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."
No Matter What
R.E.M. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lord we know that no matter what we go through in this life
You said in everything we should give you thanks
No matter what I see
No matter what I'm going through
No matter all the pain
Let your name be praised
No matter what I see
No matter what I'm going through
No matter all the pain
Let your name be praised
No matter what I see
No matter what I'm going through
No matter all the pain
Let your name be praised
No matter what I see
No matter what I'm going through
No matter all the pain
Let your name be praised
Though there might not be
Any herd in the stall
Though there might not be
Any cries from my crib
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Lord I Know-know that
You reveal in time
And I know-know that
You hasten in its time
God of my salvation
My joy is in you
And though it feels so alone
You will never forsake
Though there might not be
Any cries from my crib
Though there might not be
Anyone to propose
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
No matter what I see
No matter what I'm going through
No matter all the pain
Let your name be praised
No matter what I see
No matter what I'm going through
No matter all the pain
Let your name be praised
Lord I know-know that
My trials should count for joy
And I know-know that
Patience is working in me
God of my salvation
You know my pain is real
And though my heart feels broken
You will never despise
Though there might not be
Anyone in the pews
Though there might not be
Anyone to propose
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
The song "No Matter What" by R.E.M. is a gospel-infused song about perseverance in difficult times. The lyrics are about the power of faith and the ability to find strength in God no matter what one is going through. The song is an affirmation of the belief that no matter what happens, one can find comfort and solace in God. The lyrics suggest that even when things are bleak and difficult, we should still give thanks to God.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "let your name be praised" four times after listing different scenarios in which we may face challenges, including being alone, facing pain, and without help from others. The song encourages the listener to praise God no matter what because he is always with us and will never forsake us.
Overall, "No Matter What" is a song that highlights the importance of faith in difficult times. It is an uplifting reminder that no matter what happens in life, we can always look to God for guidance and support.
Line by Line Meaning
Father we bless you and we thank you
We honor and express our gratitude to God.
Lord we know that no matter what we go through in this life
We acknowledge that no matter what happens in our life, God is always present.
You said in everything we should give you thanks
We understand that we should give thanks to God in all circumstances.
No matter what I see
Regardless of what I witness or observe,
No matter what I'm going through
Despite any hardships that I am experiencing,
No matter all the pain
Even if I am in physical or emotional agony,
Let your name be praised
I will still give praise to God.
Though there might not be
Any herd in the stall
Even if I am lacking basic necessities like livestock,
Though there might not be
Any cries from my crib
Even if my infant is silent and not making any noise,
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Regardless of my situation, I will continue to praise God.
Lord I Know-know that
You reveal in time
I have faith that God will reveal things to me in due time.
And I know-know that
You hasten in its time
I also know that God will take action at the right moment.
God of my salvation
My joy is in you
I find my happiness and hope in God, who saves me.
And though it feels so alone
You will never forsake
Even if I feel isolated, I know that God will never abandon me.
Though there might not be
Anyone to propose
Even if I don't have anyone advocating for me,
No matter what I see
No matter what I'm going through
No matter all the pain
Let your name be praised
Regardless of what is happening to me, I will still give praise to God.
Lord I know-know that
My trials should count for joy
I believe that my struggles in life can lead to positive outcomes.
And I know-know that
Patience is working in me
I understand that being patient can help me grow and mature.
You know my pain is real
And though my heart feels broken
You will never despise
God knows that I am suffering and will never reject me, even if I am in despair.
Though there might not be
Anyone in the pews
Even if I am alone in church and there is no one with me,
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
Let your name be praised
I will still give praise to God and honor his name.
Let your name be praised
I will continually give honor to God's name.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: EMMANUEL EFUETAKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BIGGESTEZ123
Brilliant cover of a wonderful Badfinger song.