GREEN: ORANGE CRUSH

I've always kind of had a take it or leave it kind of attitude with this song.  Okay, it rocks!  It was pretty much their first huge hit reaching #1 on the modern rock charts.  But, it's a lot shorter than it feels and that's not great ... it's not really that interesting.  Don't get me wrong, I like the song, just don't get me to write an essay about it.
  Lyrically it's down and dirty R.E.M. with a repetitive verse and fierce chorus.  What is under explored is the dialogue in the middle which gives us a taste of the stream of consciousness, poetic Stipe.  A couple of notes about my differences to what is out there ... first, there is a lead vocal strip on YouTube that sounds like what I have below which makes little to no sense. All of this is moot as Michael was singing through a megaphone which was distorting his vocals even more than usual. Second, I don't think he is saying anything above trying to create a soundscape that fits the song and yet he pretty clearly says the same thing each chorus. Even after multiple listens I have no idea. Below will get you close to how the vocals 'actually sound.' On the demo he's altering the words every verse just a bit and on the studio recording he has the megaphone to distort a little. Also on the recent Perfect Square DVD, he doesn't seem to be saying blood as much as force ... so ... really what I'm saying is warble away!



ORANGE CRUSH

Follow me, don’t follow me
I’ve got my spine, I’ve got my orange crush
Collar me, don’t collar me
I’ve got my spine, I’ve got my orange crush
We are agents of the free
I’ve had my fun and now it’s time to
Serve your conscience overseas
(Over me, not over me)
Coming in fast, over me

Follow me, don’t follow me
I’ve got my spine, I’ve got my orange crush
Collar me, don’t collar me
I’ve got my spine, I’ve got my orange crush
We are agents of the free
I’ve had my fun and now it’s time to
Serve your conscience overseas
(Over me, not over me)
Coming in fast, over me

High on the roost (to)
Paid in full
Now the lies chimerts race tonight
(Now this, race)
Comin’ into your home

(1,2,3,4)
(Let’s move it!)
We would circle and we circled, and circled the sovereign center
centered on the pavement stacked up all the trucks jacked up and
our wheels slush and orange crush in pocket a wall in this here county
hell in green county the tri-county area now with those standin, I was the king of the county
all these girls, shit, whirlybirds I headed for, I had this life for, I knew it all I knew every back
road and every friday night we would meet down there right on back

Follow me, don’t follow me
I’ve got my spine, I’ve got my orange crush
Collar me, don’t collar me
I’ve got my spine, I’ve got my orange crush
We are agents of the free
I’ve had my fun but now it’s time to
Serve your conscience overseas
(Over me, not over me)
Coming in fast, over me

High on the roost, to (to)
Paid in full
And still the lies chimerts race tonight
Comin’ into your home

High on the roost
Paid in full
Now the lies chimerts race tonight
Comin’ into your home


  Here's the thing, live these days, this song is much different.  When you play the album version side by side with live stuff, the album tab is downright boring.  He does a lot more stuff on the high frets during the verse nowadays.  It's pretty easy to figure out.  Oh, and a lot of people place harmonics on their middle bridge, but he's just using a cool effect.  However, the harmonics do sound pretty cool ...

ORANGE CRUSH

Intro

e|-0--|

B|-0--|

G|-9--|

D|-9--|

A|-0--|

E|-0--|

Verse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus

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

B|-0-0--0-0-4-4--4-2-2--2-4-4--4--|

G|-1--1--1--4--4---2------4--4----|

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

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

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

Middle Bridge

e|---12-----------14-10--12-----------14-10---|

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

G|------------12------------------12----------|

D|--------12------------------12--------------|

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

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