63 replies to this topic

[bluemookie]

Okay, short of some possible corrections on the Chronic Town tracks, I think it's time to move on to Murmur.  Since we all have access to the demos/early mixes of Murmur as well as Mitch Easters copy of the lyric sheet for Radio Free Europe and Sitting Still, we can move on to this album.  So just jump in and transcribe your lyrics and collectively we'll try and help out with ideas.  I don't think anyone is expecting 100% accurate lyrics, but I think this group (the Murmurs community) has the best chance at getting as close as possible.  When in doubt or if there's a particularly difficult lyric, by all means, let's look at a few soundboard live shows that have the vocals prominently featured in the mix for alternate ideas.  So, we'll just go in order...

• "Radio Free Europe"
  
• "Pilgrimage"
  
• "Laughing"
  
• "Talk About the Passion"
  
• "Moral Kiosk"
  
• "Perfect Circle"
  
• "Catapult"
  
• "Sitting Still"
  
• "9-9"
  
• "Shaking Through"
  
• "We Walk"
  
• "West of the Fields"

[bluemookie]

Radio Free Europe - Murmur version

Beside yourself if radio's gonna stay.
Reason it could polish up the grey.
Put that, put that, put that up your wall
That this isn't country at all

Raving station, beside yourself

Keep me out of country in the word
Deal the porch is leading us absurd.
Push that, push that, push that to the hull
That this isn't nothing at all.

Straight off the boat, where to go?

Calling on in transit, calling on in transit
Radio Free Europe, radio

Beside defying media too fast
Instead of pushing palaces to fall
Put that, put that, put that before all
That this isn't fortunate at all

Raving station, beside yourself
Calling on in transit, calling on in transit
Radio Free Europe, radio.

Beside yourself, calling on boat, medias too fast

Keep me out of country in the word
Disappoint is into us absurd

Straight off the boat, where to go?
Calling on in transit, calling on in transit
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Calling on in transit, calling on in transit
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe


Still not sure if the bridge is "Beside yourself" or "Decide yourself".  We know from the 1981 lyric sheet that it is "beside" in the rest of the song.

[bluemookie]

Pilgrimage

Take a turn, take a turn
Take our fortune, take our fortune

They called the clip a two-headed cow
Your hate clipped and distant, your luck with pilgrimage
Rest assured this will not last, take a turn for the worst
Your hate clipped and distant, your luck a two-headed cow
Pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn, take a turn
Take our fortune, take our fortune

Speakin' in tongues, hope it's worth a broken lip
Your hate clipped and distant, your luck with pilgrimage
Rest assured this will not last, take a turn for the worst
Your hate clipped and distant, your luck a two-headed cow
Pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn, take a turn
Take our fortune, take our fortune

Pilgrimage.  Pilgrimage.

Speakin' in tongues, hope it's worth a broken lip
Your hate clipped and distant, your luck
Rest assured this will not last, take a turn for the worst
Your hate clipped and distant, your luck two-headed
Pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn, take a turn
Take our fortune, take our fortune

Pilgrimage.  Pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn, take a turn
Take our fortune, take our fortune
Take a turn, take a turn
Take our fortune, take our fortune

[bluemookie]

LAUGHING

Laocoon and her two sons
Pressured storm, tried to move
No other more, emotion bound
Martyred, misconstrued

Lighted in a room lanky room
Lighted lighted laughing in tune
Lighted lighted laughing

Laocoon and her two sons
Run the gamut, sated view
Know them more, emotion bound
Martyred, misconstrued

Lighted in a room lanky room
Lighted lighted laughing in tune
Lighted lighted laughing

In a room
lock the door latch the room  
Lighted, lighted, laughing

Laocoon and her two sons
Ran the gamut, settled new,
Find a place fit to laugh,
Lock the doors, latch the room

Lighted in a room, lanky room
Lighted, lighted, laughing in tune
Lighted, lighted, laughing in tune
Lighted, lighted, laughing in tunes
Lighted, lighted, laughing

I always thought "laughing in tune" was "laughing at you" or "I choose", or maybe in the first verse, "laughing, I too".  Thoughts?

[bluemookie]

Talk About The Passion

Empty prayer, empty mouths, combien reaction
Empty prayer, empty mouths, talk about the passion
Not everyone can carry the weight of the world
Not everyone can carry the weight of the world

Talk about the passion
Talk about the passion

Empty prayer, empty mouths, combien reaction
Empty prayer, empty mouths, talk about the passion
Combien, combien, combien de temps?

Talk about the passion
Talk about the passion

Not everyone can carry the weight of the world
Not everyone can carry the weight of the world
Combien, combien, combien de temps?

Talk about the passion
Talk about the passion
Talk about the passion
Talk about the passion
Talk about the passion
Talk about the passion

[bluemookie]

MORAL KIOSK

Scratch the scandals in the twilight
Trying to shock but instead
Idle hands all orient to her
Pass a magic pillow under head

So much more attractive inside the moral kiosk
Inside of the kiosk, fire, twilight
Inside of the kiosk, fire, twilight

Scratch the scandals in the twilight
She was laughing like a Horae
Without me it's our landslide
Take the steps to dash over light

Its so much more attractive
Inside the moral kiosk
Inside of the kiosk, fire, twilight
Inside of the kiosk, fire, twilight

Scratch the scandals in the twilight
They're trying to shock but instead
Idle hands all orient to her
Pass a magic pillow under head

Its so much more attractive
Inside the moral kiosk
Inside of the kiosk, fire, twilight
Inside of the kiosk, fire, twilight

Inside of the kiosk, fire, twilight
Inside of the kiosk, fire, twilight  


"she was laughing like a Horae" sound more phonetically like "laughing like a borish".  You can hear the "SH" at the end of the word.
No idea about the backing vocals behind the chorus.  Asked Mike about them, but he had no idea.

[bluemookie]

Perfect Circle

Put your hair back, you get to leave
Eleven gallows on your sleeve
Shallow figured, winner's pain
Eleven shadows way out of place
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room

Pull your dress on and stay real close
Who might leave you where I left off?
Perfect circle of acquaintances and friends
Drink another, coin a phrase
Heaven assume, shoulders high in the room
Heaven assume, shoulders high in the room
Heaven assume, shoulders high in the room

Try to win and suit your needs
Speak out sometimes but try to win
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room

[bluemookie]

CATAPULT

Oohhh, we were little boys
Oohhh, we were little girls

It's not a clock, don't try to turn it off
Cowered in a hole, open your mouth in question

Did we miss anything? x 4
Catapult x 4

Oohhh, we were little boys
Oohhh, we were little girls

It's not a clock, don't try to turn it off
Cowered in a hole, open your mouth
We in step, in hand, your mother remembers this
Hear the howl with a rope, a question

Did we miss anything? x 4
Catapult x 4

Porch could be darker
The parts could be darker
Catapult x 4

Oohhh, we were little boys
Oohhh, we were little girls

It's not a clock, don't try to turn it off
Cowered in a hole, open your mouth
We in step, in hand, your mother remembers this.
Hear the howl with a rope, question

Did we miss anything? x 4
Catapult x 4


The Stephen Hague version sounds more like "Hear the howl with a rose" or "ruse".  You can definately hear an "S" at the end of that word.
And I'm convinced it's "It's not a clock" instead of "nine o'clock" because I've heard this was written about a kids board game, and this lyric was referring to the spinner wheel.  Maybe I'm wrong, but listen to other versions.  "Not a clock" sounds more accurate.

[pauloedu]

bluemookie, on 05 October 2011 - 06:48 AM, said:

Radio Free Europe - Murmur version

Beside yourself if radio's gonna stay.
Reason it could polish up the grey.
Put that, put that, put that up your wall
That this isn't country at all

Raving station, beside yourself

Keep me out of country in the word
Deal the porch is leading us absurd.
Push it, push it, push it to the bull
That this isn't nothing at all.

Straight off the boat, where to go?

Calling on in transit, calling on in transit
Radio Free Europe, radio

Beside defying media too fast
Instead of pushing palaces to fall
Put that, put that, put that before all
That this isn't fortunate at all

Raving station, beside yourself
Calling on in transit, calling on in transit
Radio Free Europe, radio.

Beside yourself, calling on  a boat, media is too fast

Keep me out of country in the word
Disappoint is into us absurd

Straight off the boat, where to go?
Calling on in transit, calling on in transit
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Calling on in transit, calling on in transit
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe


Still not sure if the bridge is "Beside yourself" or "Decide yourself".  We know from the 1981 lyric sheet that it is "beside" in the rest of the song.

I think is beside.

[Sad Tomato]

bluemookie, on 05 October 2011 - 08:48 AM, said:

CATAPULT

Oohhh, we were little boys
Oohhh, we were little girls

I'm pretty sure it's "when we were little boys, when we were little girls."  For a long time I thought it was what you posted, but then years ago I heard the word 'when' on good quality live versions and then definitely heard it that way when I went back and re-listened to the studio version.

[bluemookie]

Sad Tomato, on 05 October 2011 - 08:11 PM, said:

I'm pretty sure it's "when we were little boys, when we were little girls."  For a long time I thought it was what you posted, but then years ago I heard the word 'when' on good quality live versions and then definitely heard it that way when I went back and re-listened to the studio version.

I will say, that on the Stephen Hague version, it sounds like Mike and Bill are singing "when" and Michael is singing Oooo.  Take that for what it is.  Even on the Murmur version, I do hear both, just like I hear Boxcars are turning/pulling at the same time.

What's your thoughts on RFR line "push it to the bull"?  I always heard it as "push that to the hole" or "push that to the hull", either of which sounds/makes more sense to me than bull.

[Sweden]

bluemookie, on 06 October 2011 - 04:10 AM, said:

either of which sounds/makes more sense to me

Isn't that a pretty risky approach in this project...?

[bluemookie]

Keep me out of country in the word
Deal the porch is leading us absurd.
Push that, push that, push that to the hull
That this isn't nothing at all.

Okay, so going with the rhyming scheme, the last word of the third line would rhyme with the last word in the fourth line,yes?  So we can go with ball or hall.  I know, again, pretty flimsy.  I've just never heard a "b" word there.  I'll have to listen to it again.

[bluemookie]

After listening intently a few more times, I'm haven't made any more progress on the hull/hole/bull line (sounds like hull, as far as I can hear), but I will make one other ammendment...

Put that, put that, put that up you wall

I'm pretty sure it's "you wall" not "your wall"

As for the live versions, they are of no help for the second verse.  He almost always sings something different.

[bluemookie]

If you watch the 1983 Letterman appearance, he uses the "Push that, push that, push that to the hull" in the first verse.  It sounds pretty identical, phonetically to the Murmur version.  It could be hull, hole, or hall.  It's not bull.  Conversely, it does sound closer to Push it, push it, push it.

[Ronja]

Does anyone have accurate lyrics for STAND?

[Driver Nate]

Ronja, on 06 October 2011 - 07:34 AM, said:

Does anyone have accurate lyrics for STAND?

I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the Green-Accurate Lyrics thread. Do the ones at The Complete R.E.M. Lyrics Archive appear to be incorrect?

[bluemookie]

Ronja, on 06 October 2011 - 07:34 AM, said:

Does anyone have accurate lyrics for STAND?

REMHQ!

[beatadrum]

bluemookie, on 06 October 2011 - 08:05 AM, said:

REMHQ!

I think REMHQ just took them of the net if no official version existed. The Orange Crush ones for example were a complete net lift.

As I mentioned elsewhere, I'm sure Mike & Michael sing 'Colour/Color' as opposed to 'Collar' as it makes much more sense considering the song title and the spraying of Agent Orange by the helicopters. Michael also made 'skooshing' noises on the record in between 'coming in fast' and 'over me' (and also live in 89).

The megaphone section is also word for word what the websites had in 2003 when REM HQ added lyrics for the Best Of - I'm sure the phrase '...until i came here and I was (playing for the??) college team' is spoken at 2.28. Disappointing and lazy lack of effort by REM HQ as those net lyrics ended up in song books and therefore some would like to regard them as official.

[Caleb Kyzer]

you just gotta love the fact that, almost 30 years later, and we're still guessing as to what words he/ they sang, not to mention what those words/ sounds meant.  i think that's one big reason we're fans. even though stipe said he hated the word "enigmatic" (at least about himself), there will always be a mystery, of sorts, around the band, especially the lyrics, and more especially, the older albums. we do repeat listenings not only cause we enjoy the music, but we're also trying to figure out what it's about.