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."
Stand
R.E.M. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
If you are confused, check with the sun
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
So, stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
If wishes were trees the trees would be falling
Listen to reason
Season is calling
Stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
If wishes were trees the trees would be falling
Listen to reason
Reason is calling
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
So stand (stand)
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand (stand)
Now face west
Think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't
Stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
Stand in the place where you are (now face north)
Stand in the place where you are (now face west)
Your feet are going to be on the ground (stand in the place where you are)
Your head is there to move you around, so stand
The song "Stand" by R.E.M. appears to be a call to action for people to take control of their lives and consider their current situation. The lyrics encourage listeners to stand in the place where they live and work, face north and west respectively, and to think about their direction and why they haven't before. The song seems to be urging people to take a moment to reflect on where they are and where they want to go, and to take action to move in that direction.
The chorus of the song repeats the same instruments with a more uplifting tone, as if to emphasize the importance of taking control of one's life. The line "your feet are going to be on the ground, your head is there to move you around" encourages listeners to ground themselves and use their inner drive to take control of their situation.
The line "if wishes were trees the trees would be falling, listen to reason, season is calling" seems to express a sense of urgency and the need for action. The "season" could be interpreted as a metaphor for the time to change and take action before it's too late.
Overall, the song Stand seems to be a reminder to listeners to take control of their lives, to consider their direction and purpose, and to take action to move towards their goals.
Line by Line Meaning
Stand in the place where you live
Take a moment to appreciate and reflect on your current situation and surroundings
Now face north
Look towards the north direction as a starting point for reflection
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Consider your life direction and question why this may not have been a priority before
Now stand in the place where you work
Move to the place where you spend time working
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Turn towards the west and contemplate your place of residence
Wonder why you haven't before
Reflect on why you have not thought about these things previously
If you are confused, check with the sun
Use the sun as a guide or point of reference if feeling unsure
Carry a compass to help you along
Use tools to assist in finding direction or clarity
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Remember to stay grounded and connected to reality
Your head is there to move you around
Use your mind and thoughts to navigate through life
If wishes were trees the trees would be falling
Wishing without action or planning is ineffective and meaningless
Listen to reason
Take heed of logic and rational thinking
Season is calling
Time is passing, and change is coming
Stand (stand)
Emphasize the importance of standing up for oneself and taking action
Wonder why you haven't before
Question why previous actions or decisions may not have been aligned with personal values or goals
Stand in the place where you are (now face north)
Reinforce the message to stay grounded and present in the current moment while continuing to look towards the future
Stand in the place where you are (now face west)
Reinforce the message to remain present while also considering one's surroundings and environment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Michael Mills, Michael Stipe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@listius
Lyrics
Stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
If you are confused, check with the sun
Carry a compass to help you along
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
So, stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
If wishes were trees the trees would be falling
Listen to reason
Season is calling
Stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
If wishes were trees the trees would be falling
Listen to reason
Reason is calling
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
So stand (stand)
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand (stand)
Now face west
Think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't
Stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west, think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before
Stand in the place where you are (now face north)
Stand in the place where you are (now face west)
Your feet are going to be on the ground (stand in the place where you are)
Your head is there to move you around, so stand
@vincentgilio
This song is just so positive. It really motivates me to stand up myself and I have got cerebral palsy. Every time it plays in my head, I think to myself "I have to stand up" and not let go of the railing in the bathroom. It's a great song to do my sit to standing exercises from home. It's a great song. And I love it so much. It is my second favourite R.E.M. song behind "Man On The Moon" which is indeed my personal favourite R.E.M. song. This song reminds me of when I was a teenager and I had the ability to walk a little bit more. It's a great song and I personally love it.
@MrDsertzen
its telling you the earth is flat....think about direction and why you havent yet
@SethMacLeod95
I love this comment and God bless you sir. Keep standing and keep fighting!
@curly_wyn
@@MrDsertzen
@SethMacLeod95
idiots
@farberam
This is such a fantastic insight into problems I don’t have to think about with mindsets and solutions and mantras. A totally different world view. You are an amazingly strong person for not just giving up and letting go. Amazing. 🎉
@poppyhimbo
opening scene shows the boy acting as an airplane flying into the twin towers. This video is just a glimpse into the predictive programming that the evil sorcerers use for their rituals...and of course most people are deep asleep and can't see it.....deep sleep also known as REM sleep@@MrDsertzen
@josephcorridon9314
I will forever respect REM for allowing themselves to get silly every once in a while.
@paullagasse5504
I totally agree some people shit on them for a few songs most notably this one and shiny happy people but who cares you can't always be serious they have alot of serious songs and to have a few silly ones just shows how good they were to be able to create serious songs and sillys
@nateeaton7729
They do like to go off da sploinky and dinkle from time to time
@chrispappaterra3566
They said they hated the video…but it was fun!!!!