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REM The Band
Acoustic Lessons

REM The Band On Acoustic Guitar

Here on my REM the band acoustic page are a few tunes you can easily learn on the guitar. I have free demos below along with free downloadable chords and lyrics sheets in pdf format.

If you require the full tutorials lessons, there are purchase links for a few bucks each or less if purchased in bulk with other lessons across the site. I'm using REM album covers below to indicate the source of the songs.

Jump links to quickly access the sections.


REM The Band Acoustic Lessons
Chords, Lyrics, Covers, Tutorials

1. Losing My Religion

This song by REM is off of their 1991 album "Out Of Time". The song revolves around a mandolin riff from Peter Buck who just purchased a mandolin and was trying to learn how to pay it.

This became the groups biggest charting song in the US to date at #4 on the Billboard chart. This song won 2 Grammy's in 1992. 

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down down down up down up and repeat will work
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: Am, F, G, Em, Dm, Fmaj7
Chords & Lyrics

 

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2. Man On The Moon

From the album "Automatic For The People" in 1992 and the 2nd single from this album. The song did reach #1 in Iceland of all places and was a #30 in the US and #18 in the UK.

The song was also featured in the 1999 film of the same name starring Jim Carey.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down down up down up down up and repeat
  • Picking: No
  • Chords: C, D, Am, G6
Chords & Lyrics

 

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3. Nightswimming

This is a song about skinny dipping at night according Mike Mills, whereas lead singer Michael Stipe said he wrote the lyrics about a nightwatchman but had to change the title to night swimming, because the night watchman said he would sue Stipe.

The string arrangement here was arranged by the former bass player of Led Zeppelin, John Paul Jones. The song is from 1992 and the album "Automatic For The People". Lead singer Michael Stipe sings this one along with the bass player Mike Mills, who is playing piano on this track.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: mostly downstrokes because of all of the underlying riffs going on throughout but the odd spot where there is some arpeggio 1-2-3 up down up
  • Picking: just riffs blended into the rhythm
  • Chords: G, G6, C, D, Am
Chords & Lyrics

 

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4. Pop Song 89

This song hails from the bands 1989 album "Green". The single peaked at #86 on Billboards Hot 100 charts.

Stipe was asked by MTV to cover the 3 naked women he was dancing with somehow in the music video so he placed black stripes to cover their nipples. 

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: down down up down up down up and repeat .. several spots where downstrokes are picking some riffs
  • Picking: just a few riffs
  • Chords: A, D, B7, Am, E, G
Chords & Lyrics

 

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5. Shiny Happy People

In 1991 the album "Out Of Time" released this single which hit the top 10 in the US, Canada, Norway and the UK and featured Kate Pierson from the B-52's in both the music video and on the track itself. 


  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: some arpeggio and then basically just a down down up down up down up and repeat pattern with some downstrokes
  • Picking: just a small riff
  • Chords: G, Em, Bm, C, E, A
Chords & Lyrics

 

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6. Talk About The Passion

This song hails from REM's debut album entitled "Murmur" but as a single was only released in the European market. The song failed to make the charts.

The song was about hunger around the world and the music video made this point, but according to Stipe the song itself failed to showcase that fact.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: play a down up down up rhythm or use a down down up down up and repeat that as you sing.
  • Picking: some riffs blended into the rhythm
  • Chords: D, C, A , G6, Em13, Em7, A, Dsus2/F
Chords & Lyrics

 

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7. The One I Love

In 1987 the album "Document" was released with three singles and this song becoming the band's first top 10 hit reaching #9 in the US and #11 in Canada.

  • Drop D Tuning: No
  • Capo: No
  • Rhythm: root down up root up down up and repeat
  • Picking: Yes
  • Chords: Em, D, G, C, D#
Chords & Lyrics

 

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Thanks for stopping by this REM the band acoustic page and I hope you found the info here useful.


If you liked this REM page, you might like ... (click images) 


REM Documentary




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