definitely an overproduction adding to the sameness, but I wonder what dropping some and re-sequencing the album might have produced. The next two songs are very similar and although I love this song it doesn't grab me like it wants to and zooms past me. This is one of the songs name dropped in ACCELERATE's 'Sing for the Submarine' along with 'Feeling Gravitys Pull,' 'ITEOTWAWKI,' and 'Electron Blue,' which Michael has said puts them in the same futuristic water-world and seeing the song from that sci-fi theme furthers my interest. The lyrics are back in top form here and perhaps it's the eerie sounds Peter and Mike are laying down egging Michael on. It makes me think this is where R.E.M. are at their best, mining the possibilities of dark obscurities--the 'surface that forms underneath the underneath' so to speak. The feeling of this track reminds me of something from FOTR, but sits solidly in Michael's current obsession with desire, forgiveness, and intimacy. If the band were not rattled by what 'E-Bow' did to their standing I would've nominated this as a single, double down on the new direction rather than try to say all is well with something like 'Aftermath' or even 'Wanderlust.' What drives me nuttiest is that the band are almost there, they're getting through this phase and in hindsight, you can detect ACCELERATE is coming. Just a few more songs.




HIGH SPEED TRAIN

When I look into your eyes

Your drop like an anchor eyes
I scudded and clipped the sky just shy of making it

And you almost got away
I told you I was afraid
Did I really want to try
You're holding me to my claim

I jump on a high speed train

(I jump on a high speed train)
I’ll never look back again

(I’ll never look back again)
I flail like the antelope who

(Flail like an antelope, building)

Jumped from the building

And you caught me on the sly
You've taken me by surprise
You've mirrored my best disguise and turned it back on me

I jump on a high speed train

(I jump on a high speed train)
I’ll never look back again

(I’ll never look back again)
I flail like the antelope who

(Flail like an antelope, building)

Jumped from the building

I jump on a high speed train

(I jump on a high speed train)
I’ll never look back again

(I’ll Never look back again)
To Berlin, Kyoto, or Marseilles

(To Berlin, Kyoto, or Marseilles)

I’d go anywhere for you

I'll bring you a big bouquet
I picked it myself today
It compliments your eyes
There's love at the end of the line

I jump on a high speed train

(I jump on a high speed train)
I’ll never look back again

(I’ll Never look back again)
I flail like the antelope who

(Flail like an antelope, building)

Jumped from the building

I jump on a high speed train

(I jump on a high speed train)
I’ll never look back again

(Never look back again)
To Berlin, Kyoto, or Marseilles

(To Berlin, Kyoto, or Marseilles)

I’d go anywhere for you

And that's what I always knew

(That’s what I always knew)
I'd like to have hung the moon

(I'd like to have hung the moon)
I'd wrestle you for a spoon inside your sleeping bag

(Wrestle you for a)
Just us, no war, no hate, no past
It's real, I'm here, I'm yours, I'm fast
I'm long in the eye
I'm cry when I try
I just want to fly
Just you and I, together

   This is a nice little progression. Some nice switches of key and a pleasant lead. Too bad the recording is mostly industrial and most if the guitar is light picking. Still fun to play, Peter would mostly use an E-Bow live, but whatever is in the studio version is mixed to blend. For the last part, just hang on F and E, fast then slow, before going to the Am finish.

HIGH SPEED TRAIN

Intro : Am

Verse

e|-0---4---3---1-0--|

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

G|-2---6---4---2-1--|

D|-2---6---5---3-2--|

A|-0---4---5---3-2--|

E|-0---4---3---1-0--|

Chorus

e|-3---2---2---1-0--|

B|-3---4---3---1-0--|

G|-4---4---2---2-1--|

D|-5---4---0---3-2--|

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

E|-3---2-------1-0--|

Middle 8 Lead (Am-G x3, F-E)

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

B|-10-10-11-13-11-10-11hp-10---------|

G|--9-----------------------12-0-----|

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

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

E|-------------------------------7-5-|

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

B|-10-10-11-13-11-10-11hp-10-----8-10hp-8----|

G|--9-----------------------12-10------------|

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

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

E|---------------------------------------7-5-|

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

B|-10-11hp-10-13-11-10-11hp-10----8-10hp8----------------------|

G|----------------------------12---------9-10-10>12-10-9-9-----|

D|------------------------------12------------------------9-7--|

A|-------------------------------------------8-----------------|

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

End on Am