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."
The Wake-Up Bomb
R.E.M. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I look good and mean
I look good in metallic sick wraparound blackout tease
I scud along the horizon, I drink some sweet tree
I get high in my low-ass boot-cut jean
I like being seen
I look good with my drink-eat-no-sleep, take-a-leap longevity
I get high on my attitude, latitude, 1973
My head's on fire and high esteem
Carry my dead, bored, been there, done that, anything
Oh, the wake-up bomb
Oh, the wake-up bomb
Oh, the wake-up bomb
Oh, the wake-up bomb
My head's on fire and high esteem
Get drunk and sing along to Queen
Practice my T-Rex moves and make the scene
Carry my dead, bored, been there, done that, anything
I had to knock a few buildings over
I make an ugly mess
I had to blow a gasket
Drop transmission
I had to decompress
I had to write the great American novel
I had a neutron bomb
I had to teach the world to sing by the age of 21
I wake up (I wake up)
I wake up (I wake up)
I threw up when I saw what I'd done
Oh, the wake-up bomb
Oh, the wake-up bomb
My head's on fire and high esteem
Get drunk and sing along to Queen
Practice my T-Rex moves and make the scene
Yeah, I'd rather be anywhere doing anything
I've had enough, I've seen enough, I've had it all, I'm giving up
I won the race, I broke the cup, I drank it all, I spit it up
I've had enough, I've seen enough, I've had it all, I'm giving up
I won the race, I broke the cup, I drank it all, I spit it up
Yeah, atomic, supersonic
What a joke, I'm dumb
See ya, don't want to be you
Lunch meat, Pond scum
My head's on fire in high esteem
Get drunk and sing along to Queen
Practice my T-Rex moves and make the scene
Yeah, I'd rather be anywhere doing anything
Yeah, I'd rather be anywhere doing anything
Yeah, I'd rather be anywhere doing anything
Yeah
"The Wake-Up Bomb" by R.E.M. is a song about feeling disillusioned with life and seeking fulfillment through various means. The opening lines describe the singer's desire to be seen and admired, even if it means donning a tough, flashy exterior. The second verse portrays a character who is feeling burnt out and bored with their existence, trying to escape through music and movement. The chorus, "Oh, the wake-up bomb," is a metaphor for a sudden jolt to the system to shake the character out of their ennui. The third verse describes a person who has tried many different avenues for success and is now feeling stuck and frustrated.
The song showcases R.E.M.'s signature blend of cryptic lyrics with an upbeat melody. The music video features the band members performing the song against a backdrop of vintage footage, underscoring the song's message about the cyclical nature of life. Overall, "The Wake-Up Bomb" is a catchy, high-energy track that explores the darker side of contemporary existence.
Line by Line Meaning
I look good in a glass pack
I feel confident and comfortable with myself
I look good and mean
I have a fierce and intimidating appearance
I look good in metallic sick wraparound blackout tease
I have a unique and edgy sense of style
I scud along the horizon, I drink some sweet tree
I enjoy feeling free and experiencing things fully
I get high in my low-ass boot-cut jean
I feel confident and cool in my choice of clothing
I like being seen
I enjoy the attention and recognition I receive
I look good with my drink-eat-no-sleep, take-a-leap longevity
I have a carefree and adventurous attitude towards life
I get high on my attitude, latitude, 1973
I feel empowered by my personality and past experiences
I'm in deep
I am fully committed and invested in my current state of being
My head's on fire and high esteem
I feel very confident and passionately engaged
Carry my dead, bored, been there, done that, anything
I feel weighed down by past experiences that no longer hold value or excitement
Oh, the wake-up bomb
The experience of waking up to new possibilities and opportunities
Get drunk and sing along to Queen
Finding joy in simple pleasures and connecting with others through shared experiences
Practice my T-Rex moves and make the scene
Expressing creativity and individuality in one's own unique way
I had to knock a few buildings over
I needed to make a big and meaningful change in my life
I make an ugly mess
The process of making big changes can be messy and uncomfortable
I had to blow a gasket
I needed to release pent-up frustration or anger
Drop transmission
Taking a break to rest and recharge
I had to decompress
Taking time to reflect and process one's emotions
I had to write the great American novel
Pursuing a creative passion or goal
I had a neutron bomb
Feeling powerful and capable of accomplishing anything
I had to teach the world to sing by the age of 21
Feeling pressure to achieve something significant at a young age
I wake up (I wake up)
Becoming more aware and attuned to the possibilities in life
I threw up when I saw what I'd done
Feeling hesitant or unsure about the consequences of one's actions
Yeah, atomic, supersonic
Feeling powerful and unstoppable
What a joke, I'm dumb
Feeling insecure or inadequate
See ya, don't want to be you
Disconnecting from negative people or situations
Lunch meat, Pond scum
Expressing a dismissive or derogatory sentiment towards someone or something
Yeah, I'd rather be anywhere doing anything
Seeking new experiences and avoiding boredom or stagnation
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Michael Mills, Michael Stipe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
비정한세상
I look good in a glass pack
I look good and mean
I look good in metallic sick wraparound blackout tease
I scud along the horizon, I drink some sweet tree tea
I get high in my low-ass boot-cut jean
I like being seen
I look good with my drink-eat-no-sleep, take-a-leap longevity
I get high on my attitude, latitude, 1973
I'm in deep
My head's on fire and high esteem
Carry my dead, bored, been there, done that, anything
Oh, the wake-up bomb
My head's on fire and high esteem
Get drunk and sing along to Queen
Practice my T-Rex moves and make the scene
Carry my dead, bored, been there, done that, anything
I had to knock a few buildings over
I make an ugly mess
I had to blow a gasket
Drop transmission
I had to decompress
I had to write the great American novel
I had a neutron bomb
I had to teach the world to sing by the age of 21
I wake up (I wake up)
I threw up when I saw what I'd done
Oh, the wake-up bomb
My head's on fire and high esteem
Get drunk and sing along to Queen
Practice my T-Rex moves and make the scene
Yeah, I'd rather be anywhere doing anything
I've had enough, I've seen enough, I've had it all, I'm giving up
I won the race, I broke the cup, I drank it all, I spit it up
Yeah, atomic, Supersonic
What a joke, I'm dumb
See ya, don't wanna be you
Lunch meat, Pond scum
My head's on fire in high esteem
Get drunk and sing along to Queen
Practice my T-Rex moves and make the scene
Yeah, I'd rather be anywhere doing anything
The Harmony Motel
Easily one of my favorite "rockers" by R.E.M. It's got so much swag, totally sounds like the lyrics. Also, I was born in 1973 so that's pretty cool on a personal level. God, this album has aged so incredibly well.
Kinnakeeter1997
Honest, raw, real and full of integrity. I don't expect anything less from R.E.M.
Maxim Popov
You have to write a very exclusive masterpiece on the current madness... Blessed are those who mourn... Stop the madness, stop the war ☮️ Peace Love and Freedom 💙
비정한세상
I look good in a glass pack
I look good and mean
I look good in metallic sick wraparound blackout tease
I scud along the horizon, I drink some sweet tree tea
I get high in my low-ass boot-cut jean
I like being seen
I look good with my drink-eat-no-sleep, take-a-leap longevity
I get high on my attitude, latitude, 1973
I'm in deep
My head's on fire and high esteem
Carry my dead, bored, been there, done that, anything
Oh, the wake-up bomb
My head's on fire and high esteem
Get drunk and sing along to Queen
Practice my T-Rex moves and make the scene
Carry my dead, bored, been there, done that, anything
I had to knock a few buildings over
I make an ugly mess
I had to blow a gasket
Drop transmission
I had to decompress
I had to write the great American novel
I had a neutron bomb
I had to teach the world to sing by the age of 21
I wake up (I wake up)
I threw up when I saw what I'd done
Oh, the wake-up bomb
My head's on fire and high esteem
Get drunk and sing along to Queen
Practice my T-Rex moves and make the scene
Yeah, I'd rather be anywhere doing anything
I've had enough, I've seen enough, I've had it all, I'm giving up
I won the race, I broke the cup, I drank it all, I spit it up
Yeah, atomic, Supersonic
What a joke, I'm dumb
See ya, don't wanna be you
Lunch meat, Pond scum
My head's on fire in high esteem
Get drunk and sing along to Queen
Practice my T-Rex moves and make the scene
Yeah, I'd rather be anywhere doing anything
Mazé Domingues
Linda canção!
Benny Profane
One of the very best rockers by REM. I cannot drive fast enough when I hear this song. I had Night Moves since the mid 50s, by could nor develop T Rex moves.
One of the greatest groups and Michael may have the best voice of ant
peter kiggin
I was born in 1973 so this song meant so much to me as I was born exactly on the 25th of june 1973 which is pretty much the middle of what this song is all about so that's cool.
redfeather22sa
Whatever this song is supposed to be about or based on its brilliant!!!
Tom Burns
The way Michael trails off at the end of the chorus on ‘bomb...’ nothing better !
The Music ♪
I love R.E.M. ❤️️❤️️❤️️...they were so talented, too bad they have broken up now & are no longer together to give us even more great music.😢
I love R.E.M. ❤️️❤️️❤️️...they were so talented, too bad they have broken up now & are no longer together to give us even more great music.😢