R.E.M. released its first single—"Radio Free Europe"—in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the group released its critically acclaimed debut album, Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with the single "The One I Love". The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide.
By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to enter the mainstream, R.E.M. was viewed by subsequent acts such as Nirvana and Pavement as a pioneer of the genre. The band released its two most commercially successful albums, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound and catapulted it to international fame. R.E.M.'s 1994 release, Monster, was a return to a more rock-oriented sound, but still continued its run of success. The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three of the band members.
In 1996, R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported US$80 million, at the time the most expensive recording contract in history. Its 1996 release, New Adventures in Hi-Fi, though critically acclaimed, fared worse commercially than its predecessors. The following year, Bill Berry left the band, while Stipe, Buck, and Mills continued the group as a trio. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success, despite having sold more than 85 million records worldwide and becoming one of the world's best-selling music artists. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in their first year of eligibility. R.E.M. disbanded amicably in September 2011, announcing the split on its website.
In January 1980, Michael Stipe met Peter Buck in Wuxtry Records, the Athens record store where Buck worked. The pair discovered that they shared similar tastes in music, particularly in punk rock and protopunk artists like Patti Smith, Television, and the Velvet Underground. Stipe said, "It turns out that I was buying all the records that [Buck] was saving for himself." Through mutual friend Kathleen O'Brien, Stipe and Buck then met fellow University of Georgia students Mike Mills and Bill Berry, who had played music together since high school and lived together in Georgia. The quartet agreed to collaborate on several songs; Stipe later commented that "there was never any grand plan behind any of it". Their still-unnamed band spent a few months rehearsing in a deconsecrated Episcopal church in Athens, and played its first show on April 5, 1980, supporting the Side Effects at O'Brien's birthday party held in the same church, performing a mix of originals and 1960s and 1970s covers. After considering Twisted Kites, Cans of Piss, and Negro Eyes, the band settled on "R.E.M." (which is an initialism for rapid eye movement, the dream stage of sleep), which Stipe selected at random from a dictionary.
The band members eventually dropped out of school to focus on their developing group. They found a manager in Jefferson Holt, a record store clerk who was so impressed by an R.E.M. performance in his hometown of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, that he moved to Athens. R.E.M.'s success was almost immediate in Athens and surrounding areas; the band drew progressively larger crowds for shows, which caused some resentment in the Athens music scene. Over the next year and a half, R.E.M. toured throughout the Southern United States. Touring was arduous because a touring circuit for alternative rock bands did not then exist. The group toured in an old blue van driven by Holt, and lived on a food allowance of $2 each per day.
R.E.M. was pivotal in the creation and development of the alternative rock genre. AllMusic stated, "R.E.M. mark the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock." In the early 1980s, the musical style of R.E.M. stood in contrast to the post-punk and new wave genres that had preceded it. Music journalist Simon Reynolds noted that the post-punk movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s "had taken whole swaths of music off the menu", particularly that of the 1960s, and that "After postpunk's demystification and New Pop's schematics, it felt liberating to listen to music rooted in mystical awe and blissed-out surrender." Reynolds declared R.E.M., a band that recalled the music of the 1960s with its "plangent guitar chimes and folk-styled vocals" and who "wistfully and abstractly conjured visions and new frontiers for America", one of "the two most important alt-rock bands of the day." With the release of Murmur, R.E.M. had the most impact musically and commercially of the developing alternative genre's early groups, leaving in its wake a number of jangle pop followers.
R.E.M.'s early breakthrough success served as an inspiration for other alternative bands. Spin referred to the "R.E.M. model"—career decisions that R.E.M. made which set guidelines for other underground artists to follow in their own careers. Spin's Charles Aaron wrote that by 1985, "They'd shown how far an underground, punk-inspired rock band could go within the industry without whoring out its artistic integrity in any obvious way. They'd figured out how to buy in, not sellout-in other words, they'd achieved the American Bohemian Dream." Steve Wynn of Dream Syndicate said, "They invented a whole new ballgame for all of the other bands to follow whether it was Sonic Youth or the Replacements or Nirvana or Butthole Surfers. R.E.M. staked the claim. Musically, the bands did different things, but R.E.M. was first to show us you can be big and still be cool." Biographer David Buckley stated that between 1991 and 1994, a period that saw the band sell an estimated 30 million albums, R.E.M. "asserted themselves as rivals to U2 for the title of biggest rock band in the world." Over the course of its career, the band has sold over 85 million records worldwide.
Alternative bands such as Nirvana, Pavement, Radiohead, Coldplay, Pearl Jam (the band's vocalist Eddie Vedder inducted R.E.M. into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), and Live, have drawn inspiration from R.E.M.'s music. "When I was 15 years old in Richmond, Virginia, they were a very important part of my life," Pavement's Bob Nastanovich said, "as they were for all the members of our band." Pavement's contribution to the No Alternative compilation (1993) was "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence", a song about R.E.M.'s early days. Local H, according to the band's Twitter account, created their name by combining two R.E.M. songs: "Oddfellows Local 151" and "Swan Swan H". Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was a fan of R.E.M., and had unfulfilled plans to collaborate on a musical project with Stipe. Cobain told Rolling Stone in an interview earlier that year, "I don’t know how that band does what they do. God, they’re the greatest. They've dealt with their success like saints, and they keep delivering great music."
During his show at the 40 Watt Club in October 2018, Johnny Marr said: "As a British musician coming out of the indie scene in the early '80s, which I definitely am and am proud to have been, I can't miss this opportunity to acknowledge and pay my respects and honor the guys who put this town on the map for us in England. I'm talking about my comrades in guitar music, R.E.M. The Smiths really respected R.E.M. We had to keep an eye on what those guys were up to. It's an interesting thing for me, as a British musician, and all those guys as British musicians, to come to this place and play for you guys, knowing that it's the roots of Mike Mills and Bill Berry and Michael Stipe and my good friend Peter Buck."
[Untitled]
R.E.M. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I stayed up late (I stayed up late) to hear your voice
This light is here (this light is here) to keep you warm (to keep you warm)
This song is here (this song is here) to keep you strong
I made a list of things to say
But all I really want to say (but all I want)
All I really want to say is (that's all I want)
And keep him strong (to say)
While I'm away from here (that's all I want)
Hold her and keep her strong (this world is big and so awake)
While I'm away from here (to hear your voice)
Hold her and keep him strong (this light is here to keep you warm)
While I'm away from here (this song is here to keep you strong)
I've seen the world
And so, awake and stay up late to hear me sing (keep him strong)
Just hold her
I've seen the world
And so, awake and stay up late to hear me sing (keep him strong)
Just hold him
Hold her and keep her strong (I've seen the world and stayed up late)
While I'm away from here (to hear you sing)
And hold him (I've seen the world and so awake)
And keep him strong (so stay up late)
The lyrics of R.E.M.'s song [untitled] are open to interpretation, but they seem to convey a message of love and protection. The first verse describes the vastness and liveliness of the world, and how the singer has stayed up late to hear the voice of their loved one. The second verse is addressed to someone else, instructing them to hold and keep their loved one strong while the singer is away.
The chorus emphasizes the simplicity of the singer's message: they made a list of things to say, but all they really want to say is to hold and keep their loved one strong. The bridge repeats the first verse, with the addition of the singer having seen the world and stayed up late to sing. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus and the final instructions to hold and keep the loved one strong.
Overall, the lyrics seem to express a deep sense of caring for someone and a desire to make sure they are protected and supported. It is a simple yet powerful message that is beautifully conveyed through the emotional melody and Michael Stipe's distinctive vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
This world is big (this world is big) and so awake (and so awake)
The world is vast and full of energy.
I stayed up late (I stayed up late) to hear your voice
I sacrificed sleep to listen to you.
This light is here (this light is here) to keep you warm (to keep you warm)
The light is a symbol of safety and comfort for you.
This song is here (this song is here) to keep you strong
This song is meant to inspire and empower you.
I made a list of things to say
I prepared a list of statements to make.
But all I really want to say (but all I want)
In reality, I only have one message to convey.
All I really want to say is (that's all I want)
The only thing I truly desire to say is
Hold her (I wrote a list of things to say)
Protect her and support her.
And keep him strong (to say)
Maintain his resilience and perseverance.
While I'm away from here (that's all I want)
During my absence, this is my primary wish.
Hold her and keep her strong (this world is big and so awake)
Protect and support her in this vast and energetic world.
While I'm away from here (to hear your voice)
During my absence, I long to hear your voice.
Hold her and keep him strong (this light is here to keep you warm)
Protect and support them in the safety and comfort of the light.
While I'm away from here (this song is here to keep you strong)
During my absence, this song will inspire and empower you.
I've seen the world
I have experienced the world's diversity and complexity.
And so, awake and stay up late to hear me sing (keep him strong)
I am energetic and passionate, encouraging you to stay strong.
Just hold her
Protect and support her.
And hold him (I've seen the world and so awake)
Protect and support him, as I am full of energy and awake.
And keep him strong (so stay up late)
Help him maintain his resilience and perseverance by also staying awake and energetic.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Michael Stipe, Michael E. Mills, Peter Lawrence Buck, William Thomas Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cl.kevi4419
"Losing My Religion"
Oh life, it's bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper
Of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
Consider this
Consider this, the hint of the century
Consider this, the slip
That brought me to my knees, failed
What if all these fantasies come
Flailing around
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try
That was just a dream
Just a dream
Just a dream, dream
LIKE>>>>>
@juanmiguelcantuba8133
Oh life, it's bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper
Of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
Consider this
Consider this, the hint of the century
Consider this, the slip
That brought me to my knees, failed
What if all these fantasies come
Flailing around
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try
That was just a dream
Just a dream
Just a dream, dream
@riccardomangiaracina
Lyrics
Oh life, is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no I've said too much
I set it up
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spot-light
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper, of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no I've said too much
I set it up
Consider this
Consider this, the hint of the century
Consider this the slip
That brought me to my knees, failed
What if all these fantasies come
Flailing around
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spot-light
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
Try, cry, fly, try
That was just a dream
Just a dream
Just a dream, dream
@mariomena8614
Lyrics: "Losing My Religion" - REM.
Oh, life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper
Of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
Consider this
Consider this the hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees, failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try?
That was just a dream
Just a dream, just a dream, dream. END.
@natliekla
My dad passed away yesterday and now I'm making a playlist with all the songs he loved and I remember him by. This is one of them. Thank you dad for showing me the greatest artists of all times. Loved, missed and never forgotten 🤘🔥❤️
@klaratgrs7528
Rip🙏
@joshlewis575
Dread that day, stay strong. Don't know if your dad liked r&b but "dance with my father again " by Luther vandross is a great dad song.
@mukulmehra8
Peace be upon him
@dillon0829
I’m so sorry to hear that. Btw I just saw you commented on Every Breath You take. What a coincidence
@nycsteak9597
I’ve been there. I also made a playlist of my dad’s favourite songs. It’s been a yr. I miss him everyday. Sending virtual hugs!
@juliedeed1306
31 years ago I bought my newborn son home from the hospital, this was the song playing when I switched MTV on, I sang the whole thing while feeding him. Now everytime I hear this song it reminds me of my firstborn son who is now a grown man with his own house, lovely memories x
@nurpiet
thanks for sharing that beautiful memory julie.
music is truly humanity's greatest invention and connector.
@user-ek8qi3qz5i
Wow, didn't realize it was released that long ago! Time is escalating faster and faster!
@bradj977
I was gonna like this, but you have 69 likes and that's nearly as beautiful as your comment ❤️