RECKONING: SO. CENTRAL RAIN (I'M SORRY)

I have to point out that as I am moving forward through R.E.M.'s catalogue, I am also posting on the guitar website ultimateguitar.com.  So not only am I blogging, I am officially posting to a wider web reach than here.  I am not including lyrics to the songs there however and at this point I don't see how the lyrical inaccuracies of the internet can be corrected.  As of now, there have been 10 times more hits on ultimate guitar than here and the day after I posted the entire Murmur album, it became the most popular dig with over a hundred hits. 
  That said, this is where I post everything first and with lyrics to boot.  So. Central Rain was first introduced to the world on David Letterman before the song had a title.  There's a wonderful clip on YouTube where Dave interviews Peter and Mike and ... where is Michael?  He pops up at the end.  Oh, he was there the whole time.  Playing the shy one, eh?
  I had many initial differences in this version, but listening to some live stuff and Grant Lee Phillips' version from a couple years back really helped.   A heart breaking song.  If you don't know the song you're missing the heart wrenching howls at the end.  Give it a listen while you track the lyrics ...  

SO. CENTRAL RAIN (I’M SORRY)
Did you never call?
I waited for your call, those rivers of suggestion are driving me away.
The trees will bend, the cities wash away
The city on the river there’s a girl without a dream.

I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.

Eastern to mountain third party call
The lines are down
The wise man built his words upon the rocks, but I’m not bound to follow suit.
The trees will blend, the conversation’s dim
Go build yourself another home, this choice isn’t mine.

I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.

Did you never call?
I waited for your call, those rivers of suggestion are driving me away.
The ocean sang, the conversation’s dim
Go build yourself another dream, this choice isn’t mine.

I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.


There are a couple of interesting versions online of this tab.  If you put them both together, you have the correct way to play the song, but only what follows tracks what I like to call the "Dark Bridges" in A minor.  According to live footage, Peter doesn't bar the Gm or Cm all the way, but it sounds cleaner if you do.  However, you lose the Bb sound to the Gm chord which is rather nice. 

SO. CENTRAL RAIN (I’M SORRY)

Intro/ Chorus:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verse:

C-Em-Gm-F-C-Cm-Bb-C

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

B|-1--0--3--1--1--4-2-1------------------|

G|-0--0--3--2--0--5-2-0------------------|

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

A|-3--2--5--3--3--3-1-3------------------|

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

Basic Bridge to all verses:

C

e|-0---|

B|-1---|

G|-0---|

D|-2---|

A|-3---|

E|-0---|

Second Bridge to Verse:

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

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

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

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

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

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

End (Repeat under howling:)

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

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

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

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

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

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

-BW