105 replies to this topic

[Slow Education]

The vocal melody to Hallelujah's verses is definitely that kind of sing-speak, a-melodic style Stipe had been overusing, BUT, it works because it contrasts with the 'primitive howling' at the end of the song, and also because the verses are buoyed by a really beautiful, subtle chord progression, which is the opposite of the forced feeling of their more recent dirges like "On the Fly" and most of "Around the Sun" which had such static, blah rhythms to boot.

[Kimo]

cjr67, on 08 November 2011 - 07:10 AM, said:

Hopefully, this was finished and will show up somewhere or another.

I wholeheartedly second that. I would definitely love to hear a song built around a riff like this one.

[rosie]

Blackbirds Backwards, on 08 November 2011 - 06:11 AM, said:

I like a Month Of Saturdays, but I also agree with the poster who said it reminds them of interpol musically.

for me, that's a reason to like it. (i love interpol).

[Blackbirds Backwards]

rosie, on 08 November 2011 - 08:09 AM, said:

for me, that's a reason to like it. (i love interpol).

Oh, definitely! Well, first two albums anyway .

It's funny, I always describe Interpol as sounding like the love child of Joy Division and Lifes Rich Pageant.  That's just me though.

[Milsean Cady]

I love all three songs, though I love Hallelujah the best and We all Go Back to Where we Belong the least. A month of Saturdays falls in the middle.

WAGBTWWB: Pretty but too Lite FM for me. Still, a good song.

A Month of Saturdays: Fun! Cute. It made me laugh. Michael has probably never punched a time clock in his life but he can somehow convey that "waiting for the weekend" feeling that most of us know pretty well. I found myself singing the chorus afterwards, and did not find Michael's vocals to be sucky, as someone else had previously said. I thought the delivery was fine.

Hallelujah: Well, it's beautiful. Sad. Resonant, dark, moody, keening, heartbreaking. Like all the R.E.M. stuff I love the best. It's not perfect, but neither are we.

[MAK]

A lot of influence on Michael's art projects in the latest lyrics.

"Brass" is mentioned in Marlon Brando, Blue and now Hallelujah, by the way.. do someone has the complete lyrics?

[Bitter Lime Parakeet]

MAK, on 08 November 2011 - 02:02 PM, said:

A lot of influence on Michael's art projects in the latest lyrics.

"Brass" is mentioned in Marlon Brando, Blue and now Hallelujah, by the way.. do someone has the complete lyrics?

I don't have anything official, but I did my best to transcribe the lyrics to Hallelujah.  Please feel free to correct anything that you hear differently, because I am sure they are not all right.  There are definitely a few parts I am iffy on, and I marked the most glaring iffy spots with question marks:


Hallelujah


the world is an oyster, the bitter refrain
the Lord is my shepherd, I cannot stay
this blessed earth, this beautiful lamb
a new day that breaks the dawn

I am the tide, the oceans sing
I am the anchor, I hold the brass ring
I am the action, the deed of our king
I am the stammered(?) goodnight

you make me to stand in the square on scene
and make my anxious(?) decisions sing
and bring my Lord, what this may bring
I stand before you alone

I rallied and sang, and shouted refrains
I'm blessed, turn the radio on
the air was calm
I held the bomb and the radio, the radio

Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelujah

Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelujah
Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelujah
Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelujah
Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelujah

[1two3four5]

this is what i can add:

(not sure about noise cheer but is it really oyster?)

Bitter Lime Parakeet, on 08 November 2011 - 02:21 PM, said:

Hallelujah


the world is a noise cheer, a bitter refrain
the Lord is my shepherd, I cannot stay
this blessed earth, this beautiful land
a new day that breaks the dawn

I am the tide, the oceans sing
I am the anchor, I hold the brass ring
I am the action, the deed of our king
I am the static, goodnight

you make me to stand to the square on scene
and make my choice, decisions sing
and bring my Lord, what this may bring
I stand before you alone

I rallied and sang, and shouted refrains
I'm blessed, turn the radio on
the air was calm
I held the bomb and the radio, the radio

Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelujah

Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelujah
Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelujah
Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelujah
Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelujah

[REMCHICAGOBOY]

Milsean Cady, on 08 November 2011 - 11:04 AM, said:

A Month of Saturdays: Fun! Cute. It made me laugh. Michael has probably never punched a time clock in his life but he can somehow convey that "waiting for the weekend" feeling that most of us know pretty well. I found myself singing the chorus afterwards, and did not find Michael's vocals to be sucky, as someone else had previously said. I thought the delivery was fine.

Hallelujah (pun intended) to this, as I love the song as well for the same reasons.

[1two3four5]

REMCHICAGOBOY, on 08 November 2011 - 03:06 PM, said:

Hallelujah (pun intended) to this, as I love the song as well for the same reasons.

i like 'a month of saturdays too', but i do feel it should have been better off on, say, the holiday single, than their 'definitive' 'greatest hits'. i would have only kept 'hallelujah' for the greatest hits, the other two more like a fun goodbye to the hardcore fans. this would have meant two additional existing songs on the greatest hits, especially from the several grossly underrepresented albums.

[Bitter Lime Parakeet]

1two3four5, on 08 November 2011 - 02:50 PM, said:

this is what i can add:

(not sure about noise cheer but is it really oyster?)

No idea, I was confused about that pronunciation as well!  I was just thinking of the saying "the world is your oyster" and it was as close as I could get.  Yours would make more sense, though.  It's hard to tell in a few places because what I was thinking was a single word could be a combination of more than one, very classic Stipe there.  I'm going to have another listen, thank you for your input.

[sycorax82]

They didn't let us down with Hallelujah! Love the timing, the strings, the vocal effects on the chorus (finalllllly we get 'howling' ). It's a great little send-off tune. Though does it sound like a band who you want to end????

[SweetMusic]

Well, I am patiently waiting for the actual release and refuse to listen to the new songs. What I'm hearing about Hallelujah sounds very promising, though I tend to be careful with that. Disappointment is just around the corner from expectation. 2 days to go (officially).

[pb7]

today I purchased the CD...

[welliwonder]

Bitter Lime Parakeet, on 08 November 2011 - 03:30 PM, said:

No idea, I was confused about that pronunciation as well!  I was just thinking of the saying "the world is your oyster" and it was as close as I could get.  Yours would make more sense, though.  It's hard to tell in a few places because what I was thinking was a single word could be a combination of more than one, very classic Stipe there.  I'm going to have another listen, thank you for your input.

what on earth is a noise cheer? it must be oyster but pronounced strangely, not for the first time ( speed metter etc)

[iskra]

welliwonder, on 09 November 2011 - 06:32 AM, said:

what on earth is a noise cheer? it must be oyster but pronounced strangely, not for the first time ( speed metter etc)

Perhaps it's meant to be read "The world is a noise, cheer, a bitter refrain."

[Bitter Lime Parakeet]

welliwonder, on 09 November 2011 - 06:32 AM, said:

what on earth is a noise cheer? it must be oyster but pronounced strangely, not for the first time ( speed metter etc)

I was actually thinking of "speed metter" there too, just assuming this was another odd pronunciation.

iskra, on 09 November 2011 - 07:59 AM, said:

Perhaps it's meant to be read "The world is a noise, cheer, a bitter refrain."

That is also possible.  Ah, lyric speculation is fun, isn't it?  It's great having official lyrics, but it is kind of fun trying to figure them out for ourselves.

[MAK]

I hear Oyster clearly.


Here is the meaning of the phrase "the world is your oyster"

http://uk.answers.ya...14162158AAIvlFC

[Driver Nate]

Not sure if it's "oyster" he's singing there but as I'm sure everyone knows, there's also this instance of it being used in "Binky the Doormat":

If I'm your oyster, where's the war?