18 replies to this topic

[apscott]

Pretty sure this song is the band saying goodbye to us, the fans...

[Nox]

The narrator should never be confused with the author. Mike said they'll meet in a couple of month and discuss future plans. So everything and nothing is possible.

Michael once wrote these lines:

I longed for this to take me,
I longed for my release
I waited for the callin'
To leave, leave

Leave, leave
Leavin', leavin'
Leavin', leave

and nearly 15 years down the line they are still here.

[MAK]

Nox, on 26 February 2011 - 07:48 AM, said:

Michael once wrote these lines:

I longed for this to take me,
I longed for my release
I waited for the callin'
To leave, leave

Leave, leave
Leavin', leavin'
Leavin', leave

and nearly 15 years down the line they are still here.

the protagonist in that song may be Bill Berry, his last album.

[zapiekanki]

apscott, on 26 February 2011 - 07:35 AM, said:

Pretty sure this song is the band saying goodbye to us, the fans...

I don't know the lyrics to All the Best (being a victim of this tiring marketing campaign where the album is leaked out by droplets and only a chosen few own the entirety of it) but I don't think they are retiring with this album. If anything, they might embark on an independent project, like Radiohead did when they left EMI. (Think of the countless times Radiohead and R.E.M. have been compared in this board: the two beasts share more than is apparent).

On the other hand, think of a band like the Rolling Stones, whose members are older than R.E.M.'s but are still in the business, so if this analogy is valid then we will see much more R.E.M. to come in decades to follow. That this rejoices me I don't know nor couldn't say at the moment, who knows if I'll still be listening to R.E.M. a decade from now, a decade ago I wasn't listening to any music at all.

[xumiking]

MAK, on 26 February 2011 - 08:25 AM, said:

the protagonist in that song may be Bill Berry, his last album.

In the snippet on iTunes, we hear "Let's.." rather than "I'll..", as we heard on the original snippet on the promo video (which is probably from a different segment of the song).

So, taken literally, it could be about more than one protagonist.

[MAK]

xumiking, on 26 February 2011 - 08:42 AM, said:

In the snippet on iTunes, we hear "Let's.." rather than "I'll..", as we heard on the original snippet on the promo video (which is probably from a different segment of the song).

So, taken literally, it could be about more than one protagonist.

I meant for the LEAVE song progatonist, and his last album NAIHF

[xumiking]

MAK, on 26 February 2011 - 08:52 AM, said:

I meant for the LEAVE song progatonist, and his last album NAIHF

Ah ok, sorry.

[supernatural_superfan]

Michael has said he never writes songs about himself, only made up characters (except a few like Discoverer) so i doubt any subtle hints in a song are referring to the band quitting. If they were, i think they would just say instead of putting small clues in songs for us to figure out.

[zapiekanki]

apscott, on 26 February 2011 - 07:35 AM, said:

Pretty sure this song is the band saying goodbye to us, the fans...

There's plenty of imagery in this album that communicate a farewell message, beginning with the album cover where Michael is waving good-bye. This record marks the end of something (at least the end of the Warner contract) but what else are they leaving behind and where are they heading it's too early to say.

[chrome3d]

It´s fine to do a closer song in every album with a hint of final goodbyes. After 30 year career it might actually be the last!

Still, I don´t think they will stop if there is no major reasons. Why would they? Their other projects will never get as loyal following as R.E.M.

[MyNameIsDean]

apscott, on 26 February 2011 - 07:35 AM, said:

Pretty sure this song is the band saying goodbye to us, the fans...

Surely then it should of been the last song on the record.

Anyways, why do a lot of people seem to think they will announce they are to retire in a song? Press conference anyone?

It's not like Bill Berry told the lads he wants out, and they said "Fine, but could you hold on till Michael finds an obscure lyric to place in a verse on the next album".

[patternshirt170]

...and off course there's Hi-Fis' final cya! line...

Last album? I think the frustrating elongated gaps between albums from a number of acts, across the whole spectrum of rock music kinda takes care of things naturally when it comes to band's lifespans and material, some acts seem to manage two, maybe three studio albums in a decade [yes that'd be you, U2..] We had the prolific R.E.M 1990s; 91, 92, 94, 96, 98 and since then erm... 01, 04, 08, 11.... so when your band relases it's new ecord you know now not to expect anything soon and I think that's where some of this comes from, it's the not knowing, whereas before this there was always generally with fans.. a certainty of new music within 14-16 months...

I hope they do go it alone collectively and individually in some manner, focus on small and regular releases, not the 12-14 track album every 3 years and also not so much Radiohead's way, which is good but not as good as it could be... something akin to the NIN "verison", Reznor polished a lot of the rough edges on Radiohead's take on the "new business model" and the style of his recent releases from The Social Network soundtrack, recent NIN and How To Destroy Angels projects, I think is the way to go, a focus on detail...

[Mott the Hoople]

Having lived with the song for a while (one of my favourites from the album, by the by) I think he's hitting out at the critics who wrote the band off.

"So over me!" - we're an irrelevance according to you

"Tell me where to place this in Quasimodo heart" - where do our new albums place among our "best" works?

"I rang the church bell 'til my ears bleed red blood cells" - I've been a musician for so long I'm sick of it/it's causing me pain?

The chorus - we've still got it.

"I hold the mirror up, you tell me what is what" - I wrote it, but you're telling me what it means even though you're probably wrong (ironically enough exactly what I'm doing here )

"You tell me what part of my story baby's stuck, stuck, stuck" - Where you think I'm going wrong

"I'm in a part of your dreams that you can't even understand" - I know the power my music has and how it affects people far better than you do.

"Let's show the kids how to do it fine" - We're still live and kicking.

"I just had to get that off my chest, now it's time to get on with the rest, ALL THE BEST!" - I've said what I need to say, now let's kick ass with this new album.

So for me at least, not a goodbye, but a revitalisation..! If that's even a word

[robbbin]

I hear CIN as an album written by a man in possibly the happiest personal space of his life, in a relationship that is meaningful. No point in going into massive detail.

ATB is about an old cramped relationship IMO. I reckon there are 7 songs about 1 2 1 relationships on CIN.

To me, Michael is in a relationship and doesnt want to go away for 12 months or even 9 weeks on a tour, Peter couldnt care one way or the other, he is going to play and tour no matter what or with whom, he is a minstral. Mike probalby wouldnt mind some time with his kids before they become proper adults. I think they have elderly parents too, so want to spend as much time with them as they can.

I also feel that no longer being with Warners, financial considerations come into play. The band would have to back the tour them selves. Given what has happened to the US economy, I wouldnt be surprised if the members of REM have lost half their cash on paper at least.

[MyNameIsDean]

MyNameIsDean, on 26 February 2011 - 01:01 PM, said:

Surely then it should of been the last song on the record.

Anyways, why do a lot of people seem to think they will announce they are to retire in a song? Press conference anyone?

It's not like Bill Berry told the lads he wants out, and they said "Fine, but could you hold on till Michael finds an obscure lyric to place in a verse on the next album".

How fucking wrong was I?


And condescending. Apologies.

[Whiskers]

I agree with aspcott, I've always taken the song literally.
To me the chorus is saying that, to R.E.M. fans, popular music in the modern age isn't as good as earlier was.
"Let's give it one more time, let's show the kids how to do it fine." is that kind of "Let's give it our all guys, and show these new guys what music should sound like."

"I just had to get that off my chest" also backs it up, suggesting that it is, indeed, a rant.
And then of course, "Now it's time to give on with the rest, all the best" is the way the band are introducing the rest of the songs on the album.
I suppose "It's just like me to overstay my welcome" is about it being the second song on the album, but still introducing the songs

That's just how I see it.
It always makes me smile when I hear it too, because I agree with him, and it's a great song to sing along to.
I'm sure there's more to the song
Afterall, R.E.M. didn't really know it would be their last.

[stipeeyes]

I'm pissed off that aspcott was right.  Never in my 20 years of being an R.E.M. fan would I have thought they would put messages in their songs when it was time they wanted to break up.  They didn't need to do that.  I'm not a detective, I don't need to be given clues.

All the best is Still one of my favorite songs.

[Sweden]

stipeeyes, on 02 November 2011 - 05:02 AM, said:

I'm pissed off that aspcott was right.  Never in my 20 years of being an R.E.M. fan would I have thought they would put messages in their songs when it was time they wanted to break up.  They didn't need to do that.  I'm not a detective, I don't need to be given clues.
All the best is Still one of my favorite songs.

It's not like they sneekily hid messages here and there, to give fans a hint. What Mike said is that "there are some obvious hints on there". This presumably only means the lyrics of course reflected Michael thoughts, views and mental state, of which those aspects were a part.

[apscott]

Was I right, or was I right? Couldn't be sadder that I was right.
On Parks and Rec this week thurs at 8:30, there's an awesome REM reference btw...