ACCELERATE: MR. RICHARDS

   As Michael has said, this is not a song specifically about anyone in the government but you could plug in anyone from the Bush Administration and it works fine. I add to that the current administration and for that matter Reagan and Nixon, cabinets full of people who put the dollar above all else. The government can't be strictly run like a business and it can't be a social officer, but there's a middle ground there somewhere. It's eerie how much clearer this song becomes when thinking about the current winner of our national popularity contest. One of those deeper tracks on R.E.M. albums that rewards you for being a fan, love the 'Tell me how was prison' line. Also, is this the first R.E.M. song title with a period? Did it take this long?



MR. RICHARDS

Mr. Richards, your position is a messenger pigeon
Left behind you when the camp moved on

You thought that you had listened but the words had never crystallized
Into a truth that you might own, hey hey

Mr. Richards, your decision
Pay attention, pay attention

Mr. Richards, you're forgiven for a narrow lack of vision
But the fires are still raging on
The public's got opinions and these consequences border on
The compound that you razed where zealots sang, hey hey

Mr. Richards, your decision
Pay attention, pay attention

So listen, your intention
Sign the paper, stamp the ribbon
You're mistaken if you think we'll just forget

You can thump your chest and rattle
Stand in front of your piano
But we know what's going on
Yes, we know what's going on
We're the children of the choir, hey
And we know what's going on

Mr. Richards, your conviction
Had us cheering in the kitchen
Now the jury's eating pigeon pie

So tell me how is prison?
Have they taught you how to listen?
We've begun to bridge the schism
Pay attention, pay attention

Mr. Richards, your decision
Pay attention, pay attention

You can thump your chest and rattle
Stand in front of your piano
But we know what's going on
Yes, we know what's going on
We're the children of the choir, hey
From the compound fire, hey
And we know what's going on
Yes, we know what's going on

   The best part of this song is how Peter gets back to that E power chord he leaned on early in their career. The slides to other chords are so smooth you almost can't tell they are there. This is a solid rocker that is fun and easy to play, it definitely became a staple of their tour. Listen along when playing through the first time and you'll find some of the different rhythms and timings Peter is using. Definitely a nonchalant type of feel.


MR. RICHARDS

Intro

e|-0--|

B|-0--|

G|-9--|

D|-9--|

A|-7--|

E|-0--|

Verse          

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

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

G|-9--11-9---9---9>11>13--|

D|-9--11-9---9---9>11>13--|

A|-7---9-7---7---7>-9>11--|

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

Bridge

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

B|-5---7---0---5---0--0--0--|

G|-6---8---9---6---9>11>13--|

D|-7---9---7---7---9>11>13--|

A|-0---0---0---0---7>-9>11--|

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

Bridge 2 (So listen your intention … )

e|10---0--0--0--|

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

G|-9---9>11>13--|

D|-7---9>11>13--|

A|-0---7>-9>11--|

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

Chorus                 

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

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

G|-7---6--|--0--11---9----------|

D|-7---7--|-12--11---9----------|

A|-5---7--|-10---9---7----------|

E|-0---5--|--0---0---0---repeat-|

Chorus Notes           

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

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

G|-12-11-9---12--9-|

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

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

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

ACCELERATE: HOUSTON

   According to Michael he wrapped up these lyrics about five minutes before going on in Dublin and it turned out to be one of Peter's favorite lyrical moments on the album. The song is very short, compacting everything it needs into a brief time frame, possibly symbolizing the quickness with which people can lose everything. From the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this song could've been a scorching of the Bush response and while that is in there with the excellent first line, the song leans more toward the human cost of natural disasters and the strength it takes to trudge ahead. While the song is very short, I can't imagine a longer version--and this dilemma is rectified with the sequel 'Oh My Heart' on CIN. I've always enjoyed this song because it feels and sounds like an epic natural disaster, and through its succinctness there's a novel's worth of narrative. Also, those of us fans following the story of Michael's love for the song Galveston (originally by Don Ho, but popularized by Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb)--from the covers to the 'Karaoke Story'--get a satisfying name drop. I have to throw this great live version down over the album version:




HOUSTON

If the storm doesn't kill me the government will

I've got to get that out of my head

It's a new day today and the coffee is strong

I finally got some rest

So a man's put to task and challenges

I was taught to hold my head high

Collect what is mine, make the best of what today has

Houston is filled with promise

Laredo’s a beautiful place

And Galveston sings like that song that I loved

Its meaning has not been erased

And so there are claims forgiven

And so there are things that are gone

Houston is filled with promise

Laredo’s a beautiful place

And Galveston sings like that song that I loved

Its meaning has not been erased

And some things, they fall to the wayside

Their memories yet to be stilled

Belief has not filled me

And so I am put to the test

   This is a really fun song to play on acoustic with its hammers and walks. I've added the little bit of mandolin in the background and the heavily distorted atmospheric notes which may or may not be the bass, but are a fun addition. I particularly like how it seems to end on the Middle 8 with a new progression. I've also made the final mandolin chord a Dm which is more in the spirit of the verse chords, in fact if you substitute the Dm for the D2 in the guitar line it sounds cool as well.


HOUSTON

Intro

e|-0---0--|

B|-6---5--|

G|-7---4--|

D|-0---0--|

A|--------|

E|--------|

Verse

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

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

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

D|-0---2h--2---5--|-0---2h--2-----2--|

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

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

Verse Slide

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

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

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

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

A|-5---5>10-5---|

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

Chorus

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

B|-7---5--------1---3----|

G|-7---5--------2---4----|

D|-7---5--------3---5----|

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

E|-0---0---x3---1---3----|

Chorus (Mandolin)

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

a|-0---3---5-------0---2--|

d|-0---2-----------3---0--|

g|-2---0------x3---5---0--|

Outro

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outro (Mandolin)

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

a|-0---0---2---0---0---2---0--|

d|-0---3---0---0---3---0---0--|

g|-2---5---0---2---5---0---2--|

IN TIME: ALL THE RIGHT FRIENDS

   I wish I could convey how thrilled I was when the band remade this ancient song for the movie Vanilla Sky. As a fan who reveled in old bootlegs, I wanted the band to pick up these old tracks again, but it seemed that they would never go back. However, because it was a song they had thought of putting on albums from time to time, when they were approached for a soundtrack song with a rock edge and an eight day deadline, this song seemed to be the right fit as no outtakes from REVEAL had a rock feel. What's great about the song is it has retained the basic lyrics from day one, aside from ditching the middle 8 improv Michael would throw out in the early days. Michael has said he didn't write a lot of the earlier lyrics, but it's also been noted this song was originally put together by Peter and Michael, so this could be an early insight to his train of thought. In addition, the song retains the dance feel the band leaned toward in the beginning. The song is a pretty straightforward break-up song which is probably why it never fit the feel of an album.



ALL THE RIGHT FRIENDS

I know you say
Maybe someday
I need never be alone
I know I say
It's the right way
But you'll never be the one

I've been walking alone now
For a long, long time
I don't wanna hang out now
With the friends that just aren’t mine

Party to party
You've been looking
But your search will never end
You've been hanging
With the wrong crowd
You've got all the right friends

I've been walking alone now
For a long, long time
I don't want to hang out now
With the friends that just aren't mine

I said

I don't wanna be with you anymore
I just don't want you anymore
I don't wanna be with you anymore
I just don't want you anymore 

I don't wanna be with you anymore

(I just don’t, I just don’t want you)
I just don't want you anymore

(I just don’t, I just don’t, I just don’t want you)
I don't wanna be with you anymore

(I just don’t, I just don’t, I just don’t want you)
I just don't want you anymore 

   Really fun song to play which has been compared to Cheap Trick's 'Way of the World' and it's close which might again be a reason it was never an official album track. The picking below seems strict, but it can be played freely. In fact, the verse pick probably hangs more on the 11 note on the G string, but I've followed the vocal line a little. 

ALL THE RIGHT FRIENDS

Verse

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

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

G|-6-6-6-6>8-11--8--9--8----|-3---4-3---|

D|-7-7-7-7>9---9--9--9------|-4---4-4---|

A|-7-7-7-7>9--------------x3|-4---2-4---|

E|-5-5-5-5>7----7--7--7-----|-2---2-2---|

Bridge to Chorus

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

B|-4---6---7-6-4-6---4---2--|

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

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

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

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

Chorus

e|-0---2---4---|

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

G|-1---3---4---|

D|-2---4---6---|

A|-2---4---6---|

E|-0---2---4---|

Middle 8

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

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

G|-3---3--3----3--3----3--3----4---|

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

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

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

IN TIME: ANIMAL

   The first time I heard this song was on the tour just before IN TIME was released and enjoying the song without being terribly moved. The chorus 'rooftop' overlap is particularly inventive, but I remember feeling the song was an uptempo 'I Don't Sleep ... ' rehash and as I learned the guitar part that feeling was satisfied. There's a subtle shift here lyrically, and maybe it's because of the care Michael had taken with UP and REVEAL, to an over use of cliche and forced rhymes, maybe anticipating AROUND THE SUN a bit. However, there's still enough inventiveness to make the song interesting--the best example of this walking the line is the lyric 'I am vibrating at the speed of light' which feels obvious and different at the same time, and they liked the sentiment enough to put it on a t-shirt (running down the sleeves on one design making me think putting 'we're sick of being jerked around' down a sleeve would've made more sense). The song became a favorite to play live and according to setlist.fm was just behind 'Country Feedback' for amount of times played. The video is sort of the beginning of Mike and Peter washing their hands of performing for the camera and leaving everything to Michael, I've included it because it's the different mix of the song and also because it is (with 'Lotus') Michael finally going for the whole lip-sync thing. Finally, I have decided to put an attempt at what Mike is saying after the lyrics instead of woven into the song as my interpretation is distracting. There's no way he is saying anything like what I have, and if he is actually saying something specific he doesn't care if we know what it is. When they played the song live, he started changing the lyric which falls into his penchant for not really honoring or remembering the exact recording performance. His aesthetic is more about the feel and sound of the words over intention, vocals as instrument and support rather than function as has been mentioned before. Someday I will spend more time trying to isolate the background vocals, but if you sing the parts below it'll sound decent, to copy the live feel make the word 'sad' sound like 'side'.






ANIMAL

Hey what’s the big deal?
Tell me how to feel
I know where I boomeranged and fell from grace

Point me to the stars I’m up for the chase
I know where we fell on our face

Jump with me
You jump with me

Hey!
What’s the big deal?
I’m an animal

(The answer landed on my rooftop, whoa)
I’m an animal

(The future and the truth on my rooftop, whoa)
I’m an animal

(It’s calling me to work it out, it’s calling me to work it out, whoa)

I don’t wanna boomerang

I don’t wanna cannonball
I’m not angling
I don’t want to fall
Tell me I’m the anchor of my own ascension

Tell me I’m a tourist in the fourth dimension

Hey!
What’s the big deal?
I’m an animal

(The answer landed on my rooftop, whoa)
I’m an animal

(The future and the truth on my rooftop, whoa)
I’m an animal

(It’s calling me to work it out, it’s calling me to work it out, whoa)

Work it out

I am vibrating at the speed of light
Take my hand we’ll wind up the night
Spin me, win me, lift me, kiss me

Trip me, cuss me, bend me, trust me
Touch me now you take my hand

You trust me now you understand

So, what’s the big deal?
I’m an animal

(The answer landed on my rooftop, whoa)
I’m an animal

(The future and the truth on my rooftop, whoa)
I’m an animal

(It’s calling me to work it out, it’s calling me to work it out)
What’s the big deal?
I’m an animal

(The answer landed on my rooftop, whoa)
I’m an animal

(The future and the truth on my rooftop, whoa)
I’m an animal

(It’s calling me to work it out, it’s calling me to work it out, whoa)

I am vibrating at the speed of light

(I am vibrating at the speed of light, yeah I am vibrating at the speed of light, I am vibrating at the speed of light)

    VERSE BACKING VOCAL THOUGHTS:

The lip so sad it was so sad oh whoa

The lip of sad it was so full oh whoa

The lip of sad it was so whoa

The lip of side it was so full whoa

Turn oh was so whoa

Turn oh was so whoa

The lip so full it was so full whoa

The lip so full it was oh whoa

   If you already learned 'I Don't Sleep, I Dream' good news! This is the same song with a couple extra chords and a lead. I've always enjoyed playing Sleep, so this one is fun too--I wonder if it was an excuse for Peter to keep a riff idea he liked and be able to justify playing it live. Sort of like how they used to re-tool old songs when they got sick of them.

ANIMAL

Verse/Riff

e|-----7----7-----|

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lead (C-D x3, F-G)

e|--x-x-x-x-x-x-x----------1---1-1-------1>3--3-3-5p-3--|

B|-10-8-5-3-1-3-3-10-8-5-3-1-3h---1-3p-1-1>3-3-3--------|

G|--9-7-4-2-2-0-2--9-7-4-2------------------------------|

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

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

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

CHRONIC TOWN: STUMBLE

  And now we arrive at the last song from the CT EP.  Stumble.  This is definitely the most repetitive song on the EP, and the longest.  Is it boring?  Did REM ever play this song live?  There are not a lot of instances of this song being played and the closest you can find on YouTube is Mitch Easter playing it earlier in the year.  There are subtle additions here to what you can find online, particularly the ABC, APT bits, as well as the refrain which everyone lists as ball and chain all the time, sorry but I don't buy it.  Fallen chain and ball and chain are both such great imagery of graveyards and such and he's clearly saying both. In addition, the lyric sheet floating around has fallen chant. Which is probably the most accurate, but without completing the word chant, it sounds like chain--so either will do. I also think he's probably got something like 'Forest fears' on his mind when starting the verse, but intentionally mumbles it--what I have below better approximates how to get the sound of it right.
  I recently took a lot more time with the bridge to the chorus section that has been very wrong online for a long time and I came up with what is below. In the live versions it's a little clearer that he's saying 'Foliage in straw' but this is obscured in the recordings at times where saying 'Foliage in stall' sounds more accurate. Again, he's going for more of a feeling than actually saying something so if you sing along with what is below it sounds closer than a space explorer.



STUMBLE

(Laugh) Teeth (Clap)

We’ll stumble through the yard
We’ll stumble through the yard
We’ll stumble through the A, P, T
We’ll stumble through the yard

Full of spheres
Floor erasing
Foliage in straw
Yellow mix with golden root
Scan the graveyard dig the root

Fallen chain
Fallen chain
Fallen chain
Fallen chain

We’ll stumble through the yard
We’ll stumble through the yard
We’ll stumble through the A, P, T
We’ll stumble through the yard

Voice hails
Floor erasing
Foliage in straw
Yellow mix with golden root
Scan the graveyard dig the root

Fallen chain
Fallen chain
Ball and chain
Ball and chain

Cha (x15)

We’ll stumble through the yard
We’ll stumble through the yard
We’ll stumble through the A, P, T
We’ll stumble through the yard

Full of spheres
Floor erasing
Foliage in straw
Yellow mix with golden root
Scan the graveyard dig the root

Fallen chain
Fallen chain
Ball and chain
Ball and chain

It was round about midnight, hipster town
Imagine going for a walk
Things got around to taking place
What is hipster town
It’s not a waste of time
Imagine going into the wood
Things got around to taking place, as if they’re gonna happen at all
Don’t need that jazz, don’t need that stuff
It was round about midnight, hipster town
It was round about midnight, hipster town

We’ll stumble through the yard
We’ll stumble through the yard
We’ll stumble through the A, P, T
We’ll stumble through the yard

Bullets holes
Floor erasing
Foliage in stall
Yellow mix with golden root
Scan the graveyard dig the root

Fallen chain
Fallen chain
Ball and chain
Ball and chain


Now, guitar-wise I have to thank the internet for the Capo 5 idea, it really simplifies things and might be what we actually hear on CT.  However, after watching Mitch Easter play the song without a capo it is clear that most of the riffing can be done on the B string, but the capo adds a lot, especially when playing on an acoustic.  Also, be wary of the chorus switch, it does not follow a neat 4-4 change. 
  I also added a D chord on the switch to the Bm in the verse because it feels right and tightens up the rhythm of the picking, but you should really just stay on it for one time through picking G-E.  Notice how the form of the 8 and 9 placement in the chorus and bridge 3 are the same as the beginning of Wolves, Lower ... interesting.

Stumble
CAPO V

Intro

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

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

Verse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus

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

B|-000-00000-000-00000-0000000-0-00000000--|

G|-444-22222-444-22222>6666666-7>99999999--|

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

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

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

e|-------------------------5-------5----|

B|-0000-0000-0000-00--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|

G|-4444-2222-4444-22-4---4---4---4---4--|

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

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

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

Middle Bridge

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bridge 3:

Mostly rhythm, but if you strum or pick a couple of choice times:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then pick intro on penultimate: “It was round about midnight … “

That wraps Chronic Town.  In the next couple of days I will post the pre recording song Narrator which is just fun and great to play.  Then it's on to Murmur, Radio Free Europe is basically a done deal and I had a huge breakthrough on Pilgrimage today ... it's gonna be very cool ...

-BW

CHRONIC TOWN: 1,000,000

Lyrically this song was mostly solved with recently found lyric sheets.  However, I'm not going to get into what meaning might be behind the words as it is all speculation.  I had a friend once who thought it was about vampires, so I guess it's wide open.  As far as singing the following lyric, at many points it sounds like Stipe is saying "marker store" in fact, if you replace the word "stone" with "store" you get closer to the accent of Stipe's speech ... another option is holding out the long O sound and meeting the word "not."





1,000,000

Secluded in a marker store, not only deadlier but smarter too, smarter too
All among the tune, all among the ruin
Secluded in a marker store, not only deadlier but smarter too, smarter too

I could live a million
I could live a million
I could live a million
I could live a million years

Secluded in a marker store, not only deadlier but smarter too, smarter too
All among the tune, all along the ruin
Secluded in a marker store, not only deadlier but smarter too, smarter too

I could live a million
I could live a million
I could live a million
I could live a million years

All among, all among, all among the tune
Secret in, secret in, secret in the river

Secluded in a marker store, not only deadlier--smarter too, smarter too

I could live a million
I could live a million
I could live a million
I could live a million years



This is the first song that I learned off of Chronic Town years ago and was always disconcerted with what I discovered online, because the chorus always sounded wrong.  With this project I decided to get it right.  The cool part is that it is an early example of the open E and B strings Buck likes to use.  Apart from the bridges, the chords are fairly straightforward--just play them as power chords and accentuate the open E and B. 

A note about the hammer on the 7 and 9, just make sure it happens in rapid succession.  You can listen to the song for the example.  Also, I noted the open string before the hammer on the A note, but on the way from the E to the B chord experiment with a little openness on the transition.

1,000,000

Intro/Verse

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

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

G|-8--8--8---9h---|

D|-9--9--9---9----|

A|-9--0--7h--7----|

E|-7--0--0---0----|

Bridge/ Middle 8: x4

“All among …”

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

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

G|-6---6>8--8-----|

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

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

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

Chorus:

A-C#m-Bm-E

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

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

G|--6--6--4--1---2-1--|

D|--7--6--4--2---2-2--|

A|--7--4--2--2---2-2--|

E|--5--0--0--0---0-0--|

-BW