PART LIES, PART HEART, PART TRUTH, PART GARBAGE: HALLELUJAH

   When I first saw this new track, I assumed it was going to be another cover of the Leonard Cohen song which has been covered to death. After listening to the song I was happy it was an original, but very confused. The band to this point had been fairly secular, apart from the rare reference or Christmas song, which is directly to my tastes, so this song put me off and I didn't give it much regard. As it came time to dive into this track the little peculiarities started biting at me and the lyrics and music do not match a song that praises so much as surrenders. And then I heard the bomb line and everything fell into place. This is a character who has prepared to meet their lord and then take some heathens with them. The extremist views of such a character are amazingly nuanced by the quiet lyrical delivery, but Michael uses his favorite tool here in the end--his rough bellow of a voice. The gravel scrapes the beautiful surface and lays the intention of the song bare. We can all be complicit, we can all be guided to the extremes, and in a sense a lot of us are being pushed to rhetorical extremes that can only be scary harbingers.
   In this last officially released R.E.M. track we revisit the Radio (of Radio Free Europe) and instead of the apathy even in the face of revolution, we have someone resolute, taking a stand, turning the radio on, and making a decision, however painful or harmful it is. There are some who watch and some who act. It's been a privilege diving into this catalog and to a lyricist and band that wanted to add some activism to their art. There is more in this journey to curate the catalog and pen further essays, but for now I feel a sense of wonder and accomplishment.



HALLELUJAH

The world is an oyster, the bitter refrain
The lord is my shepherd, I cannot stay
This blessed earth, this beautiful lamb
A new day that breaks the dawn

I am the tide, the oceans sing
I am the anchor, I hold the brass ring
I am the action or the deed of our king
I am the static at night
You make me to stand in the square unseen
And make my choice decision to sing
And bring my lord, what this may bring
I stand before you in the law

I rallied and sang, and shouted refrains
I'm blessed and the radio on
The air was calm

I held the bomb
And the radio

The radio

Hallelu
Hallelu

Hallelujah

Hallelu
Hallelu

Hallelujah

Hallelu
Hallelu

Hallelujah

Hallelu
Hallelu

Hallelujah

Hallelu
Hallelu

Hallelujah

   A nice easy rhythm on this one, a solid progression for a solid finish to an amazing catalog. I'm gonna miss agonizing over Peter's tunes so much I think the next step are his solo albums.

HALLELUJAH

Verse

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

B|-2---1---0---0---3--|

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

D|-4---2---2---2---0--|

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

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

Chorus

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

B|-0---3---0---3---0---3---0---3--|

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

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

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

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

Empty Verse Doodle

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

B|-5-5-5-5-----13-12--|

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

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

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

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

End: Repeat C-G, Verse Once, End on F#m. 

PART LIES, PART HEART, PART TRUTH, PART GARBAGE: WE ALL GO BACK TO WHERE WE BELONG

   This song does an amazing job of summing up almost every era of the band and shock and surprise, it's a 70's feeling easy listening song. There are traces of DOCUMENT, AFTP, REVEAL, RECKONING, I mean it really is a wonder of engineering and songwriting--riffs, backing vocals, orchestrations, horns--kind of a perfect summation of the band at this stage drawing upon everything they've learned. A very beautiful song as well with a Kirsten Dunst video to boot, pretty sure she cries in the video because they just told her they were breaking up. I love the second line 'your shirt and your reputation tossed.' I appreciate this one more every time I hear it.



WE ALL GO BACK TO WHERE WE BELONG

I dreamt what you were offering
Imagine lying next to me
Your shirt and your reputation tossed
I will write our story in my mind
And write about our dreams and triumphs
This might be my innocence lost

I can taste the ocean on your skin
That is where it all begins

I dreamt that we were elephants
Lift water, sun, and clouds of dust
And I woke up thinking we were free

I can taste the ocean on your skin
That is where it all begins
We all go back to where we belong
We all go back to where we belong

Is this really what you want?
Now is this really what you want?

I can taste the ocean on your skin
That is where it all begins
We all go back to where we belong
We all go back to where we belong

Is this really what you want?
Is this really what you want?

   A simple song, but elegant in its recording. Nothing flashy. Mostly picked chords. If the start of the verse looks intimidating its jest a hammering of the C chord before the pick and strum of the Fmaj7. 

   

WE ALL GO BACK TO WHERE WE BELONG

Verse (C-Fmaj7)

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

B|-------0--1--|

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

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

A|---3h-----0--|

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

Chorus (C-G-F)

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

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

G|--0---0--4--4--2--2-------|

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

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

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

Chorus Walk

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

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

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

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

A|-3---5-7---5-7-8---8-7-5-|

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

Bridge

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

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

G|-0---2---4---2---|

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

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

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

Bridge Walk

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

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

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

D|-2-0-2-3-2-3-5-7-5-3-2-3-2------|

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

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

Empty Verse Walk

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

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

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

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

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

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

PART LIES, PART HEART, PART TRUTH, PART GARBAGE: A MONTH OF SATURDAYS

  This song gets completely slammed by most fans and I have no idea why. Well, maybe a little. The band breaks up and here's a best of with three final new songs and this is the first one--a Monkees-style weird pop thing with Michael sleepwalking the lyric. It's a frigging demo! Plus, I find the song endearing in much the same way as 'Chance,' a firmly tongue in cheek tune that is a hallmark of R.E.M. songwriting. Michael has always had this silly side and honestly, the song is ridiculous. Who the hell are these guys to know what 5pm Friday means?! Weekends and weeknights are when they actually work. I've always taken it to be a satirical comment on rock stars telling regular folks what's up. Sort of the opposite of Don Henley's A Month of Sundays, and maybe inspired by Church's Month of Sundays?



A MONTH OF SATURDAYS

Five o'clock Friday all my work is done
I can hardly wait
Let's take this over, let's sling it around
Let's make it taste so sweet

I wanna take all the Saturdays
I wanna stay up late
I wanna stomp my feet on the ground
I wanna celebrate

A month of Saturdays, Saturday
A month of Saturdays, Saturdays

Unh

I'm tired of waiting for the weekend to begin

(Sunday, Monday, Tuesday)
I'm tired of punching in

(Wednesday, Thursday)
Give me a holiday that never ends

(Friday, Saturday)
Give me a weekend, weekend, weekend
Give me a weekend, weekend

A month of Saturdays, Saturdays
I'm talkin' Saturday, Saturdays

Unh
Shout

Give me a weekend, weekend, weekend

  So easy.

A MONTH OF SATURDAYS

Verse

e|-0-0-4-4-5---|

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus

e|--5---5---3---7--|

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

G|--7---6---4---8--|

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

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

E|--5---5---3---7--|