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."
Monty Got A Raw Deal
R.E.M. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The movies had that movie thing
But nonsense has a welcome ring
And heroes don't come easy
Now nonsense isn't new to me
I know my head, I know my feet
But mischief knocked me in the knees
I saw the ocean meet the man
I saw you buried in the sand
A friend was there to hold your hand
Said, "walk on by"
So, I went walking through the street
I saw you strung up in a tree
A woman knelt there said to me
Said, "hold your tongue, hold your tongue"
You don't owe me anything
You don't want this sympathy (waste your breath)
Don't you waste your breath (waste your breath)
For the silver screen
That nonsense doesn't mean a thing
They tried to bust you in a sting
But virtue isn't everything
So, don't waste time
Now, here's a rhyme that you can steal
Put this on your reel to reel
Mischief threw a rotten deal
Monty's laying low, man
He is laying low
Just let go
Just let go
You don't owe me anything
You don't want this sympathy (waste your breath)
Don't you waste your breath (waste your breath)
Monty, this seems strange to me
The lyrics in R.E.M.'s song Monty Got A Raw Deal touch on themes of disillusionment, betrayal, and loss. The first verse sets the tone for the song with a sense of confusion and disappointment. Monty - who is likely a representation of a fallen hero or a once-great actor - has been dealt an unfair hand, as suggested by the title. However, the singer acknowledges that nonsense can be comforting and that heroes aren't always easy to come by. The second verse hints at personal experience with mischief and betrayals, leaving irreparable damage in its wake. The chorus reinforces the message that Monty doesn't want or need any sympathy because it won't change anything. The final verse leaves the listener with a sense of hopelessness as even virtues don't always win in the end. The concluding lines suggest that Monty has given up and is no longer fighting against the raw deal he's been dealt.
Overall, Monty Got A Raw Deal is a song that explores the complexities of life and the difficulties of accepting unfair and undeserved disappointments. The lyrics suggest that even when we lose, we can still find comfort in nonsensical things but ultimately, it may not be enough to make things right.
Line by Line Meaning
Monty, this seems strange to me
The situation with Monty is perplexing to me.
The movies had that movie thing
Movies are predictable and lack novelty.
But nonsense has a welcome ring
Absurdity is appealing and refreshing to the singer.
And heroes don't come easy
It is difficult to find true heroes.
Now nonsense isn't new to me
The artist is familiar with illogical and absurd things.
I know my head, I know my feet
The singer is grounded and aware of their surroundings.
But mischief knocked me in the knees
The singer was caught off guard by mischievous behavior.
Said, "just let go, just let go"
Mischief encouraged the artist to let go of their preconceived notions and embrace absurdity.
I saw the ocean meet the man
The artist witnessed the natural world interacting with humanity.
I saw you buried in the sand
The artist saw someone weighed down by their circumstances.
A friend was there to hold your hand
Someone was there to offer support to the person in distress.
Said, "walk on by"
The support offered was not to linger on the problem, but to keep moving forward.
So, I went walking through the street
The singer continued on their journey through life.
I saw you strung up in a tree
The singer saw someone experiencing hardship and feeling trapped.
A woman knelt there said to me
A woman nearby spoke to the singer.
Said, "hold your tongue, hold your tongue"
The woman asked the artist to refrain from speaking about the situation.
You don't owe me anything
The artist wants nothing in return for their help or support.
You don't want this sympathy (waste your breath)
The singer recognizes that sympathy may not be helpful or desired by the person in need.
Don't you waste your breath (waste your breath)
The singer advises against wasting efforts on something unproductive.
For the silver screen
The artist dismisses the notion that the situation would make a good movie.
That nonsense doesn't mean a thing
Absurdity does not hold any true meaning or significance.
They tried to bust you in a sting
Someone attempted to trick or trap the person in distress.
But virtue isn't everything
Being virtuous does not always protect one from hardship.
So, don't waste time
The artist urges the person in distress to take action and not waste time on unnecessary worries or concerns.
Now, here's a rhyme that you can steal
The singer offers something creative that the person in distress can use for their own purposes.
Put this on your reel to reel
The singer suggests that the person in distress incorporate the creative offering into their own work or life.
Mischief threw a rotten deal
Mischievous behavior resulted in an unfair and difficult situation for the person in distress.
Monty's laying low, man
Monty is keeping a low profile due to their difficult circumstances.
He is laying low
Monty is deliberately avoiding notice or attention.
Just let go
The singer reiterates their advice to embrace absurdity and not hold onto preconceived notions or concerns.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Billy Berry, Peter Buck, Michael Mills, Michael Stipe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Pride317
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Monty, this seems strange to me
The movies had that movie thing
But nonsense has a welcome ring
And heroes don't come easily
Now, nonsense isn't new to me
I know my head, I know my feet
But mischief knocked me in the knees
So, just let go
Just let go
I saw the ocean meet the man
I saw you buried in the sand
A friend was there to hold your hand
Said, walk on by
So, I went walking through the street
I saw you strung up in a tree
A woman knelt there said to me
Said, hold your tongue
Hold your tongue
[Chorus]
You don't owe me anything
You don't want this sympathy
(Waste your breath)
Don't you waste your breath
(Waste your breath)
For the silver screen
[Verse 2]
That nonsense doesn't mean a thing
They tried to bust you in a sting
But virtue isn't everything
So, don't waste time
Now, here's a rhyme that you can steal
Put this on your reel to reel
Mischief threw a rotten deal
Monty's laying low
He is laying low
Just let go
Just let go
[Chorus]
You don't owe me anything
You don't want this sympathy
(Waste your breath)
Don't you waste your breath
(Waste your breath)
Monty, this seems strange to me
@thalesalexandre4463
Monty, this seems strange to me
The movies had that movie thing
But nonsense has a welcome ring
And heroes don't come easy
Now nonsense isn't new to me
I know my head, I know my feet
But mischief knocked me in the knees
Said, "just let go, just let go"
I saw the ocean meet the man
I saw you buried in the sand
A friend was there to hold your hand
Said, "walk on by"
So, I went walking through the street
I saw you strung up in a tree
A woman knelt there said to me
Said, "hold your tongue, hold your tongue"
You don't owe me anything
You don't want this sympathy (waste your breath)
Don't you waste your breath (waste your breath)
For the silver screen
That nonsense doesn't mean a thing
They tried to bust you in a sting
But virtue isn't everything
So, don't waste time
Now, here's a rhyme that you can steal
Put this on your reel to reel
Mischief threw a rotten deal
Monty's laying low, man
He is laying low
Just let go
Just let go
You don't owe me anything
You don't want this sympathy (waste your breath)
Don't you waste your breath (waste your breath)
Monty, this seems strange to me
@father042
One of the most underrated REM tracks
@robertconnelyfarr
So good 🙌🙌
@adelecovus7482
Absolutely. X
@Haydenormous
My favorite 😂
@geob5606
One of the most underrated bands.
@Dickusification
Being underrated is the most overrated comment, but i know what you mean
@jman1965chev
"Automatic for the People" is one of REM's best albums ever. A lot of great songs.
@user-vb3vf3sq2e
Not just one of their best. It's their Magnum Opus
@pazuzu3933
Love this song,probably my fave off the album.
@MaidNoMore
My favorite from the album. Monty lives!