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."
New Test Leper
R.E.M. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That would be a hollow claim
He did make some observations
And I'm quoting them today
"Judge not lest ye be judged"
What a beautiful refrain
The studio audience disagrees
Have his limbs all gone astray?
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
"You are lost and disillusioned"
What an awful thing to say
I know this show doesn't flatter
It means nothing to me
I thought I might help them understand
What an ugly thing to see
"I am not an animal"
Subtitled under the screen
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
When I tried to tell my story
They cut me off to take a break
I sat silent five commercials
I had nothing left to say
The talk show host was index-carded
All organized and blank
The other guests were scared and hardened
What a sad parade
What a sad parade
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
The song "New Test Leper" by R.E.M. talks about the struggles of expressing one's beliefs and ideas in a society that often judges and alienates those who do not conform to their standards. The first verse reflects the singer's reluctance to express his love for Jesus for fear of being labeled as hypocritical, given the way people have twisted the teachings of the Bible to suit their own prejudices. The second verse refers to the singer's appearance on a talk show, where he tries to explain his thoughts but is cut short and criticized by the host and other guests.
The chorus "Call me a leper" is a reference to the Biblical story of lepers who were treated as outcasts in society and were forced to live outside the city walls. The singer seems to embrace this label, accepting that he may be misunderstood and judged by others but still staying true to his beliefs. The song ends with a mournful reflection on the state of the society, where people are driven by fear and ignorance and those who try to speak out are silenced or ostracized.
Overall, "New Test Leper" is a powerful commentary on the struggles of self-expression in a world that values conformity over individualism. It is a call to embrace one's uniqueness and stand up for what one believes in, even in the face of opposition and criticism.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't say that I love Jesus
I cannot make false claims about my faith
That would be a hollow claim
Claiming to love Jesus without truly believing in him is meaningless
He did make some observations
Jesus made some poignant statements
And I'm quoting them today
I am sharing those statements with others
"Judge not lest ye be judged"
Do not judge others or you will face judgment yourself
What a beautiful refrain
This is a beautiful and powerful statement
The studio audience disagrees
The audience does not seem to agree with me
Have his limbs all gone astray?
Have we lost sight of the message of Jesus?
Call me a leper
Refer to me as an outcast or a reject
Call me a leper
Refer to me as an outcast or a reject
Call me a leper
Refer to me as an outcast or a reject
"You are lost and disillusioned"
Other people may perceive me as being lost and disillusioned
What an awful thing to say
It is hurtful to have someone say that about you
I know this show doesn't flatter
I am aware that this show does not paint me in a positive light
It means nothing to me
I do not care about the show's perception of me
I thought I might help them understand
I wanted to provide insight to those on the show
What an ugly thing to see
It is disheartening to see people misinterpreting the message of Jesus
"I am not an animal"
I am a human being, worthy of respect and dignity
Subtitled under the screen
The statement appears as text on the screen
When I tried to tell my story
When I attempted to share my experiences
They cut me off to take a break
The show took a commercial break in the middle of my story
I sat silent five commercials
I was not given an opportunity to speak for a long period of time
I had nothing left to say
I had already shared everything I wanted to
The talk show host was index-carded
The host was following a pre-planned script
All organized and blank
The host lacked genuine emotion or empathy
The other guests were scared and hardened
The other guests were intimidated and unfeeling
What a sad parade
This is a depressing and disappointing situation
What a sad parade
This is a depressing and disappointing situation
What a sad parade
This is a depressing and disappointing situation
Call me a leper
Refer to me as an outcast or a reject
Call me a leper
Refer to me as an outcast or a reject
Call me a leper
Refer to me as an outcast or a reject
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: William Thomas Berry, Peter Lawrence Buck, Michael E. Mills, John Michael Stipe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
fabiana paulina da silva
Não posso dizer que amo jesus
I can't say that I love Jesus
Isso seria uma afirmação vazia
That would be a hollow claim
Ele fez algumas observações
He did make some observations
E estou citando-os hoje
And I'm quoting them today
'Não julgue para não ser julgado'
'Judge not lest ye be judged'
Que refrão lindo
What a beautiful refrain
O público do estúdio discorda
The studio audience disagrees
Seus cordeiros se extraviaram?
Have His lambs all gone astray?
Me chame de leproso
Call me a leper
Me chame de leproso
Call me a leper
Me chame de leproso
Call me a leper
'Você está perdido e desiludido'
'You are lost and disillusioned'
Que coisa horrível de se dizer
What an awful thing to say
Eu sei que esse show não é lisonjeiro
I know this show doesn't flatter
Não significa nada para mim
It means nothing to me
Eu pensei que poderia ajudá-los a entender
I thought I might help them understand
Que coisa feia de ver
What an ugly thing to see
'Eu nao sou um animal'
'I am not an animal'
Legendado sob a tela
Subtitled under the screen
Me chame de leproso
Call me a leper
Me chame de leproso
Call me a leper
Me chame de leproso
Call me a leper
Quando tentei contar minha história
When I tried to tell my story
Eles me cortaram para fazer uma pausa
They cut me off to take a break
Fiquei sentado em silêncio 5 comerciais
I sat silent 5 commercials
Eu não tinha mais nada a dizer
I had nothing left to say
O apresentador do talk show foi indexado
Talk show host was index-carded
Tudo organizado e em branco
All organized and blank
Os outros convidados estavam assustados e endurecidos
The other guests were scared and hardened
Que desfile triste, que desfile triste
What a sad parade, what a sad parade
Me chame de leproso
Call me a leper
Me chame de leproso
Call me a leper
Me chame de leproso
Call me a leper
you yoube
I can't say that I love Jesus
That would be a hollow claim
He did make some observations
And I'm quoting them today
"Judge not lest ye be judged"
What a beautiful refrain
The studio audience disagrees
Have His lambs all gone astray?
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
"You are lost and disillusioned"
What an awful thing to say
I know this show doesn't flatter
It means nothing to me
I thought I might help them understand
What an ugly thing to see
"I am not an animal"
Subtitled under the screen
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
When I tried to tell my story
They cut me off to take a break
I sat silent five commercials
I had nothing left to say
Talk show host was index-carded
All organized and blank
The other guests were scared and hardened
What a sad parade
What a sad parade
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
Call me a leper
M Heberling
Been into REM since 1987 and I have to admit, "New Adventures" is easily one of the best REM records.
Michael Standridge
First 5 are the best. Been a fan since chronic
Phil mole
One of REM's most underrated songs from one of its most underrated albums.
Michael Hartman
Was this song 🎵 ever a hit? To the best of my knowledge, it never was. I asked mainly because, if I remember correctly, most of this band's songs 🎵 that have an official music video are among their hits.
James Casey
One of the absolute best songs in a career filled with incredible music. Gonna miss you guys...
Chandan D
Still missing these guys
Kayden Jase
Instablaster
Paul Wilde
New Adventures in Hi-Fi is one of the 20th century's great albums. It is the best 'postmodernist' album, melding different genres or sounds or lyrical themes deliberately to create contrast, juxtaposition , a journey. It's so atmospheric - the marshes, the airplane flights, the truck stops, the desert, the lights the sky. Monster -like glam rock and folk and car alarms - it's so wonderfully a journey for the listener of being on the road , yet it always has a Monster-like intellectualism to it - Be Mine, for instance, is surely a playful pop art exercise in writing a song composed of Love Hearts and greeting cards (and, indeed, postcard) sentiments, even when every word is meant.
Cron Dienest
I like to think that too, the amplifier feedback as disturbing element in this song for example, it makes me feel right about the lyrics meaning. Maybe its just a mind trick but it works fine.
Gordon Grant
Fucking great post. You've got a way with words!