The lyrics in the demo of the song are nothing like the released version. In the chorus of the demo, Michael Stipe sings "When I live in Texarkana, where's that county line" instead of "I would give my life to find it, I would give it all." So, the title carried over even if the lyrics didn't.
re: the demo version. I'm surprised no one has related the story behind this song. As always, the band wrote the music without lyrics, then Stipe wrote words to fit. He got as far as the chorus mentioned earlier, and some at the end, before he gave up: (he slurs what I transcribe as "I'm there" - it could be something else)
re: the demo version. I'm surprised no one has related the story behind this song. As always, the band wrote the music without lyrics, then Stipe wrote words to fit. He got as far as the chorus mentioned earlier, and some at the end, before he gave up: (he slurs what I transcribe as "I'm there" - it could be something else)
======
When I’m there in Texarkana
Where’s that county line,
another county line.
======
When I’m there in Texarkana
Where’s that county line,
another county line.
I can only see, what’s in front of me.
You’re not here
I can only see, what’s in front of me.
You’re not here
You are just a memory
You’re in my memory
And...
You are just a memory
You’re in my memory
And I can’t see
>10 minutes, 10 hours,
10 days, 10 years
10 miles, 10 thousand miles away.
Stipe quit the song at that point. Bass player/keyboardist Mike Mills thought the song deserved to be finished, and insprired, he quickly dashed out the lyrics that he would sing on the album version. About the only bits from Stipe that were retained were the song title (they couldn't come up with a decent new song title so they just kept the old one); and the final line - ten thousand miles - got changed to twenty thousand and made the first line and the major theme of the new lyrics.
additional: Mills was quoted as saying "...Texarkana is an unhappy song as well. They're pop songs, but they aren't pop lyrics. They're just not lyrics about the state of the world - they're more lyrics about the state of our minds or our lives."
The lyrics in the demo of the song are nothing like the released version. In the chorus of the demo, Michael Stipe sings "When I live in Texarkana, where's that county line" instead of "I would give my life to find it, I would give it all." So, the title carried over even if the lyrics didn't.
re: the demo version. I'm surprised no one has related the story behind this song. As always, the band wrote the music without lyrics, then Stipe wrote words to fit. He got as far as the chorus mentioned earlier, and some at the end, before he gave up: (he slurs what I transcribe as "I'm there" - it could be something else)
re: the demo version. I'm surprised no one has related the story behind this song. As always, the band wrote the music without lyrics, then Stipe wrote words to fit. He got as far as the chorus mentioned earlier, and some at the end, before he gave up: (he slurs what I transcribe as "I'm there" - it could be something else)
====== When I’m there in Texarkana Where’s that county line, another county line.
====== When I’m there in Texarkana Where’s that county line, another county line.
I can only see, what’s in front of me. You’re not here
I can only see, what’s in front of me. You’re not here
You are just a memory You’re in my memory And...
You are just a memory You’re in my memory And I can’t see
>10 minutes, 10 hours, 10 days, 10 years 10 miles, 10 thousand miles away.
Stipe quit the song at that point. Bass player/keyboardist Mike Mills thought the song deserved to be finished, and insprired, he quickly dashed out the lyrics that he would sing on the album version. About the only bits from Stipe that were retained were the song title (they couldn't come up with a decent new song title so they just kept the old one); and the final line - ten thousand miles - got changed to twenty thousand and made the first line and the major theme of the new lyrics.
additional: Mills was quoted as saying "...Texarkana is an unhappy song as well. They're pop songs, but they aren't pop lyrics. They're just not lyrics about the state of the world - they're more lyrics about the state of our minds or our lives."