SLS: Murmur

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A train trestle covered in thick kudzu with "R.E.M. / MURMUR" written in blue

 

Today’s theme for Song Lyric Sunday, as Jim tells us in his post First Public Appearance, is to play a song from a debut album. A pretty large field from which to choose, I think! My first thought was to play something from Steely Dan’s Can’t Buy A Thrill, which is still one of my all-time favourite albums, but as I’ve played several tracks from it before and featured the record in my Classic Album series, I decided to try something else.

I’m going today with another great debut by a band who also became a huge favourite of mine. The album is Murmur, by R.E.M. and this is its opening track:

Though I loved the band, there was always the feeling that Michael Stipe’s vocal style was a little hard to follow, so you may need to see the lyrics (not that they will help you much to understand them!):

Decide yourself if radio’s gonna stayReason it could polish up the grayPut that, put that, put that up your wallThat this isn’t country at allRadio station decide yourself
 
Keep me out of country and the wordWheel of fortune’s leading us absurdPush that, push that, push that to the floorThat this isn’t nothing at allStraight off the boat, where to go
 
Calling out in transitCalling out in transitRadio Free Europe (Radio)
 
Decide defy the media too fastInstead of pushing palaces to fallPut that, put that, put that up your wallThat this isn’t fortunate at allRadio station decide yourself
 
We’re calling out in transitCalling out in transitRadio Free Europe (Radio)
 
Decide yourself come in on a boatMedia’s too fastKeep me out of country and the wordDisappointment into us absurdStraight off the boat, where to go
 
Calling out in transitCalling out in transitRadio Free EuropeRadio Free Europe
 
 
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Peter Lawrence Buck / Michael E. Mills / William Thomas Berry / John Michael Stipe
Radio Free Europe lyrics © Night Garden Music
 
Murmur was released in the US in April 1983, and in August in the UK, and for me was a real breath of fresh air after the years of charts dominated by disco and punk, neither of which I liked very much. What was then an unknown indie band was wonderful to hear: I heard a couple of tracks on the radio and bought the album as soon as I could. And I’ve loved it ever since. It was moderately successful in the US, reaching #36, but didn’t make the UK chart at the time: a 1994 reissue did make #100 here though, and it has since made the even lower reaches of our Albums Chart on a couple of other occasions.
 
Radio Free Europe had actually been released as a single in 1981 by the band’s first record company, but didn’t make the charts. They re-recorded it for Murmur and it became the first single from the album, peaking at #78 in the US but not making a chart appearance anywhere else. A critic later remarked that “The song features what were to become the trademark unintelligible lyrics which have distinguished R.E.M.’s work ever since.” So it’s not just me, then! The band have claimed that the song wasn’t about the US broadcast channel of that name, but it seems they have had a rethink since the Orange Destroyer and his toadies began wrecking everything that the US stands for. Yesterday was World Press Freedom Day – an official UN designation – and this song has been re-released as part of a five track EP to raise funds in support of the broadcaster, which has incurred the wrath of the Orange one for telling the truth. 
 
Only one other single was taken from the album, and it is my favourite track on the record:
 
 
Having commented on Mr Stipe’s vocals, in a rare moment of generosity I’m also giving you a second set of lyrics today, as they are quite short (and repetitive!):
 
Empty prayer, empty mouths combien reactionEmpty prayer, empty mouths talk about the passionNot everyone can carry the weight of the worldNot everyone can carry the weight of the world
 
Talk about the passionTalk about the passion
 
Empty prayer, empty mouths combien reactionEmpty prayer, empty mouths talk about the passionCombien, combien, combien de temps?
 
Talk about the passionTalk about the passion
 
Not everyone can carry the weight of the worldNot everyone can carry the weight of the worldCombien, combien, combien de temps?
 
Talk about the passionTalk about the passion
 
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck
Talk About the Passion lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

 

 
Talk About The Passion wasn’t a hit single, but I think it still sounds great. The video is from the When The Light Is Mine: The Best Of The I.R.S. Years collection, which was released alongside the CD of the album in 2006. As someone has commented on YouTube the guitar sound is superb, perhaps even better than the original album recording.
 
I’m playing you a third today, which is a bit of a cheat. Whilst Murmur was R.E.M.’s first album, they had previously released a five track EP, Chronic Town, which came out in August 1982 in the US, but nowhere else. We had to wait for its tracks to be included on a compilation album a few years later! A 1983 live version of one of its tracks was included on one of the extended reissues of Murmur, and as it is another favourite I’m closing with that one for today:
 
 
That was, as the clip showed, Gardening At Night – not something I’ve ever tried, I must admit. I’ll just content myself with the opening verse and chorus for this one:
 
I see your money on the floor I felt the pocket changeThough all the feelings that broke through that doorJust didn’t seem to be too realThe yard is nothing but a fence the sun just hurts my eyesSomewhere it must be time for penitenceGardening at night, it’s never worth
 
Gardening at nightGardening at nightGardening at night

But as the man says, maybe it isn’t a worthwhile pastime anyway. Full lyrics can of course be found on t’interweb if you feel the need.

That’s me done for today. I’m off to see what others are playing, though I already know one: she posted yesterday and confused me for a moment! Enjoy your day and, if like us you have an extra day this weekend, have fun with that too 😊

 

 

62 thoughts on “SLS: Murmur”

  1. Pingback: Rounding Up May | Take It Easy

  4. Hello Clive, I think I have gardened at night but only a few times – and that was a unique song.

    I was never an REM fan, not sure why, but they sure overplayed “losing my religion” and I enjoyed learning about their debut material – good post

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Hi Yvette,

      Losing My Religion deserves to be overplayed – a fantastic song! We can’t all be fans of the same bands but I’m pleased you enjoyed hearing about how they started 😊

      Liked by 1 person

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      • Yes, and I can see why they became popular and they sure have an original sound.
        and by the way – the My religion song brings me right back to spring of ’93 – when I lived in central fla and used to drive to Daytona to see this guy I dated for a couple months –
        crazy how songs time stamp certain things

        Liked by 1 person

      • They were a bit different when they started, though many others later copied them.

        That’s one of the beauties of music for me, the way it can evoke memories of stages in our lives. Sounds like they were good for you – for a while 😉

        Liked by 1 person

      • well that was still when american radio was all we had – besides CD’s at home – and before so many other options came out way – so that song was just overplayed – hahah
        Hope you are having a nicr week so far
        🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      • Yes, music consumption has changed over time. I rarely listen to radio these days – I get my new music from YouTube recommendations and Apple Music.

        The week is good so far, thank you. One of my football teams won a playoff final on Monday and are promoted, so it had a good start! Hope yours is good too 👍

        Like

  6. Clive, I first got into REM with Green and have most of their albums now. I love Stipe’s voice whether or not the words are intelligible. They are ones you have to follow along with the booklet to understand. OK with me. Great band to highlight and happy to know you are a big fan 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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    • As you say, it’s good to find another fan. I’ve been with them since the start and have the full set of albums – though they tend to be streamed these days!

      Trying to work out the lyrics has always been part of the fun with them, hasn’t it 😉

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    • Sorry, I’ll hope for better luck next time!

      I’d imagine it could be dangerous in a dark garden. Weeding might be ok but using a chainsaw is probably a no-no 🤣

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  11. There was an article recently discussing REM as the “biggest band that wasn’t” or some such thing…I know they were critical darlings and lost a bit of that when they began to have a number of mainstream hits: almost as if their original fan base felt abandoned a bit…sad because their body of music is timeless and terrific…great story as always

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  12. Nice choice for today, Clive. R.E.M. certainly had their own unique and evolving sound, along with their distinctive songwriting style, and they made a significant impact on the alternative rock genre.  Thanks for joining in and sharing your music.

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    • I found out about them in 1984…. they had a Byrds sound to them at times and a timeless sound…unlike a lot of the synth heavy bands.

      Liked by 1 person

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    • I don’t think The Replacements did much over here – I’d be very hard pressed to name even one song by them.

      Stipe’s vocals were an essential part of the R.E.M. sound.

      Liked by 1 person

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      • On college radio back then those two bands were the kings of it. The Replacements liked to shoot themselves in the foot.
        I always liked his vocals….he started to come more to the front later on.

        Liked by 1 person

      • That was my time as a teenager, and it was fantastic. The stuffy old BBC didn’t cater for young people with its musical offerings, and the pirates filled the gap. Great music, absolute lunacy from some of the DJs. With The Beatles that was the decade that changed everything. If you haven’t seen it, the movie The Boat That Rocked is a fun story about those times.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Without Pirate Radio…some things would be different. The Who and Kinks have said it helped them a great deal.
        Yes! I love that movie! It was reccomended to me years ago and I love it.

        Liked by 1 person

      • It probably helped loads of bands to get airplay and made careers for them. Those were two good examples of that.

        It’s a good movie, isn’t it 😊

        Like

  16. I just hear someone from this band this week on the news saying they are doing a concert, and all the money goes to Radio Free Europe since Trump pulled the money plug on them, What a great choice,.

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    • Fortuitous timing for me. I chose this album earlier in the week and drafted the post yesterday, as I always do, before a final edit to add in the pingback on Sunday morning. I read in the paper yesterday afternoon about what the band were doing, and edited that in. Whatever the song was about in their minds, to everyone else it refers to the station, and their support is welcome. Trump is a cultural vandal, destroying everything he can in order to turn the US into a fascist dictatorship.

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  17. Two of these songs at least are for the REM purists; I came in about The One I Love and slowly picked up from there. They did have a reputation I remember for unintelligible lyrics, though they suddenly seem clear when the lyric is there to follow! How young they look, like some better than average US college band. Left a great legacy though.

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    • That was on their fifth album – you’d missed a lot by then! I think those early albums were forgotten when Out Of Time made them into megastars, which is a pity as there is some great music on them. As you say, their legacy is fantastic.

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      • Their 5th? Well I suppose that’s when the streaming platforms can help catch-up, so I’ll look into that.

        By the way, I’m putting out a blog in the next day or two and I’ll be putting in a link to your recent New Music blog if that’s okay? I think they call it a ping-back?

        Liked by 1 person

      • Try the one before it, Life’s Rich Pageant. It contains the epic song Cuyahoga, one of my all time favourites by anyone.

        That will be kind of you to give me a pingback – much appreciated 😊

        Liked by 1 person

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