AROUND THE SUN: I WANTED TO BE WRONG

   When I was in high school in the 90's, I remember being excited by the Clinton years and the progressive journey the country seemed to be on. When I looked around at my fellow young citizens I thought well, thirty years from now so many things will be past us including bias and inequality. Somehow things are now worse and it's for a number of reasons, chief among them our reaction to 9/11, but there are those of us who remember and take to the streets when we see injustice. This song is my exact reaction to the trump election, much as it was Michael's reaction to the invasion of Iraq, mostly because I was as blind as the media and polling projections to the real state of the US. I did want to be wrong about everything, which is another way of saying I'm too complacent and apathetic to understand the turmoil and bias at the root of this country, but it doesn't mean something can't be done. 'Destroy the things that I don't understand' is downright revolutionary and a complex 'eye for an eye' type of statement paired with a lovely ballad to make us sing along. Stop following myths and be good to people--'Mythology is seductive.' So many great lines in this song, but I think the bridge with no lyrics is so lovely as to be my favorite part.



I WANTED TO BE WRONG

You know where I come from
You know what I feel
You're Yul Brenner Westworld, reporting from the field
I threw it into reverse, made a motion to repeal
You kicked my legs from under me and tried to take the wheel

I told you I wanted to be wrong but everyone is humming a song

That I don't understand

Now I know that the sun has shined on my side of the street
The basket of America, the weevils with the wheat
The milk and honeyed congregation, scrubbed and apple cheeked
Salute Apollo 13 from the rattle jewelry seats

Mythology's seductive and it turned a trick on me

That I have just begun to understand
I told you I wanted to be wrong but everyone is humming a song

That I don't understand

The rodeo is staged, gold circle goat ropers and clowns
A rumble in the third act, tie 'em up and burn 'em down
We're armed to the teeth

Born a little breech
Blue-plate special analysts, cells, and SUV's

We can't approach the allies 'cause they seem a little peeved
And speak a language we don't understand
I told you I wanted to be wrong but everyone is humming a song

That I don't understand

Storm into the boardroom of the conquering elite
Did you recognize the madman who is shouting in the streets?
Destroy the things that I don't understand
Destroy the things that I don't understand

   There are many ways to play this tune, below is close to how Peter plays live and on the album. However, consider the Capo 2, which adds a lovely higher tone, or perhaps open tune to an E Chord and make everything a little easier! In the verse, really accentuate the B string in the strum/pick. The bridge below is more indicative of the chord progression and not what is played by the guitar on the album, which is the echo below--a full barre gets busy--you can add some complimentary notes to the echo, but the core ring is what I offered, which can also be played further up the fretboard. There are a number of cool ways to play the # chords, I like keeping the e string open, but you can play it straight barred or a D7 position at the 6th fret above the e string--feel free to experiment. The A-G in the last bridge gets a low pick, giving the song a twangy feel, not unlike a NAIHF vibe. There's also some e-bow over the last verse I didn't tab, but it's straight up E-F# notes. 

I WANTED TO BE WRONG

Intro/ Verse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus (E goes into Intro/Verse progression)

e|-5---7---5---7---5---7---0--|

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

G|-6---8---6---8---6---8---1--|

D|-7---9---7---9---7---9---2--|

A|-7---9---7---9---7---9---2--|

E|-5---7---5---7---5---7---0--|

Chorus (echo)

e|-7------2--|

B|-7------2--|

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

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

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

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

  

Bridge (B-C#m-D#m-C#m x3, A-G)

e|-2---0---0---0-------5---3---|

B|-4---5---7---5-------5---3---|

G|-4---6---8---6-------6---4---|

D|-4---6---8---6-------7---5---|

A|-2---0---0---0-------7---5---|

E|-2---0---0---0--x3---5---3---|