Feed the Tree by Belly

1993 was a good year for alternative rock, when a number of underground heroes had actual hit singles. Tanya Donelly originally formed Throwing Muses in the '80s with her half-sister Kristin Hersh when both were teenagers.

For a few years she was content to land two songs on each Muses album. Then she started writing more and needed an outlet. At first the solution was to form a second band with her friend Kim Deal of the Pixies—That band was the Breeders, and the agreement was that Deal would write the first Breeders album and Donelly the second.

But it became clear that each of them needed their own band to get their songs out, so Deal kept the Breeders while Donelly formed Belly. If the lyrics get you confused, keep in mind that “feeding the tree” is something like “pushing up daisies,” so what she’s saying is “Stick with me for the rest of my life.”

What other group on Rock Band did Tanya Donelly sing with? Fellow Boston heroes Mission of Burma; for whom she did backup vocals on their ONoffON album.

What other group on Rock Band did later Belly bassist Gail Greenwood play with? L7, whom she joined after Belly’s breakup.

On guitar and bass, this is a fairly easy song with some left curves that can ruin your streak.

The guitar part has three quick HOPOs that recur many times in the main riff; you’ll need to master those before you can Five-Star it.There’s also a surprise three-note chord that occurs just after the opening riff.

On bass, don’t get too comfortable with the rhythm, as there are a few times where it changes without warning.

Belly broke up in 1996, Tanya Donelly’s since gone on to a solo career.