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Fun Music Information -> REM

Album cover parody of Nightswimming by R.E.M.
Parody album cover
click to see the original

This is the most recent information about REM that has been submitted to amIright. If we have more information about REM, then we provide a link to the section where it appears (the actual page whenever possible).

Our newest site, amIwrong has an albums order quiz where you need to put this performer's albums in order of release.
 
 

Jokes:

I went to an REM gig last night. I've got a pic with me, here...that's the band, and that's me in the corner.
Submitted by: DK
When man went to the great beyond of space and landed on the moon, REM lost their religion while others made a stand like animals imitating life.
Submitted by: Josh 2

Band Name Origins:

  • According to "Remarks - The Story Of R.E.M." by Tony Fletcher, the band had asked their friends to write names for the band on the outside wall of the converted church they were living in at the time. As Sidewinder pointed out, those names did include Cans Of Piss and Twisted Kites, as well as, ahem, Sl*t Bank, but R.E.M. was apparently among them. It is claimed by some that Twisted Kites was actually their name for their first gig, although the more widely held view is that they had no name. Despite the fact that R.E.M. commonly stands for Rapid Eye Movement, they chose the name because people could interpret an acronym any way they liked. Submitted by: neptunevsmars
  • It stands for "rapid eye movement", which is the period in your sleep which lasts for 2 hours total. This is when you at your deepest sleep and your dreaming. The dreaming makes your eyes move faster then could possibly be controlled. Hence, the name, Rapid Eye Movement, when sleep professionals look at sleep patterns and dreaming they measure this in measurements called R.E.Ms. (20 R.E.Ms a second ect...) This was chosen because Michael Stipe has previously suffered from insomnia. Submitted by: pikel

New Career:

Name
New Career
Comments & Submitter Name
"Farmer"According to wikipedia, he became a farmer after quitting R.E.M. after 17 years. - JeReMy

Song Titles Not Used as Lyrics:

Song Name
Comments & Submitter Name
"E-Bow The Letter"Look up, what do you see?
All of you and all of me
Flourescent and starry
Some of them, they surprise. - Rocky
"So. Central Rain"The chorus just repeats "I'm sorry!" over and over. Maybe Michael's apologizing to the title for not featuring it. - Brian Kelly
"Pop Song '89"Can we talk about the weather? Should we talk about the government? - Brian Kelly

New Band Names:

New Name
Why It's Better
Submitter Name
RPMIf only vinyl had been around long enough...Pat Maheiny
SOSHelp! Help! Please save us from Michael Stipe's speeches.J.C.

New Song Names:

Original Song Name
New Song Name
Submitter Name
"Everybody Farts""Everybody Hurts"MSG
"Losing My Pigeon""Losing My Religion"joe
"Everybody Flirts""Everybody Hurts"Natasha
"Ginger Ale""Orange Crush"crazmo
"Losing My Car Keys""Losing My Religion"Liane

There are additional new song names available.

Literally Impossible Song Titles:

Song/Performer
Comment
Submitter Name
"Radio Free Europe,"Radio stations still exist in Europe.Tommy
"Everybody Hurts,"Not everybody, all the time.Peter
"Ignoreland,"Since I have no clue where this is, I'll ignore itPeter
"Try Not To Breathe,"Then I'll die; so I'll ignore your instructions.Peter
"King Of Birds,"Birds have no kind of royaltyRich

There are additional literally impossible song titles available.

Use a Song Title to Answer a Different Song:

Song & Band Name
Song & Band Name
"Get On Your Feet," Gloria Estefan"Stand," R.E.M.
"Rock And Roll Band," Boston"Perfect Circle," R.E.M.
"Get On Your Feet," Gloria Estefan"Stand," R.E.M.
"Somewhere There's A Someone," Dean Martin"That Someone Is You," R.E.M.
There are additional songs titles that answer other songs available.

Remove a Letter From a Song Title:

"Orange Rush" originally "Orange Crush"
Mallory
"All On Me" originally "Fall On Me"
Serafina
"Can't Get Here From Here" originally "Can't Get There From Here"
Just where ARE you?!
Josh
"Petty Persuasion" originally "Pretty Persuasion"
About Tom Petty's ability to persuade?
Rafeal De La Ghetto
"Carnival Of Sots" originally "Carnival Of Sorts"
Jamie Burke

There are additional song titles with a letter removed available.

Add a Letter to a Song Title:

"Find The Driver" originally "Find The River"
Melissa
"Strand" originally "Stand"
Serafina
"Radio Freed Europe" originally "Radio Free Europe"
...from what?
Random Madeupperson
"The One In Love" originally "The One I Love"
Serafina
"Start Me Kitten" originally "Star Me Kitten"
Josh

There are additional song titles with a letter added available.

Change a Letter:

"Wall On Me" originally "Fall On Me"
Never a good feeling.
Joe
"Dan On The Moon" originally "Man On The Moon"
Gives this man a name.
Max
"The One I Move" originally "The One I Love"
Pat Mahiney
"Imitation Of Lift" originally "Imitation Of Life"
Hard to have an imitation of an elevator.
Peter
"Find The Rider" originally "Find The River"
Melissa

There are additional song titles with a letter changed available.

Recordings:

June 17
a parody of "It's the End of the World As We Know It" by R.E.M.
This one is one of my most demanding parodies to date, and it is definitely NOT from personal experience, and I would have great sympathy if anyone ever has to live this story for real.
soundclick.com: (mp3)
Nov 25
a parody of "Stand" by REM
Wolverine's AmIRight Idol Round 4 Winner gets recorded by Below Average Dave! Congrats Wolverine
badave.com: (mp3)
Nov 12
a parody of "Loosing My Religion" by R.E.M.
The song that won the first Below Average Dave recording contest. . .enjoy (Performed by B.A.D.)
badave.com: (mp3)
Apr 20
a parody of "Losing My Religion" by REM
This song is a testament to indecisiveness...
Soundclick.com: (Mp3)

Song Parody Lyrics:

Original Song Name
Parody Song Name
Parody Author
"So Central Rain (I'm Sorry)""Terry Christian's Rain (I'm The Word)"Fack Sabbath
"Shiny Happy People""Whiny Crappy Boybands"Fack Sabbath
"It's the End of the World As We Know It""If There's an End To Pi We Don't Know It (My Guess is Nine)"Danny Mew
"Man On The Moon""Cat Deeley On The Moon"Fack Sabbath
"Stand""Crap"Fack Sabbath
"It's The End Of The World As We Know It""The End Of The World Didn't Happen"Steve Kalafut
"It's The End of the World as We Know It""As a Prophet of Doom You Have Blown It"Patrick McWilliams
"It's The End Of The World As We Know It""It's The End Of The World And You Know It"Wendy Christopher
"Everybody Hurts""Everybody Blurts"Merry & Pippin
"Bang and Blame""Sounds the Same"the_conqueror_of_parodies

There are additional song parodies available.

Songs for Commercials, That Haven't Been Done Yet:

Song Name
Product
Submittor
Everybody HurtsTylenolRich
Half a World AwayChina TourismJake
It's The End Of The World As We Know ItEvangelist/Fundamentalist OrganizationDiddims
The Sidewinder Sleeps TonightSnake RepellentHeathcliff the Cat
Losing My ReligionChristian Coalition PSAAaron
There are additional commercials that haven't been done yet available.

Bad Choices for On Hold Music:

Song Name
Company/Organization
Submittor
Try Not To Breathe911qwpJ
Losing My ReligionChurchnightrain express
Everybody HurtsAnesthesiologistIMRIGHTBEHINDYOU
StandWheelchair companyJake
Orange CrushSunkistJake
There are additional on hold music ideas available.

Songs for Duets, That Haven't Been Done Yet:

First Band/Song Name
Second Band/Song Name
New Song Name
Submittor
Big City Nights
   Scorpions
Nightswimming
   R.E.M.
Big City Nightswimming
Josh
Stupidly Happy
   XTC
Shiny Happy People
   REM
Stupidly Shiny Happy People
Two bands with 3 initials together.
British Bullcrap
Mexican Radio
   Wall Of Voodoo
Radio Free Europe
   R. E. M.
Mexican Radio, Free Europe
Martha Hankins
Can't Get Used To Losing You
   Andy Williams
Losing My Religion
   REM
Can't Get Used To Losing My Religion
crazydon
There are additional duets that haven't been done yet available.

If Groups Combined, Their Names Might Be:

R.E.M.F.
R.E.M. combined with E.M.F.
Both bands had big hits in the early 90's.
Submitted By: Larry
REMinem
REM combined with Eminem
Pronounced "Rem-in-em"
Submitted By: mikopath
REM Speedwagon
REM combined with REO Speedwagon
Not original, but still funny!
Submitted By: Rocky

Misheard Lyrics:

"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
Misheard Lyrics:
Tony Chowbaker
Original Lyrics:
Call me when you try to wake her up
"Cuyahoga"
Misheard Lyrics:
Weenie skins and you and me Weenie skin That river ran
Original Lyrics:
We knee-skinned it, you and me We knee-skinned that river red
"The One I Love"
Misheard Lyrics:
This one goes out to the one-eyed love...
Original Lyrics:
This one goes out to the one I love...
"Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)"
Misheard Lyrics:
Box cars (like, totally) out of town
Original Lyrics:
Box cars (are pulling) out of town
There are additional misheard lyrics available.

Misheard Lyrics Stories:

"The One I Love"
Misheard Lyrics:
This one goes out to the one-eyed love...
Original Lyrics:
This one goes out to the one I love...

Story about this misheard lyric by: Michael

Disappointed not to have a shout out song to the one-eyed loves and uni-brows of the world.

There are additional misheard stories available.

Song Parody Fragments:

"It's the End Of The World As We Know It"
Better Lyrics:
There's no end to One Piece as they know it
Original Lyrics:
It's the end of the world as we know it
Submitted by: Andrea Huckstep
"The One I Love"
Better Lyrics:
This one goes out to the one-eyed duck
Original Lyrics:
This one goes out to the one I love
Submitted by: walrus
"Losing My Religion"
Better Lyrics:
I taut that I heard you laughing
I taut that I heard you sing
I tink I taut I taw a puddy tat, puddy tat
Original Lyrics:
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Submitted by: MissKathC
There are additional parody fragments available.

Funniest Song Lyrics:

"Losing My Religion"
The Funny Lyrics:
Oh, life is bigger
It's bigger than you, and you are not me.
Why They're Funny:
Well duh... of course I'm not Michael Stipe.
Submitted by: Capt. Obvious
"E-bow The Letter"
The Funny Lyrics:
Aluminium, tastes like fear
Why They're Funny:
well, i'd never try and eat it, but how good to know...
Submitted by: ati
There are additional Funny lyrics available.

Repetitive Song Lyrics:

"Man On The Moon"
The Repetitive Lyrics:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Why They're Repetitive:
It's at the end of nearly every line. You think he could have thought of different words.
Submitted by: Barbarella
"Everybody Hurts"
The Repetitive Lyrics:
Everybody hurts (x100)
Why They're Repetitive:
I like rem but i swear this is the whole bloody song! Micheal Stipe would be hurting if i got my hands on him after hearing this song for the 50th time!!!
Submitted by: Little Scottish Girlie
There are additional REM repetitive lyrics available.

Nonsensical Song Lyrics:

"Diminished"
The Nonsensical Lyrics:
I can see the truth in his statement
Smallpox blanket
No Way
Why They're Nonsensical:
Uh huh. What exactly is a smallpox blanket and how on earth does it fit in with the rest of the song?
Submitted by: Barbarella
"It's The End of the World As We Know It"
The Nonsensical Lyrics:
That's great, it starts with an earthquake,
birds and snakes, an aeroplane...
Lenny Bruce is not afraid.
Why They're Nonsensical:
This song is sung very fast with lyrics that don't really make any sense at all. This is the opening line. And, really why would Lenny be afraid?
Submitted by: Celeste

Inappropriate Song Lyrics:

"Be Mine"
The Inappropriate Lyrics:
I never thought of this as funny
It speaks another world to me
I want to be a Easter bunny I want to be a Christmas tree.
Why They're Inappropriate:
I don't think I need to explain. However, I have an image in my mind's eye of Mike Mills or Peter Buck coming to Michael Stipe with the first 2 lines and asking for a lyric contribution.
Submitted by: Mr. Bun
 

Song Lyrics That Name Check Celebrities:

"Exhuming McCarthy"
The Lyrics:
"Let us not assassinate this man further Senator,
You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir?
Atl long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
... Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning)
Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning)
Who They Mention:
Senator Joseph McCarthy, anti-communist witch-hunter 1950s, namesake of the term "McCarthyism." The first "lyrics" quoted above actually are historical tape recording of a lawyer addressing McCarthy during nationally broadcast "Army-McCarthy" hearings generally held to be the beginning of McCarthy's fall from influence.
Submitted by: fudu
"It's The End Of The World As We Know It"
The Lyrics:
That's great, it starts with an earthquake Birds and snakes, an aeroplane And Lenny Bruce is not afraid
Who They Mention:
lenny bruce a famous comedian in the mid50's controvesrial comedy acts casued some problems among some people....fyi i wrote that... huzzah! all hail my creative enigma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by: kate
There are additional celebrity lyrics available.

How to Pronounce a Band Name:

"ar-e-em
Some people try to pronounce it as a word "rem".
Submitted by: Rip Jeans

Song Lyrics That Mention Brand Name Products:

"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
The Lyrics:
Baby, instant soup doesn't really grab me
Today I need something more sub-stub-sub-substantial
A can of beans or black eyed peas
Some Nescafe and ice
Product Brand Name:
Nescafe
Submitted by: hefug
"Man On The Moon"
The Lyrics:
Let's play Twister, let's play Risk
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
See you in heaven if you make the list
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Product Brand Name:
Risk
Submitted by: FussBudget
There are additional product lyrics available.

Song Lyrics That Mention Other Songs:

"It's The End Of The World As We Know It"
The Song Lyrics:
It's the end of the world as we know it,
and I feel fine
Song They Mention:
"I Feel Fine" by The Beatles
Submitted by: David Jones
"Sing For The Submarine"
The Song Lyrics:
Lift up your voice, feel gravity's pull.
Song They Mention:
One of their own songs, "Feeling Gravity's Pull".
Submitted by: Brian Kelly

Songs That Open With Their Titles:

"Oddfellows Local 151"
Opening Lines:
Oddfellows local 151 behind the firehouse.
Comments:
Submitted by: Brian Kelly
"Suspicion"
Opening Lines:
Now my suspicion's on the rise.
Comments:
Submitted by: Brian Kelly
There are additional spelling lyrics available.

Song Title Space Change:

"Be At A Drum" originally "Beat A Drum"
Submitted by: Peter
"Be At Ad Rum" originally "Beat A Drum"
Submitted by: Peter
"Be At A Drum " originally "Beat A Drum"
Submitted by: Peter
"I Want Ed To Be Wrong" originally "I Wanted To Be Wrong"
Submitted by: Peter
"I Wan Ted To Be Wrong" originally "I Wanted To Be Wrong "
Submitted by: Peter

There are additional Song Title Space Change available.

Bad Grammar in Song Lyrics:

"Leaving New York"
The Lyrics:
Leaving was never my proud
Why:
It should be "Leaving was never my pride", The word "proud" was put there in order to rhyme with the the next line "I saw the light fading out"
Submitted by: pakcipi
"Everybody Hurts"
The Lyrics:
Everybody hurts, sometimes...
(Including the title itself.)
Why:
Everybody hurts what - or who!? ("Hurt" is an intransitive verb.) Ed:What he means is everybody feels hurt sometimes.
Submitted by: Chowder

Song Title Anagrams:

"Very Rosy Hut Bed" originally "Everybody Hurts"
Submitted by: Alyssa Jayne
"Every Sturdy Hob" originally "Everybody Hurts"
Submitted by: Alyssa Jayne
"Very Rusty Bed, Oh" originally "Everybody Hurts"
Submitted by: Alyssa Jayne
"Shout 'Be Very Dry!'" originally "Everybody Hurts"
Submitted by: Alyssa Jayne
"Hurry To Bed, Yves" originally "Everybody Hurts"
Submitted by: Alyssa Jayne

There are additional Song Title Anagrams available.

Real Places Mentioned in Songs:

"Man On The Moon "
The Lyrics:
Moses went walking with the staff of wood. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Newton got beaned by the apple good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Egypt was troubled by the horrible asp. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Mister Charles Darwin had the gull to ask. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey Andy did you hear about this one? Tell me, are you locked in the punch? Hey, Andy are you goofing on Elvis? Hey, baby. Are you having fun? If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon. If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve, then nothing is cool.
Why:
"Man On The Moon" was a 1994 hit (although not a big one) for the band from Athens, GA, R.E.M. A few years later, it would become a hit again when it was featured in the film and soundtrack biopic of the man the song is about, the late great comediene, Andy Kaufman ("Taxi" and "Saturday Night Live"). Mentioned in the third verse of the tune as I have posted above is the country of Egypt and again, the Earth's only natural satellite (also in the title of the song), the Moon.
Submitted by: Peter
 

Songs That Are Banned:

"Losing My Religion"
The video to the song was banned in Ireland because of the homoerotic images it contained.
Submitted by: Dave

Lyrics Pronunciation:

"Cuyahoga"
The Lyrics:
Take a picture here. Take a souvenir.
Cuyahoga. Cuyahoga Falls.
Why:
The title, "Cuyahoga" is pronounced as "Coy-ya-ho-ga". Must be that Georgia accent of theirs. In my home state of Ohio there's a town called Cuyahoga Falls and in the Buckeye state we pronounce it as "Ky-ya-ho-ga".
Submitted by: Buckeye Scott
"Fall On Me"
The Lyrics:
There's a progress we have found.
Why:
In this case, progress is pronounced "PRO-gress" instead of "prah-gress". Apparently, Michael sung it this way as it sounds better than normal.
Submitted by: Brian Kelly

Super Long Pop Songs:

"Leave" Length: 7:17
Longest song on "New Adventures In Hi-Fi".
Submitted by: Brian Kelly

Song Title Acrostics:

TOIL or OIL: "The One I Love"
Depends on whether you count the "The".
Submitted by: Brian Kelly

Song Title Spoonerisms:

"Musing Lie Religion" originally "Losing My Religion"
Submitted by: Ashley Nicole Hendershot-Wetherington

Foreign Language in English Songs:

"Talk about the passion"
The Lyrics:
Combien, combien, combien de temps?
Why:
How many times? Not much. It's a song with very few words.
Submitted by: Jan Veltkamp
 

Upbeat Songs With Depressing Lyrics:

"Losing My Religion"
The Lyrics:
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Why:
"Losing My Religion" was the best selling single from R.E.M., a band originally from Athens, Georgia. "Losing My Religion" went to #3 on the charts back in 1991. It has an upbeat tempo, but has some depressing lyrics, which are made more ironic with the lead vocals. The saying "Losing My Religion" is a southern way to say, "losing my patience" but in a way that is difficult way to put into words.
Submitted by: Peter
 

Lyrics Alliteration:

"Man on the Moon"
The Lyrics:
Monopoly, Twenty-one, Checkers, and Chess
Why:
In addition to the repeated C's sounding cool, I like the progression from four syllables down to one.
Submitted by: Glenn
 

Lighter Side of Serious Bands:

"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
Michael Stipe can be heard laughing at his own inability to pronounce "Dr. Suess" correctly.
Submitted by: ...
"Shiny Happy People"
Kate Pierson of the B-52s joins the band on this one. The song is incredibly upbeat and cheerful, especially compared with the band's previous work. However, even this peppy tune has a serious side. It was inspired by the protest and massacre at Tiananmen Square.
Submitted by: Brian Kelly

Hidden Tracks:

"Untitled"
It's on the Green album, as track 11 which isn't listed in the credits.
Submitted by: ChuckyG

Hidden Messages:

"Green"
On the album cover, you can see a glossy number 4 over the letter R in R.E.M. and Green. In the track listing on the back, the fourth track is numbered with the letter R instead of a 4.
Submitted by: ChuckyG

What A Band is Best Known For (aside from their music):

"Title censoring"
The song "Star Me Kitten" was supposed to be called "F*** Me Kitten"
Submitted by: JeReMy

Products Bands Should Endorse Based on Their Name:

Sleep Clinics
REM is a stage of sleep
Submitted by: Rychendroll

Movies Named After Song Titles:

"Man On The Moon"
1999 Andy Kaufman biopic with Jim Carrey
Submitted by: MOR

Missing Parts:

"Pop Song 89"
Where are Pop Songs 1 - 88 ?
Submitted by: Courtney (about as bad as tennis elbow)

Other Artists:

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