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 😊
