UP: SAD PROFESSOR

  I'm having a strange experience with this album. The more I dive into the chords and lyrics, the more respect I have for the songwriters these three musicians have become. They are certainly in shaky re-inventive ground, but their craft is still there behind the electronic flourishes. I've always enjoyed this song, but like the apologist it's a character I can't really relate to. Sort of a love song for George in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' It's a musty song, filled with a stodgy old character. Now that I've known some sad professors ... yikes, it's pretty much spot on. 'Late afternoon, the house is hot' is one of my favorite lines in the Michael-verse. How about, 'A lazy eye metaphor on the rocks.' Great examples of how he can evoke so many feelings in a short stab of words. There is something he's yelling at the end of the song that sounds like 'feel free' but it's so distant I'm just gonna let it mellow there for eternity.



SAD PROFESSOR

If we're talking about love
Then I have to tell you
Dear readers, I'm not sure where I'm headed
I've gotten lost before
I've woke up stone drunk face down in the floor

Late afternoon the house is hot
I started I jumped up
Everyone hates a bore
Everybody hates a drunk

This may be a lit invention
Professors muddled in their intent
To try to rope in followers
To float their malcontent
As for this reader I'm already spent

Late afternoon the house is hot
I started I jumped up
Everyone hates a sad professor
I hate where I wound up

Dear readers, my apologies
I'm drifting in and out of sleep
Long silence presents the tragedies of love

Note the age, get afraid, the surface hazy with attendant thoughts

A lazy eye metaphor on the rocks

Late afternoon the house is hot
I started I jumped up

Everyone hates a bore

Everybody hates a drunk
Everyone hates a sad professor

I hate where I wound up

I hate where I wound up

   Tune those guitars down! As you can see in the clip posted above, Mike is on guitar for this one and he's dropped that tuning. Which makes this an awesome song to play. The ingenuity of these musicians is first rate and I can't help but wonder what this album is with Bill on board. It's taking pieces from their entire catalog and mixing it up for a new sound. This song has an AFTP vibe with the lyrical personalization of NAIHF.

SAD PROFESSOR

Verse (Dropped D)

d |-0---2---5---0---2---7---|

A |-0---4---5---0---4---7---|

F#|-0---3---5---0---3---7---|

D |-0---0---5---0---0---7---|

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

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

Bridge to Chorus

d |-5---7---3---|

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

F#|-5---7---3---|

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

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

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

Chorus

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

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

F#|-5>7---5-5------3---|

D |-5>7---5-5-4-5h-4---|

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

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

UP: THE APOLOGIST

  Okay, UP is a number of songs in by this point and so far so good. I remember thinking when the album came out that The Apologist was the first misstep, but going back now I can only speculate on my reasoning, because the song isn't bad and in fact was one of the songs they played live to promote the album. The live version is really lovely. Because of the character of this song, I wonder if it's simply hard to approach and feel any empathy--although this person is clearly trying to better themselves? Maybe? Or since the tone of the album starts to change here, perhaps the turning point positioning of the song rubbed me the wrong way. That said, some of my favorite stuff is in this song: the part where the speaker calls the other person weak and later sweet is classic. However, didn't R.E.M. already write a better song with a 'sorry' chorus? And live they would play the songs back to back as a gag.



THE APOLOGIST

They call me the apologist and now that I'm at peak
You know at first it really hurt we joke about these things
I've skirted all my differences but now I'm facing up
I wanted to apologize for everything I was

So

I'm sorry, so sorry

So sorry, so sorry

I'm so sorry, so sorry

So sorry

Did you understand me right?
The people here are good
They tell me what I should have done and offer what I could
I'm good, all is good, all's well, no complaints
When I feel regret, I get down on my knees and pray

I'm sorry, (so sorry) so sorry (so sorry)

So sorry, (so sorry) so sorry (so sorry)

I'm so sorry, (so sorry) so sorry (so sorry)

So sorry, (so sorry) so sorry

I live a simple life unfettered by complex sweets (so sorry)
You think this isn't me? (so sorry)
Don't be weak (so sorry)
There I go (so sorry)
I'm so sorry

Thank you for being there for me
Thank you for listening, goodbye
I can forfeit selfishness I hope for you that you apply this happiness
This peacefulness

This peacefulness

I'm sorry, (so sorry) so sorry (so sorry)

So sorry, (so sorry) so sorry (so sorry)

I'm so sorry, (so sorry) so sorry (so sorry)

So sorry, (so sorry) 

I live a simple life (so sorry) (so sorry)
Unfettered by complex sweets (so sorry) (so sorry)
You think this isn't me? (so sorry)
That's so sweet (so sorry)
(so sorry) I'm so sorry (so sorry)

Thank you for being there for me
Thank you for listening, goodbye

   The sound of this song is VERY crunchy. The verse is mostly just Am with some overlays and I've added some below. However, because of the blending the band is doing in the studio, at times it's hard to tell when the noises are keyboard or guitar. But everything below should allow you to play the song, I tend to do the Bass Mimic for a lot of the verse to add that Em feel. Peter does some nifty stuff live that looks fun, but might be added for the sake of a show. He also plays the Post Lead Riff off of the 5th Fret, but it's SO much easier up at the 8th-10th. I love the B string part of the Lead, it's Peter's signature ever since Wolves, Lower.

THE APOLOGIST

Verse: Am

Verse Am Overlay 1 (slide the Am form up to Bm):

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verse Am Overlay 2 (Bass Mimic):

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus

e|-3---5----8---10---|-3---5----8----|

B|-5---7---10---12---|-5---7---10----|

G|-5---7---10---12---|-5---7---10----|

D|-5---7---10---12---|-5---7---10----|

A|-3---5----8---10---|-3---5----8----|

E|-3---5----8---10---|-3---5----8----| 

Lead

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

B|----------8-7-5-5---------------|----------8-7-5-5--------------|

G|-2-2>4-4>5-----7-7-5-5-7h-5-4---|-2-2>4-4>5-----7-7-5-7b-7b-7b--|

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

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

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

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

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

G|-5-7>9-7-9-7-9>10-7-10-10>12-9-12-|-5-7>9-7-9-7-9>10-7-10-10>12b---|

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

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

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

Post Lead Riff/ Walk to Chorus

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

B|-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10--10------10---|---13-10---|

G|--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9-9-------------|

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

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

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

UP: AT MY MOST BEAUTIFUL

  Another great track! It's hitsville with these guys, geez why were they ever a four piece? Just you wait! This was an idea for a song Michael had when Bill was still in the band, having the line 'I found a way to make you smile' he gave the idea for a Beach Boys inspired song to Mike and Peter. Surprise! They came up with something, but then Michael had to think of things to make someone smile--and it only took him a year! It wasn't as dramatic as coming up with the 'Man on the Moon' lyric, but pretty rough! In the end, the final inspiration struck and it took him a further 45 minutes to complete the song. An all around beautiful song, but it feels a tad on the short side which might have been why the single for it wasn't released until five months after the album came out. Someone was looking for the slow burn on sales for this album. Michael has claimed this is his first un-ironic love song and there might be something to that, it's him at his most sincere for sure but could we maybe take 'Be Mine' at face value? Or 'Strange Currencies?' 'Near Wild Heaven' anyone? In any case, the song doesn't dwell on metaphor or simile, it simply talks about real examples of beauty. Love the video by the way:



AT MY MOST BEAUTIFUL

I've found a way to make you
I've found a way
A way to make you smile

I read bad poetry
Into your machine
I save your messages
Just to hear your voice
You always listen carefully
To awkward rhymes
You always say your name
Like I wouldn't know it's you
At your most beautiful

I've found a way to make you
I've found a way
A way to make you smile

At my most beautiful
I count your eyelashes secretly
With every one whisper I love you
I let you sleep
I know you're closed eye watching me
Listening
I thought I saw a smile

I've found a way to make you
I've found a way
A way to make you smile

  For this one, I've posted guitar chords below and here is a link to where you can see the sheet music online. I might someday post Piano Tab as I've done before, but honestly I am short one piano at present. The chords below are also somewhat found on the sheet music, but I think substituting the Am during the coda sounds better. There is no guitar on this song, but there is the occasional banjo mutely picked to the chords below.

AT MY MOST BEAUTIFUL

Guitar Chords

Bridge to Chorus: (‘Do, do’s’)

F-Fmaj7-D-D

Chorus (‘I found a way … ’)

Gm-F-Bb (x2), Gm-F-Bb-C-F

Verse

Am-Bb-Gm-F (Last time through go to C before F like in the Chorus)

Coda

Gm-Am-Bb (x2), Gm-Am-Bb-C-F

End on F

UP: HOPE

  The seeds for this version of R.E.M. was born back during AFTP with the studio recording of Chance, at the end of which Michael intones 'This is tedious. Stop.' This song almost gets tedious, but it smartly changes up the music at key moments. The lyric here is amazing and I suspect it's one of the songs that led to the lyrics being included on the liner notes. The theme here is self-importance, the idea we can go forever and that medical science can prolong our lives--maybe at the cost of some alligators, but hey, survival, am I right? Immortality is such a theme of humanity, and what better time to contemplate it than on a night of drunken revelry. I like tracking where the word 'hope' comes up in the song. We are solidly in drum machine territory here, Bill.
  FYI, in an interview Michael says the 'Matthew' mentioned is not Matthew Shepard, but more in line with a solid male name like 'Matthew, Mark, John.' Incidentally, Michael is using religion a lot around this time, no?


HOPE

You want to go out Friday and you want to go forever
You know that it sounds childish that you've dreamt of alligators
You hope that we are with you and you hope you're recognized
You want to go forever you see it in my eyes
I'm lost in the confusion and it doesn't seem to matter
You really can't believe it and you hope it's getting better

You want to trust the doctors their procedure is the best
But the last try was a failure and the intern was a mess
And they did the same to Matthew and he bled 'til Sunday night
They're saying don't be frightened but you're weakened by the sight of it
You lock into a pattern and you know that it's the last ditch
You're trying to see through it and it doesn't make sense
But they're saying don't be frightened and they're killing alligators
And they're hog-tied and accepting of the struggle

You want to trust religion and you know it's allegory
But the people who are followers have written their own story
So you look up to the heavens and you hope that it's a spaceship
And it's something from your childhood

You're thinking don't be frightened

You want to climb the ladder you want to see forever
You want to go out Friday and you want to go forever
And you want to cross your DNA
To cross your DNA with something reptile

And you're questioning the sciences and questioning religion
You're looking like an idiot and you no longer care
And you want bridge the schism

A built-in mechanism to protect you

And you're looking for salvation
And you're looking for deliverance
You're looking like an idiot and you no longer care
‘Cause you want to climb the ladder
You want to go forever
And you want to go out Friday
You want to go forever

   The guitar here is sparse, but sounds really great. Michael used to play this one on acoustic guitar live for a more personal feel--you can find it on YouTube, but he's not exactly Cat Stevens up there. The chord progression varies as the song progresses, holding on C a lot longer near the beginning, but as it picks up intensity alters between C and F more frequently. This is more fun to play than you might think!

HOPE

Verse C (Repeat the pattern ad nauseam under the whole dang song)

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

B|--------8-10-8--8--|

G|------10------10---|

D|-10-10-------------|

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

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

Verse F (Keyboard part, but sounds cool on guitar, played along with C pattern)

e|----10-8-7--7-8-|

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

G|--10------------|

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

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

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

Middle Bridge ("You want to climb the ladder") is an Em chord 

End with C chord and a bunch of distortion and feedback!

UP: SUSPICION

  This is definitely my favorite track on the album. I remember hearing it for the first time and appreciating the tone of the song, plus the chorus of 'imagination: come alive' is so perfectly spot on. I love it when a few words can succinctly tell a story. I rarely see the song talked about and I think it's mostly because its one of the few straightforward songs Michael has ever penned. No real, deep explanations are necessary.




SUSPICION

Now my suspicion's on the rise
I have known, I have known your kind
Please don't talk, don't make me think
Order up another drink
Let me let imagination drive

Can't you see I need nothing too deep

Imagination
Come alive
Suspicion
Tonight I'll dream tonight

Listen to the devils in my ear
Tell me what, what I want to hear
You're so funny, you're so fine
You're so perfect, you're so mine
That I never had an opportunity
To hide
No I never had a chance, oh

Can't you see I need nothing too deep

Imagination
Come alive
Suspicion
Tonight I'll dream tonight

Look into my eyes
They hypnotize
The lights

The drinks
Let the music carry you away

My eyes are blurred my sights are limited
Am I sensing a familiar twinge?

Please don't speak, make me think it's all too deep

Imagination
Come alive
Suspicion
Step down, I'll dream tonight

Step down, I'll dream
You're so naked baby
Carry me away
Dream, dream

Carry me away

Dream, dream

Dream, dream

Dream, dream

Dream, dream

  Love the guitar on this! Some very basic chord strums, but unique forms that put this one high in the playability scale--the bridge to the chorus is so much fun. It's here that I want to point out the slow, subtle leads Peter has been churning out for the last couple of records. They are just enough to fill a hole, but nothing fancy.

SUSPICION

Verse

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

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

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

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

A|-2---1-------|

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

Bridge to Chorus

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus (The second part is also the end repeat)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Middle Bridge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lead

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

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

G|--------------------7-5-7-5-7h-5------|

D|------------3-3-5h-3------------8-7-5-|

A|--1-3h-1-3>5--------------------------|

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

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

B|-------------------------6-5--8--|

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

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

A|--1-3h-1-3>5---------------------|

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

UP: LOTUS

  Lotus is perhaps the perfect introduction to the new R.E.M. There's a balance of the electronic, guitar riffs, melodic bass, and harsh vocalization that seems to usher in a new era of weirdness without dumping their roots. In particular, the backing vocals and the interplay with the lead vocal is really cool. The pacing of the song is slowed to meet the build of an album, but when played live it's picked up and sounds really great. The character here is having a 'bad day' and notices someone who is enlightened, the stranger with the 'crowbar spine', or perhaps this stranger is the old reflection of the new self, sort of a twist on Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Michael's characters were found but now are lost. In any case, the song has pointed out to me the recurrence of Michael's characters having a tough time of life. Falling, realizing, redeeming, falling again, these motifs keep coming up--there are always wolves lurking in the corner of the garden.
  Michael prides himself on originality, but unfortunately some of the phrases here fall a little flat. His joke about heck and hell and the monkey dying for his grin are a stretch, but I love the self referential 'End of the World' shout out (the start of a number of these nods which builds to 'Sing for the Submarine') and a lot of the character study painted here. Very solid song from a band trying to find their footing.



LOTUS

Hey hey

Hey hey

I was hell
Sarcastic silver swell
That day it rained
Tough spun

Hard won

No ocean flower aquarium
Badlands

Give a hand
Honey dipped flim flam
Hey hey, hey hey
That cat can walk like a big bad man

So happy to show us
I ate the lotus
Say, haven't you noticed?
I ate the lotus

Storefront window, I reflect
Just last week I was merely heck
Tip the scale, I was hell
Picked me up, then I fell
Who's this stranger?

Crowbar spine
Dot, dot, dot, and I feel fine
Let it rain, rain, rain (rain)
Bring my happy back again

So happy to show us
I ate the lotus
Say haven't you noticed?
I ate the lotus

I ate the lotus

Let it rain, rain, rain (rain)
Save me from myself again
Wash away my ugly sins
Opposing thumb, dorsal fin
That monkey died for my grin
Bring my happy back again
Let it rain, rain, rain (rain)
Bring my happy back again

So happy to show us
I ate the lotus
Say haven't you noticed?
I ate the lotus
I ate the lotus
I ate the lotus

I ate the lotus

  This track is a riff and some guitar support and introduces a theme for many of the tracks on this album. While watching the band play this live, you notice two people playing keyboards and then Peter steps forward and plays a third keyboard. That's a little clue on where we're headed. The first verse is mostly just bass and keys. The opening of the riff has a hammer similar to Begin the Begin, and the Dm6 to end the chorus has the extra note for tone, but also to differentiate from every song on Document!

LOTUS

Verse

Riff/Lead

G|-2-0-2h-0-0-5-4-0-2h-0-0-----------------|

D|---------4------------4-00-2-00----------|

A|-------------------------------33-22-0-0-|

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

G|-0-2h-0-0-5-4-5-5/7h-5-7>9-77-55-44-22-0/2h--|

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

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

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

Verse Chords Etc.

(Am-C-G-F)

Below is for the staccato bursts before the chorus, strum up

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

B|-5---3---8---6-|

G|-6---0---7---5-|

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

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

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

Chorus

Picked to emphasize the high ‘e’, the Dm6 mostly sounds and feels like Buck’s standard D2,

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

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

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

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

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

E|-----0--x3---0---0--|

UP: AIRPORTMAN

  One of the more lucid openings to an R.E.M. album, but certainly not unexpected after 'How the West Was Won ... ' on NAIHF. What's great about the opener is that it sets the tone for better or worse as fans discover the album and grapple with the direction the now three piece will take. The band chooses to undercut expectations, and at this point Radiohead's OK Computer is over a year old--a turning point in rock and roll to be sure. The importance of its influence lies in the building of the tone and emotion of an album, honestly R.E.M. were starting to rely so heavily on the pop hook before UP that the experimentation was at a minimum. However, if you really pay attention to NAIHF the seeds are definitely sown in songs like Leave and E-Bow. Radiohead proved you could create great ambient sound from electronic noise, so enter Airportman with a vengeance, an opener that says: buckle up and settle in for a scenic tour. In the liner note lyrics, Michael has added the line 'recycled air' ... I don't hear it, so out it goes!

AIRPORTMAN

He moves efficiently
Beyond security
Great opportunity awaits

Airport fluorescent
Creature of habit
Labored breathing and sallow skin

Moving sidewalks
Great opportunity blinks
Great opportunity blinks

Great opportunity blinks

Great opportunity blinks

The people mover
The people mover
Discounted

   Below are some thoughts on playing keyboard on guitar, but also some actual thoughts on playing the song with an actual guitar. Feedback goes a long way on this song.

AIRPORTMAN

G# Chord crunched throughout

e|-----|

B|-----|

G|-----|

D|-6---|

A|-6---|

E|-4---|

Repeated vibraphone notes for guitar

e|-13-11--------------|--------------------|

B|------11-11-13------|-13-----11-13-------|

G|--------------10-8--|---13-13-----10-8---|

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

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

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

Feedback notes (taken off G# barre chord at 11^th fret)

e|-----11-----|

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

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

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

A|--------13--|

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