A liner note from the Special Edition of R.E.M.'s Greatest Hits album 'In Time' written by Peter Buck: Imitation of Life

A liner note from the Special Edition of R.E.M.'s Greatest Hits album 'In Time' written by Peter Buck: Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life

"This song was the poppiest thing on Reveal, and hence the first single. The title, of course, comes from the Douglas Sirk film about and African-American woman passing for white in the south in the fifties, a movie which I don't think any of use have actually have seen.

I thought at the time that the title was a perfect metaphor for adolescence. Unfortuntately I have come to believe that it is a prefect metaphor for adulthood too. But that's another story.

Funnily enough we had written, recorded, and released this song before I realised that the first four chords in the verse are the exact same chords as the verse of Driver 8. Oh well."
-
In case you were inspired, here's the guitar tab / chords for R.E.M.'s Imitation of Life.

Intro: Em C
G Em Am C-Dsus4 D Dsus4 D
Verse: Em Am G D
Em Am G D-C
Chorus: G Em Am C-D
G Em Am C-Dsus4 D Dsus4 D
Solo: C D Am D C D

e---------------------
B--13-12-8----5-8-10s5
End on: Em

Check out some trivia from the Mandalorian show.

Leave a Comment liner notes In Time, Peter Buck REM guitarist