DOCUMENT: WELCOME TO THE OCCUPATION

This was always one of my favorites.  I've always felt that the second song on an R.E.M. album is the most important in the terms of bridging the opening song to the rest of the album.  Occupation builds the theme of work on the album and introduces fire to the mix.  There are a couple of lyric inconsistencies throughout the years.  Here I have put what is heard on the album.  First, is " ... the causeway run." This has often been interpreted as "Cars where you are," or "Cause where you are," in fact, on the demo he seems to be singing the latter and the same in later live versions.  However, on Document he seems to say 'causeway run' which makes more sense contextually.  We listen to the water still and then the causeway which is a train track or road leading over a body of water or an elevated structure.  Second we have 'Bad and educated' here which live sometimes becomes 'Mad and educated."  Last is 'Congress Spire' which is sometimes interpreted as 'Congress fire' and I suppose could be 'Congress pyre' but it's mos def a 'p' sound.

Great link to the Monster tour version:
http://youtu.be/eb6gsv3F3Ek

WELCOME TO THE OCCUPATION

Hang your collar up inside
Hang your dollar on me
Listen to the water still
Listen to the cause where you are

Bad and educated
Primitive and wild
Welcome to the occupation

Here we stand and here we fight
All your fallen heroes
Held and dyed and skinned alive
Listen to the congress spire

Offering the educated
primitive and loyal
Welcome to the occupation

Hang your collar up inside
Hang your freedom higher
Listen to the buyer still
Listen to the Congress where we

Propagate confusion
Primitive and wild
Fire on the hemisphere below

Sugar cane and coffee cup
Copper, steel and cattle
An annotated history
The forest for the fire

Where we open up the floodgates
Freedom reigns supreme
Fire on the hemisphere below

Listen to me
Listen to me
Listen to me
Listen to me
Listen to me
Listen to me
Listen to me


A fun little song to play.  Live, Peter Buck pretty much strums the whole thing which requires completing the chords in some places.  However this is the main line on the album.  Also, love the ending ...

WELCOME TO THE OCCUPATION

Intro

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus

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

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

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

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

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

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

Middle Bridge

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

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

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

D|----------------------------------x2---0---0--|

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

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

End

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

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

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

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

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

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

DOCUMENT: FINEST WORKSONG

This is such a great song to open an album.  They still play the tune quite a bit, perhaps because you can really just pull it out of your hat.  The band had been touring a lot as an IRS band and I'm sure that this work ethic lent to the work theme on this album.  This song specifically though seems to speak to the artist at work and the pride of personal achievement.  In this world, as it is, we work for pay.  In order to stay relatively sane, work needs to be personalized and ownership has to be taken for us to put our heart and soul into it.  The best results often come when there is nothing at stake except our own pride. 
  Lyrically, as is the Stipe style, the song is quite repetitive.  Mills has taken to saying 'All your heart' and 'All your soul' live these days, alternating the two more than the recorded version.  Below you can see I've mostly posted 'All your hope' as it seems that this is what he is saying and sounds more accurate when sung that way.  It could be that it has always been 'heart' and we are hearing Mills' accent, but I don't believe that is the case.



FINEST WORKSONG
The time to rise has been engaged
Your better best to rearrange
I’m talking here to me alone
I listen to the finest worksong

Your finest hour
Your finest hour

Another chance has been engaged
To throw Thoreau and rearrange
You are following this time
I beg you not beg to rhyme

(All your hope)
Your finest hour
(All your hope)
Your finest hour

Take your instinct by the reins
Your better best to rearrange
What we want and what we need
Has been confused been confused

(All your hope)
Your finest hour
(All your hope)
Your finest hour

Take your instinct by the reins
Better best to rearrange
What we want and what we need
Has been confused been confused

(All your hope)
Your finest hour
(All your soul)
Your finest hour
(All your hope)
Your finest hour
(All your soul)
Your finest hour

Again, this song is pretty easy to play.  The harmonics at the end are easier than they look here and live, he really just stays on the 7th and 9th frets, but if you play the final chords without harmonics as I have posted it sounds just as good.

FINEST WORKSONG

Intro:

Keep the open strings ringing, but mute the rest from time to time for ‘scratch’ sound.

e|-0---|

B|-0---|

G|-8---|

D|-9---|

A|-9---|

E|-7---|

Verse

e|-0-0-0--|

B|-0--0-0-|

G|-8------|

D|-9------|

A|-9------|

E|-7------|

Verse Slide

e|--------|

B|--------|

G|-11<9---|

D|--9<7---|

A|--------|

E|--------|

Chorus

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

B|-0---2---|

G|-1---3---|

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

A|-2---4---|

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

Middle Bridge

e|-0---|

B|-0---|

G|-6---|

D|-7---|

A|-7---|

E|-5---|

End

A mix of harmonic and notes, harmonic in parenthesis

e|--0---(10)---10--------|

B|--0---(10)----x--------|

G|-(9)----9---(12)----0--|

D|-(9)----9-----0---(12)-|

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

E|--------------x2-------|

Introduction to DOCUMENT

Wow, where to start?  Life's Rich Pageant was the beginning of the new R.E.M., but Document carried over that blueprint and improved on it.  This album is the beginning of a more assured group and Don Gehman was the beginning of that ... enter producer Scott Litt.  I think we can safely call the next four albums the Scott Litt era.  The days of wine and roses and the peak of popularity for the band.  It was also the last album of a contract, so they were challenged to put their best foot forward.   I don't think it was meant as an F.U. to IRS, but it sure turned out to be.  IRS was on the way out anyway.
  There is not one song on this album that is not driven.  In fact, it's a bit exhausting to listen to.  Even 'King of Birds' has that military drum beat that urges you forward.  The lyrics are, as with LRP, in the front and on the whole understandable.  Yet there is still a mystique.  I think Michael Stipe's greatest success is bringing the lyrics forward without sacrificing the mystery of exactly what he is trying to say and what he is actually saying.  He is quoted as saying he thought 'Disturbance at the Heron House' was his clearest narrative ever.  I'm assuming it was tongue and cheek, because the song is entirely metaphorical.
  'It's the End of the World' and 'The One I Love' were everywhere.  They were finally embraced by mainstream rock radio and MTV, the videos were still odd, but they were now watchable while still being artistic.  I personally think that 'The One I Love' might be the best recorded song of all time.  Every aspect of that studio session is perfect and also perfectly representative of the band's past, present, and future.  If I was chosen one track to play from this band to represent to someone who had never heard them, it would be 'The One I Love.'
  Also personally, Document was my summer job soundtrack.  I had it on a long play cassette with Tracy Chapman's 'Matters of the Heart' while I painted walls for my high school.  If you are ever having a tough day at work and need to put your nose to the grindstone, I highly recommend the album.  As for 'Matters of the Heart' I'm not sure why, but it works too.
  As for instrumentation, apparently the band switched it up a little so as not to get too stagnant.  The only extra accompaniment we get here are horns and dulcimer.  Make no mistake, this album is about as straightforward rock as you can get without pandering.  It is the emergence of the band being rock stars on their own terms.
  File Under Fire ... next up Finest Worksong.

DEAD LETTER OFFICE: WALTER'S THEME/ KING OF THE ROAD

'I suppose that if we had any shame we would have never allowed

this little gem to see the light of day. This was recorded at the very end

of a long alcohol soaked day, and I can barely remember cutting it. The

first part was an attempt at writing a commercial for Walter's

Bar-B-Q. The second part is King of the Road, kind of.  If there was any

justice in the world, Roger Miller should be able to sue for what we did

to this song.'

-Peter Buck



This is a great little snapshot into the recording world of REM.  Of particular note is Mike Mills shouting out the chords of King of the Road to Peter and then half a verse later, Michael saying: 'Take it slim ... '  It's fun to lead on a song you've figured out two seconds ago.  That said, Peter doesn't embarass himself too much.  It makes me think that the lead might have been a different track, but I don't think it was. 

  Lyrically, Michael destroys this song.  He repeats his bastardized first verse because it's clearly all that he remembers.  He has to work longer than Roger Miller and I think it's a miracle that in the last verse he finally says 'four bit room' as per Mr. Miller.  The best part is that as much as almost no one can decipher Mr. Stipe's lyrics, it's nice to know that he interpreted a song like 'King of the Road' incorrectly.

Links to the songs:
Walter's Theme

http://youtu.be/_1Y5uTN2wUw
Roger Miller: King of the Road
http://youtu.be/OmOe27SJ3Yc
R.E.M.: King of the Road
http://youtu.be/A6daSPiRDzo

WALTER’S THEME

Hey, it’s David
I've got a hat the size of Oklahoma

Hey, it’s David
I've got a hat the size of Oklahoma

Put on my boots and go on down to Walter's
Get me some barbecue
Bring some home to the misses
They'll give you a bag to put it in

This is David, signing out
(That was the end)

KING OF THE ROAD
Trailers for sale or rent
(That was the end)
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let 50 cents
No cars, no pools, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
It takes four hours of pushin' broom
(Hey, hey, it’s in a different key)
… four by twelve cubic room

I'm a man of men by no means
King of the road

(C!)
Trailers for sale or rent
(F … G!)

Rooms to let, fifty cents
No cars, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
It takes eight hours of pushin' a broom
It buys a four by twelve cubic room
I'm a man of men by no means
King of the road
Take it slim …

It takes eight hours of pushin' broom
To buy a four by twelve cubic room
I'm a man of men by no means
King of the road

One more time
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents
No cars, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
It takes eight hours of pushin' broom
It buys a eight by twelve four bit room
I'm a man of man, by no means
King of the road

(Mike: I hope that’s on tape,
Bill: Yes, it’s on tape
Mike: It’s not
Bill: It is too, they were tapin’ the whole friggin thing
Mike: You don’t know it, let’s look at it
Bill: I’ll bet you right now I can see the little red light, next to the blue light …
Mike: Let’s do somethin’ else tonight, think if there’s anything else we can consider
Bill: I want to listen back to all of it)


Special thanks again to You Tube for Walter's Theme.  I had it way down the fretboard at first ...

WALTER'S THEME

Verse

e|--------------5-5-5>7-7----|

B|-----9--------0-0-0>0------|

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

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

A|-6>7------x3---------------|

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

Chorus

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

B|-10-9-7-0-0-----0-0---|

G|-------9---8>9-9------|

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

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

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

KING OF THE ROAD

Opening

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

G|-5-3-0-0---0---------0---|

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

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

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

Verse

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

B|-1-1---1-------3-3-5h-3-3-1-------------1---1--|

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

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

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

E|-0---------1>3------------0-------------0---0--|

e|-1-----------3----7-5--0---|

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

G|---2-2>3-3>4-4---7-5-3-0---|

D|---3-3>4-4>5-----------2---|

A|---3-3>4-4>5-----------3---|

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

Lead

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

B|-1-1-3b-1>----1-3h-1-3h-5-3<1-1-8b---------6-6---8-8--|

G|-------2-----------------5------7b--------5-5-5>7-7---|

D|----------------------------------7<5-5-7h------------|

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

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

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

B|-8b---------6-6---8-8-8-8-----------8------|

G|-7b--------7-5-5>7-7-7-7-7-10-9-7--7-7b-5<-|

D|---7<5-5-7h----------------------10--------|

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

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

Key Change

e|-4---2---4---4---4---2---2-3-4-------|

B|-6---2---4---6---6---2---2-3-4-------|

G|-6---3---5---6---6---3---3-4-5-------|

D|-6---4---6---6---6---4---4-5-6-------|

A|-4---4---6---4---4---4---4-5-6-------|

E|-4---2---4---4---4---2---2-3-4-------|

e|----4-4---2-2----2--4--4-4--------|

B|----6-6---2--2-4h----6b--6-7-6-4--|

G|----6-6---3-------3>-----6--------|

D|----6-6---4--------------6--------|

A|--4-4-4---4--------------6--------|

E|-6--4-4---2--------------4--------|

e|-4---2-3-4-------------------------------2---------|

B|-6---2-3-4---6b-4-6b-4-------------------4-3b-5----|

G|-6---3-4-5------------6-4-6b-4-----------4-----3-5-|

D|-6---4-5-6--------------------6-4--------4---------|

A|-4---4-5-6-----------------------6-4-6b--2---------|

E|-4---2-3-4-----------------------------2-2---------|

DEAD LETTER OFFICE: FEMME FATALE

'The third of our Velvet Underground covers.  Recorded live to

two track the same hour as Pale Blue Eyes. Both outtakes from Reckoning.'

-Peter Buck



Nice cover.  Not much more to add.

FEMME FATALE

Here she comes
You better watch your step
She's going to play you for a fool
It's true
It's not hard to realize
Just look into her false colored eyes
She'll build you up to just put you down
What a clown

Cause everybody knows
The things she does to please
She's just a little tease
See the way she walks
Hear the way she talks

You're written in her book
You're number 37 have a look
She's going to play you for a fool
It's true
Little boy on the street
Before you start you're already beat
She's going to smile to make you frown
What a clown

Cause everybody knows
(She's a femme fatale)
The things she does to please
(She's a femme fatale)
She's just a little tease
(She's a femme fatale)
See the way she walks
Hear the way she talks

Cause everybody knows
(She's a femme fatale)
The things she does to please
(She's a femme fatale)
She's just a little tease
(She's a femme fatale)
Oh, oh, oh, oh
(She's a femme fatale)
Oh, oh, oh, oh
(She's a femme fatale)
Oh, oh, oh, oh
(She's a femme fatale)

Maybe the most strightforward song on this album.

FEMME FATALE

Verse

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

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

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

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

A|-3---------------x8--3---------3-------------------2----0-2h---|

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

Chorus

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

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

G|-0---2------2---2--2----2--2--3---3--3-4-----------|

D|-2---3-x6---0-----------------3--------5---5----5--|

A|-3---3------------------------1--------5---------5-|

E|-0---1------------------------1--------3----3-5h---|

DEAD LETTER OFFICE: BANDWAGON

'This song was originally called 'the fruity song' because of all the 

stupid chord changes.  Still one of the funniest songs we've written.

Outtake from Fables of the Reconstruction.'

-Peter Buck 

I'm sure no one can imagine this song on Fables.  However, even though the chord changes are slightly unique, I think it's an offshoot of 'So. Central Rain' which has a similar beginning.  As far as lyrics, they are extremely snarky and delivered with such matter of factness it's maybe more ironic than funny.  Chalk it up there with 'We Walk' as the band showing that while their tone can be overly serious, their music doesn't have to be.  One of the pleasures of listening to the band is the way they can turn on a dime.  It's nice to get back to some good old fashioned Mike Mills background again too.  Only a few more songs until 'Document.'

BANDWAGON

Come on aboard
I promise you we won't hurt the horse
We treat him well, we feed him well
There's lots of room for you on the bandwagon
The road may be rough
The weather may forget us

(A magic kingdom)
But won't we all parade around and sing our songs
(And more you see)
The magic kingdom, open armed
(There’s a magic kingdom for you)

Greet us hello, bravo, name in lights
Passing on the word to fellow passengers and players, passing it
Until you're tired look at all the flags
And all the banners waving
This is some parade, yessiree Bob

(A magic kingdom)
Could you have known?
(And more you see)
Yessiree Bob, could you have known?
(There’s a magic kingdom for you)

Look at all the flags and all the banners waving
Open up our arms, the magic kingdom, open arms and greet us all

Come on aboard
I promise you we won't hurt the horse
We treat him well, we feed him well
There's lots of room for you on the bandwagon
The road may be rough, the weather may forget us

(A magic kingdom)
But won't we all parade around and sing our songs and wave our flags
(And more you see)
And magic kingdom greet us all hello
(There’s a magic kingdom for you)

(A magic kingdom)
Greet us hello
(And more you see)
Greet us hello
(There’s a magic kingdom for you)

This song ranks right up there with fun songs to play.  It's amazing the band didn't play the song live more. It does reek of a studio song, however ...

BANDWAGON

Verse

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

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

G|-0---0---2---3---2---3---2----|

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

A|-3---0---3---1---0---1---3----|

E|-0---0---1---1---0---1---1----|

Verse Guitar 2

e|---8-10-12-9------8---6------6---8--8--8--8--8--|

B|-13-------------10---6---1--6---10-11-10-11-10--|

G|--------------10----7---2--7----10----------10--|

D|------------10-----8---2--8-----10----------10--|

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

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

Chorus (Picking Pattern)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus (Chords)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Middle Bridge

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

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

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

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

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

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

End on:

e|-0---|

B|-3---|

G|-0---|

D|-5---|

A|-0---|

E|-0---|

DEAD LETTER OFFICE: ROTARY TEN

'A movie theme without a movie. Outtake from Lifes Rich Pageant.'

-Peter Buck

No lyrics on this one, it's a riff/lead from beginning to end.  It's great mood music as evidenced by the clip from you tube by storm watchers.  I think it makes for a nice thematic element.



ROTARY TEN 

Part 1

e|---5-7-7-7-8h0----------------------x2---|

B|--5-----------7-8-7-8h-7-4-5h-0----------|

G|-5-----------------------------0-2-0-----|

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

A|-------------------------------------1---|

E|--------------------------------------2--|

Part 2

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

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

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

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

A|----0-1-2---3-0-1---------0-1-2---3-0-----0-1-2---3-0-1--|

E|-0-2-----1-3------x2---0-2-----1-3-----0-0-----1-3-------|

Part 3

e|-x---x-7---3---10-10-12-10--0-0-0-5-0-0-0-5--------|

B|-5---5-5---5---10-10-12---11---0-----2-3-0-3-5-3-0-|

G|-5---5-5---5---11-11-13----------------------------|

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

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

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

e|-------12--10--8-----------------------------------|

B|-0-0-0---10--12-10-12------------------------------|

G|-4-0-2---------------12-9-11-12-9-11-12-9-11-8-9-7-|

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

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

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

e|-------------0-8-7-8h-7-5-5---|

B|------------8----------8--5---|

G|-9-7-9-7----7-------------5---|

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

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

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