ACCELERATE: MR. RICHARDS

   As Michael has said, this is not a song specifically about anyone in the government but you could plug in anyone from the Bush Administration and it works fine. I add to that the current administration and for that matter Reagan and Nixon, cabinets full of people who put the dollar above all else. The government can't be strictly run like a business and it can't be a social officer, but there's a middle ground there somewhere. It's eerie how much clearer this song becomes when thinking about the current winner of our national popularity contest. One of those deeper tracks on R.E.M. albums that rewards you for being a fan, love the 'Tell me how was prison' line. Also, is this the first R.E.M. song title with a period? Did it take this long?



MR. RICHARDS

Mr. Richards, your position is a messenger pigeon
Left behind you when the camp moved on

You thought that you had listened but the words had never crystallized
Into a truth that you might own, hey hey

Mr. Richards, your decision
Pay attention, pay attention

Mr. Richards, you're forgiven for a narrow lack of vision
But the fires are still raging on
The public's got opinions and these consequences border on
The compound that you razed where zealots sang, hey hey

Mr. Richards, your decision
Pay attention, pay attention

So listen, your intention
Sign the paper, stamp the ribbon
You're mistaken if you think we'll just forget

You can thump your chest and rattle
Stand in front of your piano
But we know what's going on
Yes, we know what's going on
We're the children of the choir, hey
And we know what's going on

Mr. Richards, your conviction
Had us cheering in the kitchen
Now the jury's eating pigeon pie

So tell me how is prison?
Have they taught you how to listen?
We've begun to bridge the schism
Pay attention, pay attention

Mr. Richards, your decision
Pay attention, pay attention

You can thump your chest and rattle
Stand in front of your piano
But we know what's going on
Yes, we know what's going on
We're the children of the choir, hey
From the compound fire, hey
And we know what's going on
Yes, we know what's going on

   The best part of this song is how Peter gets back to that E power chord he leaned on early in their career. The slides to other chords are so smooth you almost can't tell they are there. This is a solid rocker that is fun and easy to play, it definitely became a staple of their tour. Listen along when playing through the first time and you'll find some of the different rhythms and timings Peter is using. Definitely a nonchalant type of feel.


MR. RICHARDS

Intro

e|-0--|

B|-0--|

G|-9--|

D|-9--|

A|-7--|

E|-0--|

Verse          

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

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

G|-9--11-9---9---9>11>13--|

D|-9--11-9---9---9>11>13--|

A|-7---9-7---7---7>-9>11--|

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

Bridge

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

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

G|-6---8---9---6---9>11>13--|

D|-7---9---7---7---9>11>13--|

A|-0---0---0---0---7>-9>11--|

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

Bridge 2 (So listen your intention … )

e|10---0--0--0--|

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

G|-9---9>11>13--|

D|-7---9>11>13--|

A|-0---7>-9>11--|

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

Chorus                 

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

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

G|-7---6--|--0--11---9----------|

D|-7---7--|-12--11---9----------|

A|-5---7--|-10---9---7----------|

E|-0---5--|--0---0---0---repeat-|

Chorus Notes           

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

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

G|-12-11-9---12--9-|

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

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

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

ACCELERATE: UNTIL THE DAY IS DONE

   I can't unthink of Anderson Cooper riding on a boat with this one. The track was used before the album came out for a series called PLANET IN PERIL on CNN and I think that sort of commercialism is hard for a fan--I'm not sure if the song ever redeemed itself for me. But it's a beautiful song along the lines of 'Find the River' or 'Sweetness Follows.' All the late R.E.M. hallmarks are here, catchy riffs, solid bass line, and anthemic lyrics. In an album that flies by it's a nice respite for what's to come and a strange slowing down after a song called 'Accelerate.' There's nothing much more to say about this except Michael says it's the sister song to 'I Wanted To Be Wrong' and the key to the song is in the Middle 8. Pretty clearly a rebuke of the Bush era and the hawkishness of the whole executive branch in the 2000's.



UNTIL THE DAY IS DONE

The battle’s been lost, the war is not won

An addled republic, a bitter refund

The business first flat earthers licking their wounds

The verdict is dire, the country’s in ruins

Providence blinked facing the sun

And where are we left to carry on

Until the day is done

Until the day is done

So we’ve written our stories to entertain

These notions of glory and bull market gain

The teleprompt flutters, a power surge brings

An easyspeak message falls into routine

Providence blinked facing the sun

And where are we left to carry on

Until the day is done

Until the day is done

A voice whispers ‘son’

The blessed vision comes

What have I done?

What have I done?

So hold tight your babies and your guns

Forgive us our trespasses, father and son

Providence blinked facing the sun

And where are we left to carry on

Until the day is done

Until the day is done

Until the day is done

Until the day is done

   Great song to just lazily pick along to. It kind of feels like Final Straw, but a little less folk and more Buck. I like how he emphasizes the B string in the high part of the pick. There's also a VERY prominent 12 string in the recording that fills out the song if you have one. There's some other flourishes in the background I didn't tab out, but they're easy enough to pick out if you want them. Important note: Peter puts an extra beat in the verse after the first time through, play along with the song to feel it out.

UNTIL THE DAY IS DONE

Intro/Verse

e|-0------0------0---------0>0<0-------0---|

B|-3------3------3---------3>5<3-------3---|

G|-2-0-2h-2-0-2h-2---------2>4<2-------2---|

D|-0------0------0---------0>0<0---2-0-0---|

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

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

Chorus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

B|-------2---2---2-3--3---3--3--3---3---3---|

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

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

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

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

Middle 8

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

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

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

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

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

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

ACCELERATE: ACCELERATE

   According to my unofficial recollection, I've only pounded one R.E.M. song and that was 'The Wake Up Bomb'--not my favorite. This one is a runner up to my least favorite track and it's hard to place why. Perhaps its because the song is pedestrian in a way I don't expect from the band. When I was in a band we wrote songs like this and we pretty much sucked, in fact this would not have been our best song. Unlike most of Michael's lyrics I can't really get any visuals except for falling, jumping out a window, but not suffering as much as others--I read somewhere a speculation that this was about the falling man on 9/11. I can't get a handle, but Michael once said the ending is cut off before the person can finish the thought ... the last word should be 'control.' One up side is Bill Rieflin on the drums, particularly live, he's going apeshit!




ACCELERATE

Sinking fast, the weights chained to my feet

No time to argue with belief

I'm not alone a thousand others dropping faster than me

What put me here?

Nothing to hold on to

Nowhere to brake

Where is the ripcord, the trapdoor, the key?

Where is the cartoon escape hatch for me?

No time to question the choices I make

I've got to fall in another direction

The last thing I remember is climbing up the stairs

I threw the window open, challenging despair

I don't know what I need

I needed time

I needed to escape

I saw the future turned upside down and hesitate

Where is the ripcord, the trapdoor, the key?

Where is the cartoon escape hatch for me?

No time to question the choices I make

I've got to fall in another direction

Accelerate

The vista I see now is changing

Uncertainty is suffocating

Our hope has never felt so grating

Lit up dim and pounding pulse

To make it go, make it slow down, go

Where is the ripcord, the trapdoor, the key?

Where is the cartoon escape hatch for me?

No time to question the choices I make

I've got to fall in another direction

The city sputters like it's ready to explode

(Accelerate)

Accelerate to make it slow, make it go

(Accelerate)

Accelerate to make it slow, make it go

(Accelerate)

Accelerate

I'm incomplete

I'm incomplete

I'm incomplete

   This song is not un-fun to play, but it gets a little boring. It's all Peter Buck special power chords that are nice and open. Scott McCaughey is doing some nifty doodling, but I didn't really tab all of that, just a couple of things to keep it interesting. Maybe the best thing about this one is that open F# pick and adding it to the chord progression.

ACCELERATE

Intro/Outro

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

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

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

D|--11---11---|

A|-9----9-----|

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

Verse

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

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

G|-4---4---9---7---4---4---0---0--|

D|-4---4---9---7---4---4---5---5--|

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

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

Chorus

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

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

G|-11---7--------0---0--|

D|-11---5--------7---5--|

A|--9---0--------7---5--|

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

Chorus (Guitar 2)

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

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

G|-11---5---7-------14---12---|

D|-11---5---7-------14---12---|

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

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

Final Chorus (Guitar 2)

e|--7--10--------5----7---|

B|--x---x--------x----x---|

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

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

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

E|----------x3------------|

ACCELERATE: HOUSTON

   According to Michael he wrapped up these lyrics about five minutes before going on in Dublin and it turned out to be one of Peter's favorite lyrical moments on the album. The song is very short, compacting everything it needs into a brief time frame, possibly symbolizing the quickness with which people can lose everything. From the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this song could've been a scorching of the Bush response and while that is in there with the excellent first line, the song leans more toward the human cost of natural disasters and the strength it takes to trudge ahead. While the song is very short, I can't imagine a longer version--and this dilemma is rectified with the sequel 'Oh My Heart' on CIN. I've always enjoyed this song because it feels and sounds like an epic natural disaster, and through its succinctness there's a novel's worth of narrative. Also, those of us fans following the story of Michael's love for the song Galveston (originally by Don Ho, but popularized by Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb)--from the covers to the 'Karaoke Story'--get a satisfying name drop. I have to throw this great live version down over the album version:




HOUSTON

If the storm doesn't kill me the government will

I've got to get that out of my head

It's a new day today and the coffee is strong

I finally got some rest

So a man's put to task and challenges

I was taught to hold my head high

Collect what is mine, make the best of what today has

Houston is filled with promise

Laredo’s a beautiful place

And Galveston sings like that song that I loved

Its meaning has not been erased

And so there are claims forgiven

And so there are things that are gone

Houston is filled with promise

Laredo’s a beautiful place

And Galveston sings like that song that I loved

Its meaning has not been erased

And some things, they fall to the wayside

Their memories yet to be stilled

Belief has not filled me

And so I am put to the test

   This is a really fun song to play on acoustic with its hammers and walks. I've added the little bit of mandolin in the background and the heavily distorted atmospheric notes which may or may not be the bass, but are a fun addition. I particularly like how it seems to end on the Middle 8 with a new progression. I've also made the final mandolin chord a Dm which is more in the spirit of the verse chords, in fact if you substitute the Dm for the D2 in the guitar line it sounds cool as well.


HOUSTON

Intro

e|-0---0--|

B|-6---5--|

G|-7---4--|

D|-0---0--|

A|--------|

E|--------|

Verse

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

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

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

D|-0---2h--2---5--|-0---2h--2-----2--|

A|-----0---3h--5--|-----0---3-2-0-2--|

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

Verse Slide

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

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

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

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

A|-5---5>10-5---|

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

Chorus

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

B|-7---5--------1---3----|

G|-7---5--------2---4----|

D|-7---5--------3---5----|

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

E|-0---0---x3---1---3----|

Chorus (Mandolin)

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

a|-0---3---5-------0---2--|

d|-0---2-----------3---0--|

g|-2---0------x3---5---0--|

Outro

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outro (Mandolin)

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

a|-0---0---2---0---0---2---0--|

d|-0---3---0---0---3---0---0--|

g|-2---5---0---2---5---0---2--|