My grandpa's name was George. My entire life, everyone called him "Gee"...he was a raging alcoholic -- but a terribly happy, hilarious and loving one. It's said that when they coined the phrase "happy drunk", they were talking about Gramps. The stories that i've been told about that man make me smile or outright laugh when i think about them. Gramps moved on about 20 years ago and to this day, the song "Wendell Gee" brings tears to my eyes and pulls on my heart, thinking about the world's happiest drunk, and one helluva grandpa. I only listen to this song from time to time being that it saddens me....having said that, it also makes me happy to know that Gee was loved by all. More than once did his son, my uncle, come in to find a couple of down-on-their-luck homeless guys getting a hot shower or a meal at Gramps' house...guys he met over a pint of vodka in a brown paper bag. Love and miss you, Grandpa Gee.
a "raging" alcoholic is a mean drunk. Not a "happy" drunk. There are no happy drunks. He should have smoked weed instead. He would have really enjoyed listening to the wind blow through the trees. Just sayin'. Peace.
Eddie Galon ok...i didn't mean to get caught up in semantics...but yea, the dude was a drunk...a fucking funny one who was sweet as strawberry pie. ps...he loved weed, too. ;)
Absolutely beautiful version mike mills was always like a second vocalist his harmonies always stood out with beautiful melodies . His vocals gave me chills especially on find the river
We were at an after show party in Dublin when REM played for 5 nights, my friend told Michael Stipe how special this song was to him- Michael loved hearing how much it meant to my friend and hugged him before he left with his then bf Thomas. Lovely bunch of guys- a year on Peter Buck ran past backstage in Amsterdam I shouted good luck as REM were about to go on stage- little did I know Peter ran to the toilet.....,me wishing him luck going for a piss lol- at least he smiled snd said thanks!! I miss them!!a sad day when they split😔
this must have been earlier or later in their career. Mills was always nice when I saw him. Buck and Stipe grew really aloof. Buck would ignore you and Stipe would scold fans for trying to talk to him. This was in the early 90s.
Wendell Gee Used Cars was north of Athens on GA129N in Pendergrass, GA near I-85. It's long gone now. The one thing missing from this song is Mills' tasteful bass playing and background singing.
REM lyrics are more complex than I thought. Of course I am Gen X and this is my signature band of the 80s. Had all their stuff, etc. But it is crazy that now I can slow down and actually listen. I was actually right listening to them.
True, Mike goofs a lyric here and there, but Michael is notorious for forgetting words. There is so much (sometimes hilarious) footage of Mr. Stipe on stage with his trusty music stand holding lyric sheets! 😂 And honestly, it’s really nice to see and hear Mike sing this great song. What a nice performance this is. Thank you R.E.M. Thank you.
@@JStarStar00 While REM always claimed, and Stipe in particular, that lyrics were fluid and changeable, I have always heard this song as intentionally playing off the imagery of wind whistling through the leaves and through the eaves. Both images work and I suspect the distinction is no accident.
@@ThaiThom Many words are changed from the studio version on New Adventures. E.g. he builds a "house" of chicken wire instead of a trunk, he "crawls" inside instead of climbs, etc. Maybe they're goofs, maybe intentional changes.
1. Better than the album version. 2. I have never had a song made me cry like a baby within the first verse alone. Mike does a great job on this song. I think better than the album version.
My favorite qoYoung-Earth Creationists: believe the Earth is 6,000 years old; subscribe to flood geology and creation science Old-Earth Creationists: accept the scientific consensus that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old and the universe is 13.8 billion years old; some believe the “years” mentioned in Genesis really refer to longer time periods of millions of years; contend that the Hebrew word for “day” (“yom”) can refer to an era or epoch; usually reject macroevolution Theistic Evolutionists: believe that God directed the process of evolution; hold that the Book of Genesis should be interpreted metaphorically "Life and How to Live it" but it is so hard to choose
i'm surprised that there are no comments about the fact that Mike seems to be singing different lyric's? "so, listen as the wind blows through the trees" I thought it was "So whistle as the wind blows,Whistle as the wind blows, with me" also in this line "He had a dream one night That the tree had lost its middle,So he built a trunk of chicken wire" Mike sings he built a "house" of chicken wire.
I love Mike Mills! Met him when he was touring with The Baseball Project - super-nice guy! I hope he puts out solo work, I love his voice! Look, there is Cindy Wilson of The B-52s! Love her!
Best on that album, certainly. Do appreciate the song much more now heard it in this clear, simplified way, and rises up the rankings many places, for me.
If I had to guess, the Fleetwood Mac song that inspired this was "Songbird" or "Storms". And I always admired the subtle but important word play between the wind whistling between the leaves and between the eaves.
Well, shit, I was listening to Fleetwood Mac earier, and then was singing this song to myself. Maybe my synapses made some sort of connection. I wonder if the song that inspired Millsy was "Never Going Back Again?"
Can relate to Buck regards Stand. I like it, yet, for a guitarist it is very simple and obvious, once at a certain level perhaps too simple to be interesting or stimulating. Buck is known for 'playing through the gaps' of all the countless guitaring he's heard when working at a record shop. It's a usefull track if you want to guitar it and sing because of It's simplicity, though Buck doesn't need to do that.
I used to love the album version but recently noticed the wooden stick beating the time, which I don't like... and now I can't un-hear it! This version is awesome (if lyrically challenged), the last few notes and lyrics are sublime (& sadly absent on the album version).
You'd think he would. It's not like one suddenly ceases to be able to come up with ideas. I'd at least be suprised if he didn't write songs for other people.
Where's the June Carter Cash tune? Who cares if the lyrics aren't carbon copy 'cuz REM fans know that song lyrics are transitional. Very nice reading by Mike E Mills.
That's not a dig - just an observation. For example. Mike sings 'the tree had lost it's middle so he built a house of chicken wire' - I believe the lyric is 'he built a trunk of chicken wire'.. there are others.