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."
Wolves
R.E.M. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suspicion yourself, suspicion yourself, let us out
Wilder lower wolves
Here's a house to put wolves out the door
In a corner garden, wilder lower wolves
House in order, house in order, house in order, house in order
Down there they're rounding a posse to ride
Suspicion yourself, suspicion ourselves, suspicion myself
Wilder lower wolves
Here's a house to put wolves out the door
In a corner garden, wilder lower wolves
House in order, house in order, house in order, house in order
Down there they're rounding a posse to ride
Suspicion yourself, suspicion yourself, don't get caught
Suspicion yourself, suspicion yourself, let us out
Wilder lower wolves
Here's a house to put wolves out the door
In a corner garden, wilder lower wolves
House in order, house in order, house in order, house in order
Down there they're rounding a posse to ride
Suspicion yourself, suspicion yourself, don't get caught
Suspicion yourself, suspicion ourselves, suspicion myself
Wilder lower wolves
Here's a house to put wolves out the door
In a corner garden, wilder lower wolves
House in order, house in order, house in order, house in order
Down there they're rounding a posse to ride
Suspicion yourself, suspicion yourself, don't get caught
Suspicion yourself, suspicion yourself, let us out
Wilder lower wolves
Here's a house to put wolves out the door
In a corner garden, wilder lower wolves
House in order, house in order, house in order, house in order
Down there they're rounding a posse to ride
Suspicion yourself, suspicion yourself, don't get caught
Suspicion yourself, suspicion ourselves, suspicion myself
Wilder lower wolves
Here's a house to put wolves out the door
In a corner garden, wilder lower wolves
House in order, house in order, house in order, house in order
Down there they're rounding a posse to ride
The lyrics to the song "Wolves, Lower" by R.E.M. are intriguing and enigmatic. The repetition of the phrase "suspicion yourself" suggests the need for self-evaluation and self-awareness, perhaps in a situation where there is danger or deception. The reference to "lower wolves" could be interpreted as a metaphor for those who are less powerful or marginalized, being forced out of a home or into a wilder environment. The repeated phrase "house in order" suggests a need for organization and tidiness, possibly in the context of preparing for a confrontation or escape.
The references to a "posse" and the need to not get caught imply a sense of urgency and potential danger, potentially involving law enforcement or other threatening forces. The use of imagery from nature, such as the wolves and the garden, adds a layer of mysticism and natural power to the song.
Overall, the lyrics to "Wolves, Lower" suggest a need for self-awareness, preparation, and vigilance in a potentially threatening situation, while also referencing the power of nature and the forces of the wild.
Line by Line Meaning
Suspicion yourself, suspicion yourself, don't get caught
Be suspicious of yourself, don't let your guard down
Suspicion yourself, suspicion yourself, let us out
Be suspicious of yourself, let us out of this situation
Wilder lower wolves
More savage, dangerous wolves
Here's a house to put wolves out the door
Offering a place to escape danger
In a corner garden, wilder lower wolves
Even in peaceful places, danger can still be present
House in order, house in order, house in order, house in order
Everything must be perfect, no room for error
Down there they're rounding a posse to ride
A group is gathering to take action against a threat
Suspicion ourselves, suspicion ourselves, suspicion myself
Everyone must be aware of their own actions and thoughts
Suspicion yourself, suspicion yourself, let us out
Be cautious, but also seek a way to escape danger
Wilder lower wolves
Even more dangerous wolves
Here's a house to put wolves out the door
A safe haven from danger
In a corner garden, wilder lower wolves
Even in peaceful places, danger lurks
House in order, house in order, house in order, house in order
Everything must be perfect, no room for mistake
Down there they're rounding a posse to ride
A group is forming to confront a threat
Suspicion yourself, suspicion yourself, don't get caught
Remain alert and attentive to the situation, avoid getting caught off guard
Suspicion ourselves, suspicion myself
We must all be wary of our own actions and thoughts
Wilder lower wolves
Dangerous wolves continue to threaten
Here's a house to put wolves out the door
A place of refuge from danger
In a corner garden, wilder lower wolves
Even in peaceful places, danger is a constant threat
House in order, house in order, house in order, house in order
Everything must be in perfect order to avoid danger
Down there they're rounding a posse to ride
A group is preparing to take action against danger
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Michael Mills, Michael Stipe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nachname Vorname
Suspicion yourself,
suspicion yourself,
don't get caught
Suspicion yourself,
suspicion yourself,
let us out
Wilder, lower, wolves
Here's a house to put wolves out the door
In a corner garden, wilder, lower, wolves
House in order, house in order
House in order, house in order
Down there they're rounding a posse to ride
Scott Whitehead
My depth of love for this EP is boundless. The beginning of the jangly, jitttery guitars and Michael Stipe's voice - the greatest instrument ever.
Hiromi K
My wife told me that every REM song I listen to has ah-ah-ah in it. I didn't realize it, but there's truth to it. Mike Mills' harmony is what makes REM so great for me.
Marshall Vandiver
In the early days Michael became bored of singing as fast as the music so he started singing at his own much slower speed which involved having to elongate his vowels.
Jake G
Nah man. chick the Green album and Automatic. If your talking old stuff maybe.
Matt Kaz
Old REM had the ability to conjure up such huge atmosphere from relatively simple songs. Amazing.
Phobos XXI
This song is severely underrated genius.
James S.
@Tony Roberts it was on college radio for sure.
Richard Gelder
You are not wrong.
Francis Bottoni
My sentiments exactly...imagine they had reunion tour...it be beyond epic⚔️
Via Chicago
Agreed. That description applies to all of ChronicTown, but especially Wolves, 1,000,000 and Stumble.