E-Bow the Letter
Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe

R.E.M.
New Adventures in Hi-Fi
1996

I didn't realize that this strange song had an acoustic,
but I noticed the other day when I was listening to the
album.  It contains some weird backing vocals by Patti
Smith, and I think there's an e-bow guitar effect (hence
the name).  Lyrics by Jonathan Young.

Lyrics
Chords

INTRO (play 3x):

   G                                   Em
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-3-------3---3-3-|---3-3---3---3---|---------0---0-0-|---0-0---0---0---|
B:-3-------3---3-5-|---5-3---3---3---|---------0---0-0-|---0-0---0---0---|
G:-0-------0---0-0-|---0-0---0---0---|-0-------0---0-0-|---0-0---0---0---|
D:-0-------0---0-0-|---0-0---0---0---|-2-------2---2-2-|---2-2---2---2---|
A:-x-------x---x-x-|---x-x---x---x---|-2-------2---2-2-|---2-2---2---2---|
E:-3-------3---3-3-|---3-3---3---3---|-0-------0---0-0-|---0-0---0---0---|
(thumb on 6th string)______________

This is the chorus tab (play several times during chorus):

   D                                   Em
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-0---0---0-----|
B:---------3-2-----|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-0---0---0-----|
G:---------------2-|-------2---4-----|-0-------0-------|-0-0---0---0-----|
D:-0---------------|---4-------------|-2-------2-------|-2-2---2---2-----|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-2-------2-------|-2-2---2---2-----|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-0---0---0-----|

LYRICS:

play intro

C                          G/B
   Look up what do you see all of you and all of me
Em                     Bm
Fluorescent and starry some of them they surprise
C                        G                   Em
   The bus ride I went to write this 4AM this letter


Fields of poppies little pearls all the boys and all the girls
Sweet-toothed each and every one a little scary
I said your name

I wore it like a badge of teenage film stars hash bars cherry mash
And tinfoil tiaras dreaming of Maria Callas
Whoever she is

This fame thing I don't get it I wrap my hand in plastic to try to look through it
Maybelline eyes and girl-as-boy moves
I can take you far this star thing I don't get it

CHORUS
I'll take you over there

I'll take you over there
	(Aluminum tastes like fear
	 Adrenaline it pulls us near)
I'll take you over there
	(It tastes like fear)
I'll take you over


Will you live to 83 will you ever welcome me
Will you show me something that nobody else has seen
Smoke it drink

Here comes the flood anything to thin the blood
These corrosives do their magic slowly and sweet
Phone eat it

Drink just another chink
Cuts and dents they catch the light
Aluminum the weakest link

I don't want to disappoint you I'm not here to anoint you
I would lick your feet but is that sickest move I wear my own crown
And sadness and sorrow and who'd have thought tomorrow could be so strange

CHORUS
	(My loss here we go again)
I'll take you over there
I'll take you over there
	(Aluminum tastes like fear
	 Adrenaline it pulls us near)
I'll take you over there
	(It tastes like fear it pulls us near)
I'll take you over

play intro tab 3x


Look up what do you see
All of you and all of me fluorescent and starry
Some of them they surprise

Well I can't look it in the eyes seconal spanish fly absinthe
Kerosene cherry-flavored neck and collar I can smell the sorrow on your breath
The sweat the victory and sorrow the smell thing

CHORUS
	(I got it)
I'll take you over there
	(Aluminum tastes like fear
	 Adrenaline it pulls us near)
I'll take you over take you there
	(Aluminum tastes like fear
	 Adrenaline it pulls us near)
I'll take you over take you there
	(Tastes like fear
	 It pulls us near)
I'll take you over take you there
	(It tastes like fear
	 It pulls us near)
Pulls us near
	(It tastes like fear)
Tastes like fear
	(Pulls us near)
Pulls us near
	(Mirror mirror mirror)
Over over over over over over there
Over oh there
Oh over over there
There there there
D
Oooh


CHORDS:

G/B	x20033
Bm	x24432

To learn more about chord theory, check out Dansm's Guitar Chord Theory.