LIVE AT THE OLYMPIA: STARING DOWN THE BARREL OF THE MIDDLE DISTANCE

  Love this as a live song and I'm just as glad it never made an album. However, it might have suffered from lack of time to grow in a studio setting. It feels as if the song is of the rougher ilk of NAIHF, likely because there are only live versions available which makes me wonder if there are studio versions of these next two songs out there somewhere. Only Jacknife Lee knows I suppose. Michael says this phrase basically means hoping you live long enough to be able to look back on your youth. Sort of a mix of staring down the barrel of a gun and having your life flash before your eyes an the long stare into the middle distance, contemplation.




STARING DOWN THE BARREL OF THE MIDDLE DISTANCE

Now hope for the future took a pounding in the parking lot
And the answer live for today is all I’ve got
When your name is called the lights might dim
And time is the essence squeeze me in

I'm blinking at the vanishing point of what I thought

Staring down the barrel of the middle distance
God knows I've tried
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
I close my eyes

I breathe despair do we stand a prayer
Is the call for the future I don't care
Can I turn you around to face me here, unh hunh
There's a compass phrase with familiar tone
A voice that needles me to the bone

Staring down the barrel of the middle distance
God knows I've tried
I close my eyes
I close my eyes

I close my eyes

This position shift has its benefits
If you can't hit play cause the button sticks yeah
Ignorance is bliss, well I can't say
There's a compass phrase a familiar tone
A voice that needles you to the bone
You're left with chaos, static, and delay

Staring down the barrel of the middle distance
Staring down the barrel of the middle distance
God knows I've tried
I close my eyes
I close my eyes
I close my eyes

Staring down the barrel of the middle distance
God knows I've tried
I close my eyes

  This one is a lot easier than I thought and it took a little of the mystique out of the song.  There are a couple of things not mentioned below. The later bridge hangs on the A-G for a little longer, there are some things Scott is doing in the background not noted, but if you want to throw the bend in before the last verse it's the b string on the 11th fret. Peter also does his standard open e and b string pick at times in the verse, listen and play along to find.

STARING DOWN THE BARREL OF THE MIDDLE DISTANCE

Intro/Verse

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

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

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

D|---9-9-7---7>9--|

A|---7-7-5---5>7--|

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

Verse Fill (Guitar 2)

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

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

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

D|------------5-7-7>9-7-5-0-|

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

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

Bridge to Chorus

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus

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

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

G|-7---9--------4---6-|

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

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

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

Chorus (Guitar 2)

e|-2---0--------7----9---|

B|-3---0---------6----8--|

G|-2---1-------7--7>9----|

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

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

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