We Have Signal: Live From Birmingham – Magnolia Electric Co. from We Have Signal on Vimeo.

Below is a transcript to the background of the R.E.M. song, “Live and How to Live It” from an unknown bootleg that I used to have. I can’t even begin to recall how many times I listened to this show (and specifically the intro into this song) during my college years…

“A man had a house, he built a wall down the middle of it, he had an apartment on this side, he had an apartment on this side. In this apartment he had furniture, clothes, food, books… a cat. In this apartment he had different food, different clothes, different furniture, different books. And a gerbil. He would live over on this side for a while, until he got tired of it, then he would take off his clothes and put his books down on the counter, and he’d move over to this side for a while until he got tired of it and then move back over to this side and he flip-flopped back and forth until he died.

When he died they went back in this part over here and in the closet they found these books piled up, from the floor to the ceiling, packed in, and it was this book that he wrote and every single copy of the book that was ever printed was in there, he never gave one away or showed it to anybody so nobody ever knew that he wrote it. He just kept it there. And the name of the book was Life and How to Live It.”

and here are the lyrics…

Burn bright through the night, two pockets lead the way
Two doors to go between the wall was raised today
Two doors remain before your others and your own
Keep these books well stocked away and take your happy home

(chorus)
My carpenter’s out and running about, talking to the street
My pockets are out and running about
Barking in the street to tell what I have hidden there

Burn bright through the night, two pockets lead the way
Two doors to go between the wall was raised today
Raise the walls and shout its flaws, a carpenter should rest
So that when you tire of one side the other serves you best

(repeat chorus)

The hills ringing hear the words in time
Listen to the holler, listen to my walls within my tongue
Can’t you see you made my ears go tin?
The air quicken tension building inference suddenly
Life and how to live it

Raise the walls and shout its flaws, a carpenter should rest
So that when you tire of one side the other serves you best
Read about the wisdom lost, a knock, a knock, a knock
A secret knock one hammer’s locked the other wisdom lost

(repeat chorus)

My carpenter’s out and running about, barking in the, listen to the holler
My pockets are out and running about
Barking in the street to tell what I have hidden there

Listen, listen to the holler,

If I write a book it will be called “Life and How to Live It”

“When Phish broke up, I made some comment about how I’m not gonna go around playing ‘You Enjoy Myself’ for the rest of my life,” Anastasio said with a laugh. “And it’s so funny because Fish and Mike and Page have been talking to each other a lot lately and now — it’s not that I can’t believe that I said that, but its symbolic of how much I lost my mind or how much I lost my bearings or something. Because at this point in time I would give my left nut to play that song five times in a row every day until I die. I certainly thought about that while I was in jail.”

via Live Music Blog

Here’s one that I found recently: Uncle Tupelo taped for local cable access show in St. Louis. I think Jeff and Jay probably were so young that they didn’t have their licenses yet and Mr. Tweedy had to drop them off. :)

Now, I have never been to Hawaii but have to admit that there is something soothing in the tropical sound that comes from 4 strings. After tons of research and hearing about others getting bit by the bug, I decided to go with a Flea Ukulele (opting for the Tiki model) based upon it’s praise, durability and price.

Soon after pulling the trigger and ordering one, I was searching around and discovered the following video on YouTube. He happens to be playing the same uke that I ordered and without a doubt has confirmed that I made a good choice.

Tell me that this guy isn’t amazing. I think I need a hat like that to complete my new obsession… :)

I don’t know what that says about my music tastes. I’m somewhat annoyed. :)

They do say that all rock critics are failed musicians. I guess that is somewhat true in my case (although I’ve been rocking the keyboard/mic that Maggie got for Christmas)…

Don’t know the song? Where have you been the last couple of weeks? :)