UP: PARAKEET

   I can't believe there are only two songs left on the album, but okay that's only because I thought it would never end. The band are going solidly in the direction of REVEAL with these last two offerings. Parakeet is a simple melodic tune, a powerful story about leaving a domestically abusive environment, and going through the song again in detail points out how good the craft is. I still don't consider UP to be an album that begs for repeated listening as much as say MURMUR or even AFTP, but its songwriting is so admirable. The risks the band are taking with drum machines and more emphasis on keyboards is extremely brave, not to mention the clear and thoughtful lyrics. There's a reason Mike thought Michael should include the lyrics as part of the packaging--he's saying more on this album than he's ever said--even if it shatters a lot of the mystique the band accrued over the years. Speaking of mystique, the lyrics included are technically incorrect on this song as with others. Another reason for this blog is to correctly deliver what is happening in the studio over Michael's intention of the song, which is what you can find most everywhere else. More than any lyricist it's Michael's right to define the song as he sees fit as he sees the lyrics poetically--a document of his work over what he delivered into a microphone in a single take. Cool, but this is an accuracy blog more than anything else to replicate the album tracks. Hey, I gave him the first 'lately' even thiught I think he's saying 'baby.' Parakeet to me feels like the band ready to try something completely new, sort of Monty Got a Raw Deal and Saturn Return pulling in either direction.



PARAKEET

You wake up in the morning and fall out of your bed
Mean cats eat parakeets and this one's nearly dead
You dearly wish the wind would shift and greasy windows slide
Open for the parakeet who's colored bitter lime

Open the window
To lift into your dreams
Lately, baby
You can barely breathe

A broken wrist, an accident, you know that something's wrong
You fold the leavings of your past, no one knows you've gone
The sunspot flares of the early nineties light up your wings
And scan the shortwave radio it's tracking outer rings

Open the window
To lift into a dream
Baby, baby
You can start to breathe

The tectonic dispatcher shifts to smooth the ocean floor
And flattens out to warmer winds of Brisbane's sunny shore
Where buddhas tend to mending wrists
A tea made from the leaves of eucalyptus fragrances and coriander seeds

Open the window
To lift into a dream
Baby, baby
You can start to breathe

Open the window
To lift into a dream
Baby, baby
You can start to breathe

You wake up in the morning to warm Pacific breeze
Where mean cats chew on licorice and cannot climb the trees

   There is no guitar on this song, but I've transposed the keyboard chords and a few of the filler riffs. For those piano players out there it's mainly straight chords. This opens up the interpretation for a guitar player, I enjoy playing the Verse stuff in the power chords off of the A string--meaning the opening G chord up at the 10th fret, and then moving down the fret board to the B chord in one position. But you can also go with straight up barre chords.

PARAKEET

Chords

Gm-F#m-E

D-C-B

Em-C-Am-Bm-D

Em-C-Am-Bm-D/B

How I play the Bm-D/B

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

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

G|-7---7-8---|

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

A|-9---------|

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

Piano walk Riffs (After the E in the verse)

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

B|--10-10---|---7-8-10--|

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

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

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

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

End Riff (strumming the chord at the end is nice)

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

B|-9-7-7-9-9-9-|-9--------|

G|----8--------|-8--------|

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

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

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

UP: I'M NOT OVER YOU

  This track sort of works as the bridge to the final part of the album, and I can't think of an R.E.M. album that doesn't do this to some extent--perhaps LRP through GREEN era. The personal nature of the ditty--completely performed by Michael--does open up the discussion for the last two songs to talk about loss and how we deal with trauma. Incidentally, if Michael studied guitar he could really rock a solo career!



I'M NOT OVER YOU

I feel great, I lied to save your feelings

Truth convened, my head smashed through the ceiling

I lost an arm, no one harmed, you diplomatically alarmed

I sulked away to lick my thin skin
And I'm not over you

I'm not over you

I'm not over you

   Very simple song, but note the easy G chord so Michael can switch easily from C to G. When he played the song live, he would stay on the D at the end instead of the return to C, but if you listen carefully to the album it's certainly a C before the last G. Make sure to hang on that first Am in the chorus ...

I'M NOT OVER YOU

Verse

e|-3---0-|

B|-0---1-|

G|-0---0-|

D|-0---2-|

A|-2---3-|

E|-3---0-|

Chorus

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

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

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

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

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

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

UP: DIMINISHED

  Going through this album is fascinating. There are so many aspects of these songs I love, but is this a case of a band not being able to shake legacy? If this was the first album from a new band would it be regarded differently? Diminished is a complex song, the characters are dark and inaccessible but yearn for our acceptance even if unwarranted. Here is a prescient ode from a Oscar Pistorius-like character while on trial. There's no doubt in my mind the character's guilty, but those types of judgments are taken from us and put to a justice and jury. Here we have another song that holds the chorus back until we travel through a couple of verses and bridges, classic R.E.M. technique. They're still building songs as they always have, this character is no darker than some on FOTR or DOCUMENT, yet the narrative is clearer, the situation laid plain. What's missing is the ambiguity which invites additional and repeated listening--when the story is this straightforward, it's difficult to revisit. But the chorus of this song is so good!!



DIMINISHED

I watched you fall
I think I pushed
Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe diminished
Maybe I'm innocent
Maybe I'm finished
Maybe I blacked out
How do I play this?

I will give my best today
I will give myself away
I have never hurt anything
Is the jury wavering?
Do they know I sing?

Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe diminished
How do I
How do I play this?
Jealous lover, self-defense
Protective brother, chemical dependence
I'll consult the I Ching
I'll consult the T.V.
Ouija, oblique strategies
I'll consult the law books for precedents
Can I charm the jury?

I will give my best today
I will give myself away
I have never hurt anything
Is the justice wavering?
Does she know I sing that song?

Sing along

(I will never hurt anything)
Sing along

(I will never hurt anything)
Sing along
(I will never hurt anything)

I watched you fall

I think I pushed
Maybe they'll see me
Maybe they'll say
‘I can see the truth in his statement, smallpox blanket? No way’
Can I charm the jury, my defense
Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe you’re diminished
Maybe I loved you
Baby I loved you
Baby I loved you
Baby I loved you
Baby I'm finished

I will give my best today
I will give myself away
I have never hurt anything
Is the justice wavering?
Does she know I sing that song?

Sing along

(I will never hurt anything)
Sing along

(I will never hurt anything)
Sing along
(I will never hurt anything)

I have given myself away
I have given my best today
I have never hurt anything
Is the justice wavering?
Does she know I loved you?
Does she know I loved you?
Does she know I sing?

   This one is fairly straightforward. I added a bass walk to play with and it seems to work best in CAPO 2. However, you can play the chords without the capo and it sound very rich. I've also toyed with leaving the high e string open during the verses when in normal tuning and it sounds appropriately haunting and might give a richer sound if you are playing solo on an acoustic.

DIMINISHED

Capo 2

Verse (Bm-F#m)

F#|-0---0---|

C#|-1---0---|

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

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

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

F#|-0---0---|

Verse (with bass walk)

F#|-0-0-----------0-0-0-------|

C#|-1-1-----------0-0-0-------|

A |-2-2-0-2-4-2-0-0-0-0----0--|

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

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

F#|-0-0-----------0-0-0-------|

Bridge to Chorus (Em-D-C/ D-C)

F#|-1---0---1---1------|-0---1-|

C#|-3---1---3---3------|-1---3-|

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

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

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

F#|-----0---1---1---x3-|-0---1-|

Chorus (Em-C-G-D)

F#|-1---1---1---0--|

C#|-3---3---1---1--|

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

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

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

F#|-----1---1---0--|

UP: DAYSLEEPER

  This first release from the album always felt like a 'hey, we haven't changed' type of track. No Berry, no problem, still cranking out those adult contemporary hits! In fact, it reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the US. The lyric stems from a sign Michael saw on an NYC apartment door warning neighbors to be quiet for a 'daysleeper.' The elongated final chorus is fantastic and maybe the best part about the track after the quieted last verse. Michael says the character here is a woman who has to work long overnight hours and the song 'The Lifting' is the same character, but a sort of prequel as she attends a conference. This track came out at a time I was working a graveyard shift job and it really captures the feeling of being out of sync with the rest of humanity. I remember getting home at 7am, cracking open a beer and watching the morning risers head to work for the day. Then I set the ocean machine on white noise and crashed.



DAYSLEEPER

Receiving department, 3 a.m.
Staff cuts have socked up the overage
Directives are posted
No callbacks, complaints
Everywhere is calm

Hong Kong is present
Taipei awakes
All talk of circadian rhythm

I see today with a newsprint fray
My night is colored headache grey
Daysleeper

Daysleeper

Daysleeper

The bull and the bear are marking their territories
They're leading the blind with their international glories

I'm the screen, the blinding light
I'm the screen, I work at night

I see today with a newsprint fray
My night is colored headache grey
Don't wake me with so much
Daysleeper

I cried the other night
I can't even say why
Fluorescent flat caffeine lights
Its furious balancing

I'm the screen, the blinding light
I'm the screen, I work at night

I see today with a newsprint fray
My night is colored headache grey
Don't wake me with so much
The ocean machine is set to nine
I'll squeeze into heaven and valentine
My bed is pulling me
Gravity
Daysleeper

Daysleeper

Daysleeper

Daysleeper

Daysleeper


   Here's another classic pick. The fun here is the nice 3/4 waltz timing. It's a pick you can do a fun mini-strum with as you lift the finger off the g string--Peter also added this lift on the F chord live. I added a lot of fun little add ons here, including a strum to simulate the quiet verse (you could also strum the regular chords or continue picking like Peter did live), and the final organ walk-down transposed to guitar. Sorry not to go all out with the slide guitar, it's really just ambient here.

DAYSLEEPER

Verse

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

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

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

D|-10-----9-----|

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

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

Bridge to Chorus

e|-6---1---0---3---|

B|-8---3---1---3---|

G|-8---2---2---0---|

D|-8---0---3---0---|

A|-6-------0---2---|

E|-6-------0---3---|

Riff under Bridge to Chorus

G|-8-10>12-10-8-10-8-10>12-10-8-7-|

Chorus

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus Slide (Guitar Notes)

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

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

G|-5-7--5-7>12-|

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

A|-----7-------|

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

Late Verse Zithery Strum

(Guitar)

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

B|-x---x---x---|

G|-5---4---5---|

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

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

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

Quiet Verse Riff

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

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

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

End Background Alarm/ Organ walk down for Guitar after final C

e|-12---|-----------------------------|

B|---13-|-13-12-10---------13---------|

G|------|---------12-10-9----12-9-----|

D|------|----------------12------10-9-|

End on C 

UP: WHY NOT SMILE

   This was the first new R.E.M. song heard after the Bill Berry era. It was released on an Oxford American Southern Sampler in an acoustic version. I remember hearing this song before the album came out and it's ... well ... a little simple. Nothing crazy different, but also nothing earth shattering. The album version definitely creates more of a mood and has a warm ambiance. Michael feels the song is about someone who doesn't understand depression with a quick 'Why not smile' solution to everything, or a variation on telling people to smile because they'll be prettier. Sometimes I don't want to smile! Peter on the other hand thinks the song is sweet. Go figure. I've always leaned in to Michael's intention when listening, so I was happy to hear him feel the same way about the character. I mean 'the concrete broke your fall' is kind of a jerky thing to say to someone, great line though.



WHY NOT SMILE

The concrete broke your fall
To hear you speak of it
I'd have done anything
I would do anything
I feel like a cartoon brick wall
To hear you speak of it

You've been so sad
It makes me worry
Why not smile?
You've been sad for a while
Why not smile?

I would do anything
To hear you speak of it
Why not smile?
You've been sad for a while
You've been sad for a while

   I've put the basics below. The most important thing in the song is when the pattern doesn't continue to D and goes back to G after the A, like in the last line of the chorus. If you get lost, play along with the song. I also didn't post the power chords below, they just follow the regular chords--hang on D the first couple of times through and let it ring. The intros below basically take the place of the D chord and the walk happens two or three times in the song most notably before the first time we hear the lyric 'you've been sad for awhile.'

WHY NOT SMILE

Intro (Guitar 1)

e|-----12----12----12--------|

B|---15----15----15--15--15--|

G|-14----14----14------14----|

Intro (Guitar 2)

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

B|--7---7---|

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

Verse (G-A-D)

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

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

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

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

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

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

D Walk (w/ the Bass)

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

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

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

D|-0-------4--------|

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

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

Riff

e|-7777777----------------|------------|

B|--------10-10-10-10-10--|-10-7-5-3---|

G|-------repeat a lot-----|------------|

UP: WALK UNAFRAID

  Again, diving deep into these songs is giving me a new respect for old tracks I might have written off in the past. When the album came out, I remember feeling the track was too straightforward in its lyric. For a band that lives in obscurity--even in their 'heyday'--when Michael gains narrative clarity and personalizes the journey of his characters he sacrifices mystique. Up until this song, the tracks on this album even follow the familiar skewing of lyrical cliche. I also looked up the track listing and it pointed out that this is the first R.E.M. album I don't think of as having two sides. Walk Unafraid marks the beginning of the 'Down' side and thinking of 'You're In The Air' as the 'Up' side finale makes a lot of sense, sort of an 'Old Man Kensey' vibe. Apparently this lyric was inspired by something Patti Smith said to Michael Stipe when he was seeking lyrical advice. He doesn't really get into which piece the advice was, it could have been to 'Walk Unafraid' or maybe one day she said, 'you know, if I had to carry a bag of rocks ... ' which is incidentally the metaphor where I check out on this song. If this is a tune about his journey as a lyricist and perhaps his coming to terms with sharing his 'real' voice--think of the interview where he claimed the 'world's not ready for me yet'--then this 'clumsy' song is a brilliant gateway to the new Michael. But let's not put his lyrics in a box. The song is a lot of fun live and First Aid Kit does an amazing cover for the movie 'Wild' and I've included a clip of them singing the tune with Peter. What I love most about the cover is the official video which SKIPS THE BAG OF ROCKS line and makes it a 100% better song. But they also adjust the chorus to 'Hold me, love me, or leave me high.' Kind of a nice touch.



First Aid Kit w/ Peter Buck:



WALK UNAFRAID
As the sun comes up, as the moon goes down

These heavy notions creep around
It makes me think, long ago

I was brought into this life a little lamb
A little lamb
Courageous, stumbling
Fearless was my middle name, but somewhere there I
Lost my way
Everyone walks the same
Expecting me to step the narrow path they've laid
They claim to 

Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love me or leave me high

Say: keep within the boundaries if you want to play
Say: contradiction only makes it harder
How can I be what I want to be?
When all I want to do is strip away these stilled constraints and

Crush this charade
Shred this sad masquerade
I don't need no persuading
I'll trip, fall, pick myself up and

Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love me or leave me high

If I have a bag of rocks to carry as I go
I just want to hold my head up high
I don't care what I have to step over
I'm prepared to look you in the eye
Look me in the eye and

If you see

Familiarity
Then celebrate the contradiction
Help me when I fall to

Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love me or leave me high

Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love me or leave me high

   According to the First Aid Kit banter above, Peter says he recorded this on his own and they tinkered with the track so much he doesn't remember how the ending specifically goes. Which is understandable as he's trying e-bow and feedback and what sound like some weird pedal options. I don't tackle much of that below, but a lot of it is easy to find as he's mostly hitting single notes and sliding or bending.  Peter doesn't follow any set verse pattern throughout the song apart from the e-bow and that's what he mostly played live. I've put variations on the e-bow if you don't have one--it's just formations that mimic the harmonics of the feedback the e-bow produces. The chords to the song are in the First Aid Kit video above, but it's transposed to having a Capo 2. Love the opening chord forms, gently inspired by Radiohead's 'Airbag.'  

WALK UNAFRAID

Intro

G|-----8-7-----8-7>12----|

D|-7-8-x-x-7-8-x-x>-x----|

A|-x-x-6-5-x-x-6-5>10----|

E|-5-6-----5-6-----------|

Verse (E-Bow) Am-F

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

E|-5---1-----|

Verse (1^st and ‘Bag of Rocks’ Bridge only)

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

E|-5-5-5-1-1-1----|

Verse (High Pick, 2^nd Verse)

e|--9-9---8-8--|

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

Verse (Option w/o E-Bow, I like to pick this form)

e|-0---0-|

B|-5---1-|

G|-0---0-|

D|-0---0-|

A|-x---x-|

E|-5---1-|

Bridge to Chorus (E-Bow) D-C

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

E|-10---8----|

Bridge to Chorus (Option w/o E-Bow)

e|-0---0--|

B|-0---0--|

G|-9---9--|

D|-0---10-|

A|-x---x--|

E|-10---8-|

Chorus

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

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

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

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

A|-2---2---x3-----|

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

UP: YOU'RE IN THE AIR

  I recently read a review of the album, it might've been Rolling Stone, giving UP a lovely review saying it's an album of rock ballads. I have to admit I've never looked at the album in quite that way, but it makes a lot of sense. With that in mind, there are a lot of good things about this song--some of the lyrics are lovely in an eerie sense, the atmosphere is unlike anything I've heard the band do to this point--kind of a mash-up of 'Monty' and 'Leave,' and the orchestrations are solid. However, according to setlist.fm, the band played the song live ... NEVER. Seriously, they've played Rotary 10 and 11 more. I can't help wonder of this song is a 'b-side' if Berry's around. Also, he yodels something toward the end that sounds like 'I'm walking on,' but is likely 'I want you,' so I won't even post it officially.


YOU'RE IN THE AIR

You wanted a challenge that's calling you higher

I landed on my feet by crawling

I remember standing alone trying to forget you, idling

I hate to admit it that's my reference point but there it is

You say you want me

I'm what you found I'm upside down you're in the air

You're in the air and I’m breathing

Brighten the stars the weather is lifting

The heavens love a love like this

It's pulling you higher twist it and turn this around

It lights from within it dribbles your chin

Now brings a smile I'm lost again

I'm lost again

I'm what you found I'm upside down you're in the air

You're in the air and I’m breathing you

I want the stars to know they've won if only to beguile

The sky has opened up again in heaven reconciled

I want you naked I want you wild

I want the stars to know they win
Give me that smile just give it me just turn it on I'm lost again

I'm what you found I'm upside down you're in the air

I'm what you found I'm upside down you're in the air

I'm what you found I'm upside down you're everywhere

You're in the air and I’m breathing you

   There's not a lot of guitar in the chorus of this song, but I threw some chords down that match the bass walk, listen along to find the rhythm. In addition, love the Em7 and F in this one. There's quite a bit of E-Bow to give the song an edge, but I didn't tab below. Mostly mess around with the 7, 9, and 5 frets.

YOU'RE IN THE AIR

Intro/ Verse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chorus                ‘Breathing’

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

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

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

D|-4---2---0-----0---|-4----|

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

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

Post Chorus                    

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

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

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

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

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

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

Post Chorus Riff               

e|-5-5-3-5-5-3-5-5-3-5>8-5-3-3-5h-|-----|

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

G|-----------------------------x3-|-----|

Last Am Pick 

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

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

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

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

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

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

End on Am