"I've had my fun, now it's time to serve your conscience overseas." and "We are agents of the free." The whole song is about Vietnam, Agent Orange, militarism and the young men who get broken on the rack of somebody else's agenda.

@greenworm7915

Жыл бұрын

Yep!! Too many good men I know have died of cancer from Agent Orange!

@greenworm7915

Жыл бұрын

Spot on!!

@williamstlouis3368

Жыл бұрын

Agent Orange was used in two countries during the war, Vietnam and South Korea. My brother was in the combat zone in South Korea in '69 and '70. He was exposed to Agent Orange. He died at age 68 with esophageal cancer. That was the official diagnosis. He had cancer in his spine and liver. Peace out.

@richardmardis2492

Жыл бұрын

Nailed it!

@ThePittsburghToddy

Жыл бұрын

On top of that, so many children were born with multiple types of birth defects. This has continued for three generations for those exposed to high levels of Agent Orange.

It's kind of a sad song. It's about the Vietnam Veterans dealing with cancer from exposure to Agent Orange while they served. The effects were becoming much more apparent by the late 80s/ early 90s. It's still a great song, and probably my favorite REM song. It was always cranking when I was in training at the US Naval Academy.

@anthonyrenda7725

Жыл бұрын

My father in law developed diabetes from agent orange.

@shawnbasil1600

Жыл бұрын

@@anthonyrenda7725 I'm sorry to hear it. I've known several who suffered various issues from exposure.

@matthewmcgrew2597

Жыл бұрын

HOOAH!!!

@flinx649

Жыл бұрын

Great song...but the subject matter really spins me up.... I have met so many Vietnam vets that were exposed to that stuff.... Parkinsons disease is another... how rotten this government treated them....and basically few in DC give a crap now about the US military... other than lip service.

@jimmymac4559

Жыл бұрын

@@matthewmcgrew2597 HUAW

Michael Stipe - vocals Peter Buck - guitar Mike Mills - bass Bill Berry - drums One of the greatest bands ever

@rogeroran2911

Жыл бұрын

Agreed

@hobbitpeddler4267

Жыл бұрын

Amen! My favorite!

@ianobrien3248

6 ай бұрын

Dammit I hit like before I noticed it was at 69... humblest apologies.

REM is such an amazing band. "Fall on Me" is another great song from this era.

@joiedevivre2005

Жыл бұрын

100% agree! I also like "These Days".

@fan123casual8

Жыл бұрын

I second “Fall on Me”. Also “The One I Love.” And “Superman”. Possibly “Stand” if you want a happier, poppy sound.

@WooBino.

Жыл бұрын

@@fan123casual8 Radio Free Europe

@xzonia1

Жыл бұрын

@@fan123casual8 All great, but man I love “The One I Love" so, so much! ❤

@glenonoko4918

Жыл бұрын

I'll agree that "Fall on ME" is another good REM song. Also consider REM's "Driver 8" which is sort of a train song, and Jay and Amber haven't done enough train songs.

❤️ REM!! ORANGE CRUSH is such a GREAT song!! THANK YOU VIET NAM VETS and ALL VETS!! 👍❣️👍❣️👍

You have only touched the surface of one if the greatest rock n roll band in American history...

In case you're wondering, it's not about the soft drink; "orange crush" refers to "agent orange", a defoliant used in Vietnam by the US in the war. It also caused nerve damage to many vets.

@scottvanhille5688

Жыл бұрын

I remember learning about it in school. Nasty stuff.

@johnmavroudis2054

Жыл бұрын

Exactly... AND the Vietnamese people exposed to it, as well.

It's a anti-war song... "orange crush" is the slang term for Agent Orange. The opening drum fill (and after the bridge) is meant to mimic machine gun fire. MIcheal Stipe's (the singer) father had served in the helicopter corps in vietnam (you can hear the helicopters in the breakdown section). REM had a knack of disguising the meaning of their songs.

I had a friend who battled cancer off and on for many years because of his exposure to Agent Orange. He was tough as nails, but the big C eventually caught up with him. But I'll focus on the happy memories.

A song about those who came back from Vietnam with a spine debilitating "Orange Crush" from exposure to Agent Orange defoliant [Thanks a lot Dupont]. REM has Plenty more to hear. " Fall on Me" is great and "What's the Frequency Kenneth " has a crazy backstory.

REM were definitely in a league of their own and definitely great made great music

Since you’re on REM, try Stand and Nightswimming, from either end of their run. The lead singer’s name is Michael Stipe.

I met Peter Buck at a Guitar Center back in the late 2000s, I was just killing a Saturday playing guitars and there's this heavy grey haired guy watching me play, I thought he was some weirdo then I realized it was him. He was super nice, showed me how to play a lot of their songs I couldn't quite nail down. He and Mike Mills were there as part of a side project band.

@jamiebroadbridge4776

Жыл бұрын

That must have been an amazing experience 👏

This songs always reminds me of my experiences in Vietnam. I'm a fan of R.E.M. because of this album.

R.E.M. doesn't get enough credit for the impact they had on music. They had a very mature sound and often, such as in songs like this, they had important social and societal messages to deliver.

@lynnschnekenburger7270

Жыл бұрын

@Paul B - absolutely agree with you. REM was one of the best bands from the 80's.

@drwalker6517

Жыл бұрын

Best US rock band ever.

@jimmymac4559

Жыл бұрын

First song I heard from them was “The one I Love”, riding to soccer practice in Bryan’s ‘68 California Red Mustang. I was hooked on them ever since.

@gennarocavainolo8488

Жыл бұрын

@@drwalker6517 Amen. Nothing else required. I wish reactors would react to stuff from first 5 albums. So different from what the popular stuff became.

REM is a fantastic group. ✌️

REM have so many good and meaningful songs, they influenced a whole generation of musicians. They proved that an indie band could go to the top of the charts without sell their soul in the process.

Three of the greatest alternative bands of all time... yesterday was U2, today is REM.... I hope tomorrow is Depeche Mode! For future REM songs, I recommend "Bang and Blame", "Man on the Moon", and "Radio Free Euriope". And I'll ask again that you do "Lightning Crashes" by Live. It's a band you really need to get into your library.

@laurahatzes6964

Жыл бұрын

Agree with the band Live. Was just thinking about them the other day and looked them up. Haven't seen any reactions to them as of yet.

@glenonoko4918

Жыл бұрын

I'll also agree with the request for the band named "Live". "Lightning Crashes" is maybe their biggest hit, but personally, I really like "Pain Lies on the Riverside"

@Shrykespeare

Жыл бұрын

@@glenonoko4918 That's a stellar song. So is "Lakini's Juice".

@johnwoodworth9127

Жыл бұрын

Yeah they'd really love Lighting Crashes by Live, it's such a great song.

@jasonremy1627

Жыл бұрын

@@glenonoko4918 I loved live. The first CD I ever owned was Mental Jewelry. Sadly, they really don't get along. Not long after Ed Kowalczyk rejoined the band, Chad Taylor quit. They really don't like each other anymore.

I looked at REM as the American Version of Midnight Oil when I was younger. Both had excellent chemistry, catchy melodies but some dark lyrics about past or current events if you analyse them closely. Probably why I like them both as they tell their stories well through music. Just my 2 cents.

@Cyssane

Жыл бұрын

I hadn't thought of that before but yes, that's a good comparison.

@vickiroman189

Жыл бұрын

Excellent comparison.

@TheNotedHero

Жыл бұрын

Damn, what a comment! Dude, you're bang on accurate! Never thought of that but can't agree more!

@screwyootube1

Жыл бұрын

Well put! I think Midnight Oil & R.E.M. are cut from the same cloth!

@allieren

Жыл бұрын

Oh my goodness, I never thought of that. But yeah, I like Midnight Oil for the same reasons I like REM. Great take!

Wife here..., IMO.., as far as Rock goes for me and my Generatiogn.., this song was really saying something.., As alot of the rock of the time was about partying.."It really makes you think and provokes emotion" is a perfect way to describe the song and feeling..

@RDRussell2

Жыл бұрын

Yep. I hate to sound like an old fuddy duddy, but I just don't think this is a value of songs today. To be about something bigger than your own teenagery feelings. Songs used to be about something that's beyond your own self, and thereby could evoke a more universal emotional response. Yep, okay, if the price of valuing good music is to be called an old fuddy duddy, I'm guilty as charged. And proud of it!

So many great REM songs...how about "Man on the Moon" or "What's the frequency Kenneth"?

@O_Towne_Bear

Жыл бұрын

and "E Bow The Letter"

@davis267

Жыл бұрын

@@O_Towne_Bear 💯💯💯

@BlackHatCinephile

Жыл бұрын

@@O_Towne_Bear Musically brilliant, but the lyrics were from Stipe's love letter to River Phoenix that he didn't get to send, because the kid died. It's basically an offer to be a daddy figure who will suck his feet.

@O_Towne_Bear

Жыл бұрын

@@BlackHatCinephile Well, ya but it's more than that. Still a good song.

@andrewmanford

Жыл бұрын

@@O_Towne_Bear E-Bow The Letter with Thom is awesome. Great song

"Hear that Bass Guitar?" That's Mike Mills on Bass, who was referred to widely as REM's "secret weapon" for his Baselines, as well as being the back vocals for Michael Stipe.

REM is one of the greatest alternative bands of the 80’s and 90’s.

college radio in the late 80's early 90's was awesome/ Bands like REM, Nirvana, early U2, Talking Heads and many others spread like fire across college campuses and started the alt rock revolution, it was really awesome. Driver 8 is still my favorite

REM is so amazing. Country Feedback and Half A World Away are underrated classics.

Jay & Amber, you'll love their "The One I Love" and "Shiny Happy People" !!!

@LiberalsArePoop

Жыл бұрын

Shiny Happy People has Kate from the B-52's - Rock Lobster!

@jamescarswell3470

Жыл бұрын

I absolutely love "Shiny Happy People". Probably my favorite by them.

@urbanurchin5930

Жыл бұрын

Shiny Happy People rated as one of the WORST songs in rock music history by many critics.

@michaelmulherin9952

Жыл бұрын

the one i love is great so is 70s music

@bryanbaas9629

Жыл бұрын

They both feature a member of Jay's favorite band... Kate from the B-52s. He'll probably love those as much as he loves Rock Lobster.

This was my introduction to REM and probably my favorite song of theirs, this or Radio Free Europe which you should also react to at some point.

@simontemplar3359

Жыл бұрын

Same here. I remember when I got the cassette, I played this song over and over. Still no clue what they're talking about!

@Johnny_Socko

Жыл бұрын

This is my favorite REM song. I love the rhythm section in this one, and the deep lyrics.

Orange Crush is one of my favorite songs from one my all time favorite bands Being a true R.E.M. believer, there are TONS of great songs to explore: "Fall On Me", "Begin the Begin", "Driver 8", "The One I Love" (NOT a Love song), "Nightswimming", "Strange Currencies", "Gardening at Night", "At My Most Beautiful" ... etc

REM is one of the absolute truly great bands! Just hours of content to choose from....The following are all bangers from their old school era; "Radio Free Europe", "Driver 8", "Fall on Me", "Don't Go Back to Rockville", and So. Central Rain

Michael Stipes voice can bring me to tears because he emotes with his voice. REM was absolutely apart of my life soundtrack. They epitomized college radio play. Buffalo Tom would be a great band to review "Summer"!

Band is Michael Stipe (vocals), Mike Mills (bass), Bill Berry (drums) and Peter Buck (guitar)

R.E.M. "The One I Love",, "Fall On Me",, "Radio Song",, "Near Wild Heaven",, "Cuyahoga" & "Man On The Moon"

You two are reading my suggestions! U2, now R.EM. Yeah baby!❤

Night swimming one of my all time favorites. Always reminds me of body surfing under parachute flares during a field exercise in the Marines.

Love the Shirt Stevie Ray Vaughan DOUBLE TROUBLE.. I saw him preform on stage in Austin Texas as a child growing up in the 90s before he passed R.I.P. on Austin city limits!

I knew what this song was about. I was in college when this came out. Jay pointed out something I never paid attention to was the one dog tag , hence the guy digging his own grave. Video makes even more sense sense now

I LOVE this period in this band's catalog!! They were firing on all cylinders during this time!! The songs, the production, the road show on tour, everyone in the band getting along!! It was a great time to be a music fan in the late 80's!!

This is an anti Vietnam song about the effects on Agent Orange on American Veterans. Mike Mills is a fire Bassist,but the whole group is fire

REM is one of the best bands of all time -- in part because the songs make you think or feel or respond in some deeper way. And Michael Stipe's voice comes from his soul. Listen to their last single before they broke up... "We All Go Back to Where We Belong." His voice is filled with heart... and the wisdom of a man growing older. We're the same age -- sometimes I feel like he's my spirit animal.

Yes, when a soldier is KIA, one tag stays on the body and the other is taken for identification purposes. Michael Stipe (vocals) does have a very evocative voice. Full band: Stipe, Peter Buck (guitars), Mike Mills (bass), Bill Berry (drums) (I met Mike Mills at a party once. He was nice.) Glad you've moved to the early part of R.E.M.'s catalog. Now, from the other end, I'll ask for "Walk Unafraid". Live version, please. (I think I gave you a rundown on the options on YT in an earlier comment.). That's a song where Stipe really connects with the audience, so live is definitely better then. No more roundoffs for you, Jay!

@amyk9175

Жыл бұрын

I don’t consider this early work at all. Try Fall On Me, Radio Free Europe, or Gardening at Night for early work- anything from Murmur or Fables perhaps even Document.

@Jessica_Roth

Жыл бұрын

@@amyk9175 It's a fair call, as the sound has evolved from where they started and their first Top 10 hit was off of "Document"… …but they went so much more mainstream with the next album ("Out of Time" is the first of five straight Top Three albums) that I always consider the 1990s to be the demarcation point. That said, I thought Jay and Amber hadn't done anything pre-'90s yet, but I forgot that they hit "End of the World As We Know It" back in January. So that's on me.

@sarahe.verity462

Жыл бұрын

Live version of Walk Unafraid might be my very favorite REM song, and it’s so underappreciated!

@Jessica_Roth

Жыл бұрын

@@sarahe.verity462 I stumbled onto the MTV concert from Germany (with the streets completely filled with people) and I was transfixed. And I was not exactly watching a lot of MTV in 2003. Blew me away.

Yesterday U2, today REM, how bout you follow it up with the third of the Big 3 80s alt bands INXS. Maybe "What You Need."

This was from Green, released in 1989 and I think probably my favorite REM album. The entire thing is an absolute masterpiece. It's hard to choose a favorite REM album, but this one ranks up there really, really high. They are definitely diverse though.

REM has an impressive catalog.

In reference to the dog tag, it was probably his buddy's. Leaving one with the body for identification and sending one home to their relatives. Good observation Rob.

REM have many kinds of songs but I love this one and specially the hard hitting Monster album. From it try I Don't Sleep, I Dream or Bang and Blame. The tour for this album was mindblowing, worth searching for. Enjoy! 🎵🎸🎤🎹🎶

REM's lyricist/front man, Michael Stipe's, Dad was career Army.

finally some REM. So many great songs to pick from ....

Their reaction to this song is exactly what the band wanted from their political music. Stipe's lyrics are abstract but often rich with imagery and meaning. The hope was for listeners to start asking questions and looking for answers.

REM has a dark side, a deep side. They can be silly. They can be heavy. But they be good.

“Driver 8” is hauntingly beautiful in so many ways.

We were “Cheer” parents back in the day when our daughters were younger.(They are adults now ….Our youngest is 29 and the oldest one is 34) We 💕loved going to their practices,games,and those cheerleading competitions! Those days were so much fun to cheer our cheerleader daughters on to Victory!

Another killer track from the Georgian REM !! What a beautiful track it is and a brilliant album too !!!

Great band!!! My 3 favorite REM songs are Everybody Hurts, Losing My Religion, which you've already reacted to, and my hands-down favorite, Nightswimming

You will love their song SHINNY HAPPY PEOPLE with KATE PEARSON of the B52's as guest singer

More REM - there are so many. Thanks for this one. Favorites.

I remember being a 14 year old boy in Australia and hearing this song on the radio at 3am (I used to sleep with the radio on). My dog was in my bedroom that night, and he didn't enjoy sleeping on the floor. As this song played my dog put his head next to the clock radio and looked at me just as the line ''I had my fun and now it's time to study your conscience'' was sung. It's such a dumb story but that's all I think about whenever I hear this song. The light from the digital clock radio on my dog's face as he's looking at me with his big doggy eyes. That's all...

After only The Beatles, this is my favorite band of all time. It was Mike Mills (bass guitar, guitar, piano and those awesome harmonies) who inspired me to learn how to play musical instruments. I hope you dig deep into their catalog because REM is amazing. Cheers!

Mike Mills backing vocals on this song are phenomenal, as are Michael Stipes lead vocals. Brilliant song. Well done guys. ✌️ Next R.E.M. song should be “Find The River”. Thanks 🙏🏻

@ianobrien3248

6 ай бұрын

Bill Berry's vocals too!

@bpfromowc

6 ай бұрын

@@ianobrien3248 I didn’t know Bill sang backing vocals on this.

@ianobrien3248

6 ай бұрын

@@bpfromowc Yeah I never knew for years but he's also singing too. Sounds so good.

@bpfromowc

6 ай бұрын

@@ianobrien3248 Sounds great. Thanks for the info Ian. ✌️

@ianobrien3248

6 ай бұрын

@@bpfromowc R U Talking REM Re: ME? Podcast is the best if you want to get all the inside info and hear nothing but REM facts. (With a LOT of bits if you like silly humor)

My favorite song from R.E.M. is bang and blame released in 1994 from their Album called Monster

"The Wrong Child" by R.E.M. makes me cry every single time. It's one of the saddest songs I know. "Radio Free Europe" is one of my favorite songs by REM.

all these yrs and still get goose bumps when i here this master piece

See? This is why I enjoy your reactions...you are open to understanding the lyrics, the feel of the rhythms.

For Christmas 1988, I wanted 2 things: The Smithereens' new album "Green Thoughts" and REM's new album "Green". Somewhere in a box is a picture of me holding them both with a huge smile on my face. REM has been one of my favorite bands since the early 80's when "Murmur" first hit my radar. My first CD I owned was REM-"Document". Some of their older stuff could be top 100 in today's market. For a classic that doesn't get airtime any more, check out "Driver 8" from their album "Fables of the reconstruction". You can hardly go wrong with any of their songs.

Michael Stipe is the lead singer and he is amazing! I've seen REM 3 times and they are AWESOME.

My big bro was diagnosed with metastasized cancer early in 2021 and died in the fall of 2021. His doctors linked it to Agent Orange. I find it strange the song mentions "spine" because his cancer was discovered in the spine

I had art classes with a few of these guys in Athens. One of my painting professors was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and you could see that influence in his paintings. I'm not sure if this professor's stories and paintings influenced this song or not. Still a great and poignant song.

My favorite band of all time. They have so much great music. Michael is a beautiful artist!

@feliciachaste

Жыл бұрын

Best band of all time. These four (even when they are 3) guys together were magic.

I saw them at the Forum (Los Angeles) during the “Green” tour and their drummer was the hardest hitting drummer I ever heard and I listen to Metal…

@screwyootube1

Жыл бұрын

Yes! I saw that one, too! I wish I’d seen them a few more times over the years, before they called it quits! I still hold out hope they will reunite for at least one more tour!

One of my favourite bands. Imo their best tracks 'Man on the Moon' Imitation of Life', and 'Daysleeper'

@Nitro-bp2ss

Жыл бұрын

Oh and Near Wild Heaven' for Mike Mills on lead vocals

My Vietnam Veteran High School Art teacher had 'agent orange' on his elbows and knees. He told me that he had to soak his wounds with kerosene. God Bless our Veterans.

My fave REM tune. So good.

R.E.M. saved me from the Hair bands of the 80's. "It's the End of the World as We Know It. (and I Feel Fine) next, please. ☮💜🎶

From a huge REM fan from the early 80's I would suggest Begin the Begin or Carnival of Sorts . Great job though. Saw them this tour.

For your next R.E.M. song, I'd check out either "Radio Free Europe" or "Fall on Me", but with that band, there are many good choices.

My dad was a Vietnam Veteran who died from cancer dealing with Agent Orange which this song is about ! I think REM is from Athens Ga. the same place your favorite band The B-52's are from =) Ok y'all i'm ready for some Band-Maid "Real Existence" Official Live . Great Reaction !!

You guys are going thru the iconic part of the music box the last few days. Like U2, this is about when REM was also blowing up all over the world.

U may have cheer battle wounds but such a good daddy. Wishing u a fast recovery... Love REM, they can def get pretty deep...Thanx so much, Be well, be safe, Peace

You spoke about the guy digging his own grave; little kid was playing at war & grew up to it, he went from orange crush the soda to orange crush the nickname for agent orange.

My all-time favorite band.

"Pop Song 89" is another good one from this album.

Nice, hope you go deeper with REM, greatnesss! ❤‍🔥❤‍🔥🎈🎈

I attended an REM "Out of Time" concert in 1991 with friends at Madison Square Garden in New York City. We sat in the last row directly behind the band, so we looked down at their backs through a floor-to-ceiling rope fishnet. At least we were only a few feet away from the hotdog stand. We were his only customers.

Spine means willing to fight, orange crush was the chemical they used in Vietnam. I believe this song is about that war

R.E.M has so many amazing songs, have a look at Man on The Moon, Night Swimming, What's the Frequency Kenneth, Its The End of the World as We Know it, The Sidewinder Sleeps tonight- the whole Automatic For The People album lol

Love REM! I was thinking yesterday you should do them. So you read minds!

On the Green Tour they introduced this song by singing a snippet of a famous US Army recruiting commercial: "Be all that you can be in the army!" Followed immediately by those machine gun drums.

So many great REM songs. Fall on me, So. Central Rain, Driver 8, Turn you inside out,

Their song "Stand" is another good one too and "It's the End of the World" "Shiny Happy People" and "Everybody Hurts" to name a few..

such a moving song. This is a sad song with a powerful message. Back in the day Denver Broncos used it for a short time. They were calling the defense Orange Crush. thanks again for this smile.

Spoken words: "We would circle, and we circled and circled the shopping center, centering on the pavement’s jacked up, all the trucks jacked up, and our wheels slush and orange crush and cock of the walk...in this here county. Hell in three counties in the tri county area and I was a legend. I was the king of the county. All these girls...sit. Whirlybirds. I had it whooped. I had this life whooped. I knew it all! I knew every back road and every Friday night we would ...... down.....path."

My memory from the MTV days when this played was that it referred to Agent Orange, but I could be misremembering.

You have no idea how grateful I am this is the music of my adolescence!

What I like about this is that both the bass and the drums play inside a 4/4 time with triplets (bom-bom-bom) that make it sound like 3/6. I may not have the technicals right but there’s definitely a basic underbeat and the bass and drums are not accenting 2 and 4 like they normally would. Then again REM were famous early on for playing the bass and drums off each other instead of together, which is pretty unusual. So it’s likely by design.

Binge watching R.E.M with you...Yes, (ex-Marine here) you are issued 2 dog tags, one goes into the body bag...R.E.M. is a lot like RUSH, insofar as their lyrics ALWAYS mean something, they are saying "Cool music, but think about what we are saying".

Love the eclectic choice of music you always choose to react to. Keeps me on my toes.

When I was little I would go to the supermarket with my Daddy and he would ask me is I wanted an "Orange Crotch" just cause he liked saying silly things to make me laugh! Love R.E.M.!!

"Shiny Happy People" with Kate Pierson from B-52's .

Always loved the guitar on this song 👍 ..and I always thought 'got my spine' means his bravery, and the orange crush is his Americanism.. that he's shipping overseas 🤷 8th grade for me.

REM has a monstrous rabbit hole, during the time of their first 7-8 albums, one could easily argue they were the best rock band in the world. I could easily list off 40-50 strong classics off the top of my head. And their songs run the gamut of soft to hard, often with a gentle, and occasionally not so gentle, southern touch (they're from Athens, Georgia). If you want to hear something from their very beginning, I'd suggest Gardening At Night or Laughing. If you want something from their next pre-stardom phase, I'd check out So. Central Rain or Don't Go Back to Rockville or Can't Get There From Here. If you want to hear them arriving at the big time, maybe try Fall On Me or Finest Worksong. From the true star phase, probably want to hit up Bad Day and What's The Frequency, Kenneth?

@Josephshmosepf

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. Very hard to find even an average song on those first 4-5 albums. It’s all great!

While the lyrics are difficult to follow and understand, I remember a friend of mine telling me it was about Agent Orange from the Vietnam War and the effects on them and their children. I have lost a few friends I served with who were in Vietnam and in my Veteran Organizations. May they rest in peace.