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."
INTRODUCTION
R.E.M. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just need a Corporate Money team
I got that Corporate Money dream
C^uz I'm a Corporate Money fiend
Let me tell you about myself
How I did this with no ones help
Just rolled up my sleeves tightened my belt
Lot full of haters
Haters gon' be haters
As well as motivators
They don't seem to understand
The makings of this man
The more they keep hatin' they puttin' structure to my plan
So world... HERE I AM
R-1-M-3 killin' competition
Yea, straight killin' competition
R-1-M-3 killin' competition
Yeah, Straight killin' competition
Nigga I'm back with it
The flow is exquisite
And if your bitch with it
She gon' let my niggas hit it
But if she wanna try me
She knows exactly where to find me (C!T
Competition Territory (C!T) yeah
Competition Territory
What you wanna do
What you wanna do
I'm gon' let my niggas get at your crew
Chea, chea
These are the hardest bars I've ever wrote
Please don't take for a fuckin' joke
CT spokesmannnnnn
And my kush will get you open
Twist-Twisted up
Now you bitchin up
Nigga what
You a bitch or what (Nah not me)
Yeah I just be chillin
Minding my business without no tea and shit (ribit-ribit
Best believe me and shit
I'm soooooo thoro with this
Listen man, I been doing this for a while now
Started my company clockin the industry from the bottom!
The lyrics to R.E.M.'s "Introduction" describe the artist's ambition for corporate success and the efforts he's taken to get there. He talks about having a "Corporate Money dream" and the need for a team to make it a reality. He boasts about achieving his success on his own, through hard work and determination, even in the face of people who doubted him or tried to bring him down. He declares himself a "Corporate Money fiend" and announces his dominance over the competition with confidence and swagger.
The lyrics also touch on topics like haters, motivators, and the structure of the artist's plan. The artist acknowledges that haters will always exist, but instead of letting their negativity get him down, he uses it to fuel his ambition and drive him to success. He asserts that the more they hate, the more they inadvertently help him achieve his goals. Finally, he declares himself a "CT spokesman" and speaks proudly of the kush that gets him "open."
The lyrics to "Introduction" showcase the artist's bravado and confidence, as well as his determination to succeed in the corporate world. They touch on themes like hard work, perseverance, and the role that both haters and motivation can play in the pursuit of success.
Line by Line Meaning
I got that Corporate Money dream
I aspire to obtain and accumulate significant wealth through corporate means
Just need a Corporate Money team
To fulfill my aspirations, I require a group of individuals who are aligned with my goals and share my business interests
C^uz I'm a Corporate Money fiend
My unyielding desire to amass financial success through corporate means consumes me
Let me tell you about myself
Allow me to introduce myself
How I did this with no ones help
I achieved my success alone and without anyone's substantive aid
Just rolled up my sleeves tightened my belt
I worked diligently and made personal sacrifices to attain my position
With a pocket full of paper
I am financially prosperous
Lot full of haters
I have many detractors and critics
Haters gon' be haters
Critics will continue to criticize and dislike me regardless of my accomplishments
As well as motivators
Although negative feedback is common, it can be a source of motivation
They don't seem to understand
My critics lack comprehension and cannot grasp the reasons leading to my success
The makings of this man
My personal and professional qualities contribute to my achievements
The more they keep hatin' they puttin' structure to my plan
Regardless of criticism, it fortifies my resolve and solidifies my strategy and intentions
So world... HERE I AM
I have arrived, and my success is clear for everyone to see
R-1-M-3 killin' competition
I am dominating and surpassing all competitors
Yea, straight killin' competition
I am succeeding and standing above all competitors in a straightforward fashion
Nigga I'm back with it
I am returning with renewed determination
The flow is exquisite
My style and delivery are impeccable
And if your bitch with it
If your romantic partner is amenable
She gon' let my niggas hit it
She will permit my associates to engage in sexual activity with her
But if she wanna try me
If she wants to test me or confront me
She knows exactly where to find me (C!T
She is fully aware of my whereabouts in Competition Territory
Listen man, I been doing this for a while now
I have been in the industry for an extended duration
Started my company clockin the industry from the bottom!
I began with a fledgling company and worked my way to the top of the industry through hard work and dedication
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Jean Maignan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RaunchDressing
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS!!! Gives me goosebumps every time
JoshuaT Eubanks
In Peter and Mike both answering 'leisure time' simultaneously, exists a metaphor for what makes the band unique and seemingly effortless.
vestspet
Any band that plays on Sesame Street has serious street cred.
Floss Man
Any one who doesn't at least want to be on Sesame Street isn't human.
antoinekiwi2
Fantastic to see the whole thing; thanks so much for uploading it.
bsg2112
Thanks so much for sharing. I just came here from the heavily-edited version on the official RRHOF channel. If I hadn't come here, I'd never had known what I was missing. How lame of them, just another example of their stinginess.
Laura Edwards
@3:23 is why REM is a GOAT
Obi Paul Kenobi
Thank You so much for uploading this
Brian Satterlee Music
Would of loved to hear speeches from Bill & Peter...
Jon Dawson
Peter was 14 sheets to the wind.