REM - "ebow the letter" Tablature

E-Bow the Letter (Last updated: 10/17/96)

Ok...First the lyrics...Then the chords...We have 7 different versions of
this song in this file. I'll try and see which is the most accurate. - chris)


Lyrics
Source: From the premiere of the cc-video on MTV (August 14)

1-Look up, what do you see?
All of you and all of me
Fluorescent and starry
Some of them, they surprise

The bus ride, I went to write this, 4:00 a.m.
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

2-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
It tastes like fear, there
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?
My loss, and here we go again
(repeat 2)

(repeat 1)
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 of fear, I got it
(rpt 2, 2...)

Pulls us near
Tastes like fear..

Nearer, nearer
over, over, over, over
Yeah, look over
I'll take you there, oh, yeah
I'll take you there
Oh, over
I'll take you there
Over, let me
I'll take you there..
There, there, baby, yeah


----
From: james yerian (jyerian@thiel.edu)

intro and bridge: G to Em
all verses: C G Em Bm, then C G Em
which then launches into
the chorus of : D to Em


-----
(Source: Greg Allum)

Intro--

G Eminor7th repeated 4x
(the G is strummed twice and then picked on the E and B strings with the G
becoming a G6)
(The Em7 Is picked on the E and B strings after 2 strums as well)

Verse

C G Em Bm C G Em Em repeated 2x
(The rhythm is sort of two strums on each chord)


Chorus---

D Em repeated 4 x
(the riff on the D is below)
B--------------3-----2---------------
G-------------------------2---------2-----4
D------------------------------4


Thats it...except for where it goes quiet and that bit is the intro repeat!

----
I have just heard REM'S New single "E-Bow the letter" on the radio and grabbed
my guitar and started transcribing it, seems pretty easy so I thought some
might like the Guitar chords for it so here they are:-


"E-Bow the letter" by REM from their Forthcoming album "Adventures in Hi-Fi"

Transcribed by Simon Darby (chrisd@atlas.co.uk)

This is all my own work If there are any mistakes send me some e-mail and give
me the corrections
But I am pretty sure these are right well 99% surte any way here goes

Intro

D Dsus4 Dsus2 Em Em7
(Played in a moderate flow)


Verse's

C Cadd(9) G Em Em7
(Alternative picking used, Just pick through chords)

Chorus

D Dsus4 Em Em7



Chords used:-
Cadd(9) Dsus4 Dsus2 Em7
e 0 3 0
b 3 3 3
g 0 2 0
d 2 0 2
a 3 x 2
E x x 0


---------
E-Bow the Letter (from: anonymous)

"D": 2:-3--3-2-0-----0
3:-2--------0-2
4:-0---

peter doesn't play it like this every single time - he'll play around
with it a lot.

C:x32010
Dsus2:xx0230
Bm:x24430
Em:x79987

note: during the verses, pick through the chords - it sounds better.

also note: if you're confused about the verse chords, each chord gets 2 beats
C
Look up, and what do you see?
Dsus2
all of you and all of me
Bm Em
cresents, stars, summer lily surprise
Dsus2 Bm
the bus driver went to write those four Ms - letter
C
I feel to pop these little pearls
D Bm
all the boys and all the girls
Em C D
street-toothed, each and every one of them a little scared
Bm
I said your name
C
I wore it like a badgered teenage film star:
D Bm
Taz Forrest, Jerry Mash, tenfold tiaras
Em C D Bm
dreaming of Maria Callas, wherever she is

the same thing
C
I don't get it
D
I wrapped my hand in plastic
Bm
to try to look through that maybelline eyes
Em
girls and boys and others
C D
to take the fall
Bm
this dark thing

I don't get it


(Chorus): "D" (for four beats) Em (for 2) G (for 2)
"D" ( " ) Em (for 2)


"I'll take you over, I'll take you there"

"D"
aluminum, tastes like fear
Em G
adrenaline, pulls us near
"D" Em
tastes like fear

(same chords as above)
will you live to 83?
will you ever welcome me?
will you show me something that noboby else has seen
snuck out, drink, here comes the flood
anything within the blood
these corrosives do their magic so lame, and sweet
from EF drink, it's just another chink
cut too dense they catch the light
aluminum, will you sink?
I don't want to disappoint you, I'm not
here to anoint you
I would lick your pupils
at the sickest move, I'd wear my own crown
with sadness and sorrow and who'd have thought tomorrow
would be so strange

my loss, here we go again

"I'll take you over, I'll take you there"

aluminum tastes like fear
adrenaline, pulls us near
tastes like fear
pulls us near

bridge: (4 beats per chord) G Em (3x)

look up
and what do you see all of you and all of me
fussing and starring summing down a late surprise

i can't look it in the eye
sickened of spanish fly
it's okay, i see a cherry-flavoured neckered car
i can smell the salt on your breath
the sweat, victory, salt, the smell thing
i've got it

"i can't move you over"

aluminum, tastes like fear,
adrenaline, pulls us near...



that's it. on the verse immediately after the bridge,
peter uses an e-bow, and here's what he does:

a--3--5--2--7--5--3--5--2


-----
From: Andrew Steckler (andrew.steckler@flipflop.org)

Um, I think I may have figured out some of E-bow to
help you out here..

The intro goes:

G Em

The chorus:

e-----------------
B--3-2------------
G------2---2-4----
D--------4--------

----
From: david wagner (102017.1777@compuserve.com)

intro:
eadgbE
G Em7 (020000)

verse:

C G Em Bm C G Em Em (2x)

(2 beats per chord)


chorus:
"D" Em (4x)

"D": b-3-2
g-----2---2-4
d-------4

bridge:
see intro


From: Michael Dales (dalesm@dcs.gla.ac.uk)


E-Bow the Letter from New Adventures in Hi-Fi

Intro & Bridge :

G Em do this three times

Verse :

C G Em Bm C G Em The last Em is played for twice the time of the rest

Chorus

D Em G Here the D is played for twice the time of the rest