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."
Blue
R.E.M. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes I feel so sad
Sometimes I feel just about everything
Lately I'm just feeling bad
Lately I'm just feeling bad
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
I thought of you as my mountain top
I thought of you as my peak
I thought of you as just about everything
I had, but couldn't keep
I had, but couldn't keep
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Linger on your pale blue eyes
R.E.M. is known for their masterful lyricism, and "Pale Blue Eyes" is a perfect example of that. The song begins with a contemplative note about the ups and downs of life, and how feelings can swing wildly from joy to sadness. The singer seems to be in a lull in the present time, feeling lost and downcast. The repetition of the line "Lately I'm just feeling bad" only emphasizes this point.
However, the true meaning of the song comes in during the chorus, with the line "Linger on your pale blue eyes." While it is unclear who's pale blue eyes are being referred to, it's likely that the singer is referring to a past love. The next stanza confirms this, as the singer thinks back on this person as a "mountain top" and "peak," someone who was once everything to them. However, they also couldn't keep this person, and are left with only memories.
The chorus repeats once again, indicating that the singer is stuck in the past, obsessing over their lost love. The overall mood of the song is one of melancholy, with the slow, almost haunting melody contributing to the somber feelings expressed in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I feel so happy
Occasionally, I experience joy
Sometimes I feel so sad
Occasionally, I experience sadness
Sometimes I feel just about everything
Occasionally, I am overwhelmed with emotions
Lately I'm just feeling bad
Recently, I have been feeling distressed
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Take time to reminisce about your blue-colored eyes
I thought of you as my mountain top
I viewed you as my pinnacle
I thought of you as my peak
I regarded you as my highest point
I thought of you as just about everything
I saw you as almost everything
I had, but couldn't keep
Although I possessed you for a while, I couldn't hold onto you
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Spend some time reminiscing about your pale blue eyes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lou Reed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marianna Lester
Eu amo essa música 👉 20:23 hermosa elección 4.fo/AVALYNN687
15:55 Setacy:
''Hyper''
11:12 Sun:
''Hotter''
11:12 Hopi:
''Sweeter''
00:18 Joonie:
''Cooler''
18:00 Yoongi:
''Butter''
15:55 Amoy:
''Monks''
Son unos
delos mejores conciertos
Я обожаю этот ремейк. Такой красивый клип,танец,аутфиты и мои любимые девочки
caninemessiah
What a fun song, and challenging decision to not reveal the lyrics. It's been fun trying to make sense of the lyrics, and reading the various interpretations on the web. So here is my take on the lyrics - honestly the lines that Patti sings are some of the most challenging for me... :*)
BLUE
I got a circus life; the stakes broken amongst useless mud
The ties that bind, ha ha
I can be bad poet, street poet, shiv poet, kind poet too
Subway, Almost 4AM Halloween…
I’ve had enough to drink to make my own party
All my fellow riders in half costume, half asleep, half silly, gone to seed
I… don't mark my time with dates, holidays, fate or some… luck, karma or whatever’s... convenient
I am made by my times. I am a creation of Now shaken with the cracks and crevices.
I'm not giving up easy. I will not fold. I don't have much but what I have is gold.
{I saw your face...}
I sing in platinum. I dress in brass. I eat in zinc. Let it pass.
Campari toast? I like that.
I understand courage
I so roil with the shout of a cab driver’s attitude today
I try to see outside myself
I understand the eyes
Excuse all the highs. Sorry. I am sorry. Ha ha
I like you, love you, every coast of you.
I've seen your eddies and tides and hurricanes and cyclones.
Low ebb tide and high full moon. Up close and distant.
I read you like the sky, the sea, the ocean, the sun, the moon.
Blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue blue, blue, blue, blue, blue.
Naked and blue.
Breathing with you. Touch. Change. Shift. Allow air.
Window open. Drift. Drift away. Into now.
I want Whitman proud. Patti Lee proud. My mother is proud. My sister is proud.
I want me. I want it all. I want sensational. Irresistible.
This is my time and I am thrilled to be alive. Living. And Blessed. I understand.
Twentieth century: Collapse Into Now
{Cinderella boy: You've lost your shoe
Cinderella boy: your coach a waste
A sun made shadows all over your face
As you sit… naked and blue
Into you.}
Fernando Aguilera
I am made by my times
I am a creation of now
Shaken with the cracks and crevices
I'm not giving up easy
I will not fold
I don't have much
But what I have is gold
Songwriters: Peter Buck / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Patti Smith
Janet Watson
16:15 Hermosa elección 😘 likeex.Uno de los mejores conciertos ❤
❤Asi con toy y sus mañas no se la
20:22 Amor: "Momentos"
40:24 Alfiora: "Preety"
10:21 Yoongi: "Butter"
10:20 Senada: "Hermoso"
30:20 Megan: "Hotter"
40:30 Hopi: "Sweeter"
50:26 Alana: "Awesome"
21:22 Belleza doops
20:20 Joonie: "Cooler" uc72🌹♀💯
25:20 Son unos de los mejores conciertos, no puede ir pero de tan solo verlos desde pantalla, se que estuvo sorprendente 🖤
17:50 Son unos de los mejores conciertos 🖤
Dimitra Palikuća
Yellow circus left the stakes a broken ropes world's useless mug
The ties that bind, ha ha
I can be bad poet
Street poet
Shit poet
Kind poet too
Subway
Almost 4AM
Halloween night
Had enough to drink to make my own party
All my fellow writers in half costume, half asleep
Half silly, gone to seed
I don't mark my time with dates, holidays, faded wisdom, locked karma holders
Convenient
I am made by my times
I am a creation of now
Shaken with the cracks and crevices
I'm not giving up easy
I will not fold
I don't have much
But what I have is gold
I saw your face...
I sing in platinum
I dress in brass
I eat in zinc
Let it pass
Compare a toast
I like that
I understand courage
I still roll with the shout of a character I was married to today
I try to see outside myself
I understand the eyes
Excuse all the highs
Sorry
I am sorry
Ha ha
I like you, love you, every coast of you.
I've seen your eddies and tides and hurricanes and cyclones.
Low ebb tide and high, full moon.
Up close and distant.
I read you.
Look, the sky, the sea, the ocean, the sun, the moon.
Blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue blue, blue, blue, blue, blue.
Naked and blue.
Breathing with you. Touch. Change. Shift. Allow air. Window open. Drift. Drift away. Into now.
I want Whitman proud. Patti Lee proud. My brothers proud. My sisters proud. I want me. I want it all. I want sensational. Irresistible.
This is my time and I am thrilled to be alive.
Living. Blessed. I understand.
Twentieth century:
Collapse Into Now
Cinderella boy
You've lost your shoe
Cinderella boy
Your coach awaits
A sun makes shadows
All over your face
As you sit
Naked and blue
Into me
Ignácius Dvorský
Yellow circus left the stakes of broken ropes, useless mud
The ties that bind, ha ha
I can be bad poet
Street poet, shit poet
Kind poet too
Subway, almost 4AM
Halloween night
Had enough to drink to make my own party
All my fellow riders in half costume, half asleep
Half silly, gone to seed
I don't mark my time with dates, holidays, fate, wisdom, luck, karma, or whatever's
Convenient. I am made by my times
I am a creation of now
Shaken with the cracks and crevices
I'm not giving up easy
I will not fold
I don't have much
But what I have is gold
(I saw your face)
I sing in platinum, I dress in brass (Good, lifting snow)
I eat a zinc. Let it pass
Compare a toast. I like that
I understand courage (Ever lifting smoke)
I still roll with the shout of a cab driver's attitude today
I try to see outside myself
I understand the eyes
Excuse all the highs
Sorry, I am sorry. Ha ha
(Boy of the moon)
I like you, love you, every coast of you (I'm not your face)
I've seen your eddies and tides and hurricanes and cyclones
Low ebb tide and high, full moon
Up close and distant, I read you
Like the sky, the sea, the ocean, the sun, the moon
Blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue
Naked and blue (Naked and blue)
Breathing with you. Touch. Change. Shift. Allow air. Window open. Drift. Drift away. Into now (Revenge you)
I want Whitman proud. Patti Lee proud. My brothers proud
My sisters proud. I want me. I want it all. I want sensational. Irresistible
This is my time and I am thrilled to be alive
Living. Blessed. I understand
Twentieth century, collapse, into now
Cinderella boy, you've lost your shoe
Cinderella boy, your coach awaits
A sun makes shadows all over your face
As you sit naked and blue into me
Cris
Yellow circus left the stakes a broken ropes world’s useless mug
The ties that bind, ha ha
I can be bad poet
Street poet
Shit poet
Kind poet too
Subway
Almost 4AM
Halloween night
Had enough to drink to make my own party
All my fellow writers in half costume, half asleep
Half silly, gone to seed
I don’t mark my time with dates, holidays, faded wisdom, locked karma holders
Convenient
I am made by my times
I am a creation of now
Shaken with the cracks and crevices
I’m not giving up easy
I will not fold
I don’t have much
But what I have is gold
I saw your face…
I sing in platinum
I dress in brass
I eat in zinc
Let it pass
Compare a toast
I like that
I understand courage
I still roll with the shout of a character I was married to today
I try to see outside myself
I understand the eyes
Excuse all the highs
Sorry
I am sorry
Ha ha
I like you, love you, every coast of you.
I’ve seen your eddies and tides and hurricanes and cyclones.
Low ebb tide and high, full moon.
Up close and distant.
I read you.
Look, the sky, the sea, the ocean, the sun, the moon.
Blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue blue, blue, blue, blue, blue.
Naked and blue.
Breathing with you. Touch. Change. Shift. Allow air. Window open. Drift. Drift away. Into now.
I want Whitman proud. Patti Lee proud. My brothers proud. My sisters proud. I want me. I want it all. I want sensational. Irresistible.
This is my time and I am thrilled to be alive.
Living. Blessed. I understand.
Twentieth century:
Collapse Into Now
Cinderella boy
You’ve lost your shoe
Cinderella boy
Your coach awaits
A sun makes shadows
All over your face
As you sit
Naked and blue
Into me
Marianna Lester
Eu amo essa música 👉 20:23 hermosa elección 4.fo/AVALYNN687
15:55 Setacy:
''Hyper''
11:12 Sun:
''Hotter''
11:12 Hopi:
''Sweeter''
00:18 Joonie:
''Cooler''
18:00 Yoongi:
''Butter''
15:55 Amoy:
''Monks''
Son unos
delos mejores conciertos
Я обожаю этот ремейк. Такой красивый клип,танец,аутфиты и мои любимые девочки
Mark C.
Love Stipe's spoken lyrics. Awesome!
JohnnieA
What a great job REM did with this album, amazing all the way through. This song is a great footnote to the whole thing, as many of their album closers are and to their career.
Tinku Nishad
So
Tinku Nishad
Tv
mohd Rashid
@Rohit 8488 .
Rohit 8488
B
B
Viviane Silveira Paiva
Amo essa banda!!!!
UglyPrimadonna
The last track on their last studio album. Gives me goosebumps every time Patti Smith joins with her vocals. Such a fitting end to to REMs great career! I will always love your music guys
Gumna Raikwar.maatol
पू