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."
Half a World Away
R.E.M. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turn to a miracle
High alive
My mind is racing
As it always will
My hand's tired, my heart aches
I'm half a world away here
My head sworn
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
Go it alone
Hold it along and hold, hold
Oh, lonely deep sit hollow
I'm half a world
Half the world away
My shoes are gone
My life spent
I had too much to drink
I didn't think
And I didn't think of you
I guess that's all I needed
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
Blackbirds, backwards, forwards and fall and hold, hold
Oh, this lonely world is wasted
Pathetic eyes high alive
Blind to the tide that turns the sea
This storm it came up strong
It shook the trees
And blew away our fear
I couldn't even hear
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
Blackbirds, backwards, forwards, and fall and hold hold
This could be the saddest dusk
I've ever seen
Turn to a miracle
High alive
My mind is racing
As it always will
My hands tired, my heart aches
I'm half a world away and go
The song "Half a World Away" by R.E.M. talks about loneliness and the feeling of being lost. The lyrics express the emotions of someone who is far away from home and has lost touch with the people they care about. The song starts by describing a sad dusk, but it quickly turns to a miracle, which could indicate a feeling of hopefulness despite the sadness. The lyrics also mention the singer's racing mind and tired hands, which could suggest that they are struggling to cope with their situation.
The second verse talks about the loss of shoes and a wasted life spent on drinking. However, the singer realizes that they did not think of the people they care about, which may be the reason why they are feeling lonely and lost. The chorus repeats the phrase "go it alone," which could mean that the singer has resigned themselves to be independent and not rely on anyone for help.
Line by Line Meaning
This could be the saddest dusk I've ever seen
The sunset is exceptionally mournful.
Turn to a miracle, High alive
Despite the sadness of the moment, there is hope and life to be found.
My mind is racing, As it always will
Thoughts are frantically bouncing around, as they always do.
My hand's tired, my heart aches
Physically and emotionally exhausted.
I'm half a world away here
Physically distant from the person or place being thought about.
My head sworn, To go it alone
Determined to handle things independently, without help or support.
And hold it along, Haul it along, And hold it
To carry or manage something, potentially difficult or heavy, on one's own.
Go it alone, Hold it along and hold, hold
Repeating the determination to manage things independently.
Oh, lonely deep sit hollow
Feeling isolated and empty inside.
I'm half a world, Half the world away
Physically and emotionally distant from home, familiar surroundings, or loved ones.
My shoes are gone, My life spent
Having lost what one relies on to move forward and having expended resources, possibly foolishly.
I had too much to drink, I didn't think
Making poor decisions as a result of being under the influence and not using sound judgment.
And I didn't think of you
Regretful for not considering someone important.
I guess that's all I needed, To go it alone
Reflecting on the choices made that led to independence and isolation.
Blackbirds, backwards, forwards and fall and hold, hold
An enigmatic refrain that could suggest flight and freedom, or repetition and stagnation.
Oh, this lonely world is wasted
The world may be a lonely place, but it contains so much untapped potential.
Pathetic eyes high alive
Observing the beauty and vitality of life with a sense of longing or sadness.
Blind to the tide that turns the sea
Unaware of the larger forces at work that shape the world and its events.
This storm it came up strong, It shook the trees
A sudden and powerful event that caused upheaval and change.
And blew away our fear, I couldn't even hear
The fear was dispelled so quickly that it was barely felt or realized.
To go it alone, And hold it along, Haul it along, And hold it
Repeating the determination to handle things independently.
To go it alone, And hold it along, Haul
Continuing the theme of independence and self-reliance.
This could be the saddest dusk I've ever seen
A sad and poignant moment in time.
Turn to a miracle, High alive
Despite the sadness, there is hope and vitality to be found.
My mind is racing, As it always will
The constant buzz of thoughts and ideas.
My hands tired, my heart aches
Physical exhaustion and emotional pain.
I'm half a world away and go
Reiterating the distance and separation between the singer and the person or place being thought about.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Michael Mills, Michael Stipe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@playa3214
This could be the saddest dusk
I've ever seen
Turn to a miracle
High alive
My mind is racing
As it always will
My hand is tired, my heart aches
I'm half a world away here
My head sworn
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
Go it alone
Hold it along and hold, hold
Oh, lonely deep sit hollow
I'm half a world
Half the world away
My shoes are gone
My life spent
I had too much to drink
I didn't think
And I didn't think of you
I guess that's all I needed
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
Blackbirds, backwards, forwards and fall and hold, hold
Oh, this lonely world is wasted
Pathetic eyes high alive
Blind to the tide that turns the sea
This storm it came up strong
It shook the trees
And blew away our fear
I couldn't even hear
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
Blackbirds, backwards, forwards, and fall and hold hold
This could be the saddest dusk
I've ever seen
Turn to a miracle
High alive
My mind is racing
As it always will
My hands tired, my heart aches
I'm half a world away and go
@amendez1970
This could be the saddest dusk I’ve ever seen , turn into a miracle.
And my mind is racing, as it always will…
I had too much to drink , I didn’t think , I didn’t think of you
The storm that came up strong, that shook the trees and blew away our fear….
Really every single word of these lyrics masterpieces of poetry.
Thank you R.E.M.
@lesteriosi6136
Coming from the finale of The bear and this song perfectly captured all the emotions in those last scenes. Beautiful song !!
@jessicaamberfreeman426
Bittersweet ending and his mom.... That was a lot right there too
@JaySpotTx
Probably my favorite use of a song as part of an ending since Fight Club's use of "Where is My Mind?". This just fit the entire mood perfectly.
@charlespiefer4244
I couldn’t have said it better myself!
@raymondhaden9982
I completely agree! It fit in perfectly with The Bear. First time hearing, amazing
@theoutlaw5806
@@JaySpotTx
You read my mind 😂
Yep .. How music can be evoked through film is such a wonderful thing. It's inspirational ✨
@hinkel1980
R.E.M. thanks for being in my youth! i am 46 now and still feeling young when I listen to your music,thanks for it!
@d.a.thorndike8772
47 and still a listening fan!
@anitaray7383
@@d.a.thorndike8772 48 and still loving REM
@Macsimus75
You're not alone