1
00:00:14,146 --> 00:00:16,048
- I think we probably
Have the capacity

2
00:00:16,050 --> 00:00:18,217
To write a hit song,

3
00:00:18,219 --> 00:00:19,452
To record it in a way

4
00:00:19,454 --> 00:00:22,322
That radio would really
Accept it with open arms,

5
00:00:22,324 --> 00:00:24,724
And that a record company

6
00:00:24,726 --> 00:00:28,295
Could really get
The machine going behind it,

7
00:00:28,297 --> 00:00:32,602
And we could be incredibly rich
And--you know, people

8
00:00:32,604 --> 00:00:35,438
All around the country
Would recognize our names.

9
00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,206
I'm not willing to do that.

10
00:00:37,208 --> 00:00:39,877
I don't that radio
Deserves me yet.

11
00:00:39,879 --> 00:00:42,881
<i>[R.E.M.'s orange crush]</i>

12
00:00:42,883 --> 00:00:50,824
♪ ♪

13
00:00:56,900 --> 00:01:00,235
- ♪ follow me,
Don't follow me ♪

14
00:01:00,237 --> 00:01:04,607
- ♪ i've got my spine,
I've got my orange crush ♪

15
00:01:04,609 --> 00:01:07,912
- ♪ collar me,
Don't collar me ♪

16
00:01:07,914 --> 00:01:11,916
- ♪ i've got my spine,
I've got my orange crush ♪

17
00:01:11,918 --> 00:01:15,353
- ♪ we are agents
Of the free ♪

18
00:01:15,355 --> 00:01:17,290
- ♪ i've had my fun ♪

19
00:01:17,292 --> 00:01:19,760
♪ and now it's
Time to serve ♪

20
00:01:19,762 --> 00:01:22,931
♪ your conscience overseas ♪
- ♪ over me not over me ♪

21
00:01:22,933 --> 00:01:27,168
- ♪ he's coming in fast
Over me ♪

22
00:01:27,170 --> 00:01:31,741
♪ high on the roof ♪

23
00:01:31,743 --> 00:01:34,745
♪ thin the blood ♪

24
00:01:34,747 --> 00:01:39,150
♪ another one
On the waves tonight ♪

25
00:01:39,152 --> 00:01:42,121
♪ coming in,
You're home ♪

26
00:01:47,462 --> 00:01:49,195
[applause]

27
00:01:49,197 --> 00:01:50,998
- yup, you got a good reception
Over there.

28
00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:52,299
Now, it's peter buck?

29
00:01:52,301 --> 00:01:53,334
- yup.
- now, peter...

30
00:01:53,336 --> 00:01:54,803
Introduce the members
Of the band.

31
00:01:54,805 --> 00:01:56,606
- this is mike mills.
He's the bass player.

32
00:01:56,608 --> 00:01:58,608
Bill berry, the drummer.
- yup.

33
00:01:58,610 --> 00:02:01,078
- michael stipe, the singer.
And me, peter buck.

34
00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,081
<i>[r.E.M.'s carnival of sorts
(box cars)]</i>

35
00:02:04,083 --> 00:02:10,022
♪ ♪

36
00:02:12,225 --> 00:02:17,931
- ♪ there's a secret stigma
Reaping wheel ♪

37
00:02:17,933 --> 00:02:23,505
♪ stranger stranger
To these parts ♪

38
00:02:23,507 --> 00:02:25,575
- did you know each other
Before you started the band?

39
00:02:25,577 --> 00:02:27,142
How did you get together?
- not really.

40
00:02:27,144 --> 00:02:28,411
We met at parties.

41
00:02:28,413 --> 00:02:30,180
That--we didn't know
Each other very well.

42
00:02:30,182 --> 00:02:31,214
- he and i do.

43
00:02:31,216 --> 00:02:32,683
- we were
High school buddies.

44
00:02:32,685 --> 00:02:35,220
- we went to the same
Junior high school.

45
00:02:35,222 --> 00:02:37,022
We were just the antithesis
Of each other,

46
00:02:37,024 --> 00:02:38,524
And we really
Did despise each other.

47
00:02:38,526 --> 00:02:40,559
I mean, it's like we just
Took one look at each other

48
00:02:40,561 --> 00:02:41,794
And it was like--

49
00:02:41,796 --> 00:02:43,763
And as it turned out,
We didn't know this,

50
00:02:43,765 --> 00:02:45,666
But we had a mutual friend,
A guitarist,

51
00:02:45,668 --> 00:02:48,269
That lined up
A jam session one day,

52
00:02:48,271 --> 00:02:50,239
And who should walk
Down the steps but mike mills,

53
00:02:50,241 --> 00:02:51,806
And it's like, "oh, god,"
And to this day

54
00:02:51,808 --> 00:02:56,145
If i had to play the clarinet
Or the guitar,

55
00:02:56,147 --> 00:02:57,781
I would have packed up
My stuff and left,

56
00:02:57,783 --> 00:02:59,549
But here i looked at the drums
Like, "oh, boy.

57
00:02:59,551 --> 00:03:01,452
I'm stuck here
And it's his house."

58
00:03:01,454 --> 00:03:02,720
So we made
The best of it

59
00:03:02,722 --> 00:03:05,089
And played and had
A fun little jam session,

60
00:03:05,091 --> 00:03:07,125
And we just--we
Got over it right then.

61
00:03:07,127 --> 00:03:08,560
We just shook hands
And said, "look,

62
00:03:08,562 --> 00:03:09,796
Let's put this
In the past."

63
00:03:09,798 --> 00:03:11,631
And we became best friends,
And we still are.

64
00:03:11,633 --> 00:03:13,434
- what's happening there
In athens, georgia?

65
00:03:13,436 --> 00:03:15,537
- well, nothing, and everyone
Wants to do something.

66
00:03:15,539 --> 00:03:16,972
You know, form a band,
Go to a party.

67
00:03:16,974 --> 00:03:18,505
- peter and i were kind of
Toying around

68
00:03:18,507 --> 00:03:20,709
With the idea of putting
Something together musically,

69
00:03:20,711 --> 00:03:22,178
And he had never been
In a band before.

70
00:03:22,180 --> 00:03:23,980
- pete was working
At the wuxtry record store,

71
00:03:23,982 --> 00:03:25,549
Which is still the best store
In athens.

72
00:03:25,551 --> 00:03:28,319
And michael went in there
Buying records, and they met.

73
00:03:28,321 --> 00:03:30,487
- i think i called him richard
For the first three months

74
00:03:30,489 --> 00:03:31,856
That we knew each other,

75
00:03:31,858 --> 00:03:33,558
And, you know,
This is so typically peter.

76
00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:34,627
He never corrected me.

77
00:03:34,629 --> 00:03:36,061
- he was kind
Of an exotic character,

78
00:03:36,063 --> 00:03:37,196
Michael was.

79
00:03:37,198 --> 00:03:38,531
Had good musical taste,

80
00:03:38,533 --> 00:03:39,833
And we became friends.

81
00:03:43,571 --> 00:03:45,139
- well, if athens
Wasn't the way it was,

82
00:03:45,141 --> 00:03:46,907
We probably
Wouldn't have gotten together.

83
00:03:46,909 --> 00:03:48,677
- athens was influential in
That there were

84
00:03:48,679 --> 00:03:51,614
And there still are a lot
Of people there that kind

85
00:03:51,616 --> 00:03:53,417
Of have this
Need to have

86
00:03:53,419 --> 00:03:54,685
Some kind
Of creative output.

87
00:03:54,687 --> 00:03:56,720
- it was a typical athens story,
You know?

88
00:03:56,722 --> 00:04:00,992
Four guys meet at a party
And want to play other parties

89
00:04:00,994 --> 00:04:02,527
And drink beer and have fun.

90
00:04:02,529 --> 00:04:03,629
- the night we met mike,

91
00:04:03,631 --> 00:04:05,564
He had maybe been
Over-served at the bar,

92
00:04:05,566 --> 00:04:07,167
And he was wearing
A leather jacket

93
00:04:07,169 --> 00:04:08,868
And sitting on the ground
And yelling

94
00:04:08,870 --> 00:04:11,538
'cause he wanted to get up
To the bar to get to his drink.

95
00:04:11,540 --> 00:04:13,508
- and he was like,
"this is the guy who plays bass

96
00:04:13,510 --> 00:04:15,444
Who i was telling you about."
I was like, "no, way.

97
00:04:15,446 --> 00:04:17,546
"no way i'm gonna be--
I'm not even gonna get on--

98
00:04:17,548 --> 00:04:19,115
"i'm not gonna be in a band
With this guy.

99
00:04:19,117 --> 00:04:20,282
There's no way on earth."

100
00:04:20,284 --> 00:04:22,052
- instantaneously--
Within, like, an hour,

101
00:04:22,054 --> 00:04:23,253
We were a band.
- wow.

102
00:04:23,255 --> 00:04:24,621
- you know,
It wasn't even an audition.

103
00:04:24,623 --> 00:04:26,023
So we went over and play,
And we wrote three songs,

104
00:04:26,025 --> 00:04:27,325
And we just went, "what?"
- boy.

105
00:04:27,327 --> 00:04:28,593
- "we're a band."

106
00:04:30,096 --> 00:04:31,197
- we had a couple of songs

107
00:04:31,199 --> 00:04:32,764
That bill and i
Had written back in macon

108
00:04:32,766 --> 00:04:34,132
With a friend of ours...
- yeah.

109
00:04:34,134 --> 00:04:35,868
- and so we showed them
To michael and peter,

110
00:04:35,870 --> 00:04:37,838
And i remember being
Incredibly impressed with

111
00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:41,476
What they did with
Our little basis of a song.

112
00:04:41,478 --> 00:04:42,844
Both of them.

113
00:04:42,846 --> 00:04:45,181
And i was like, "man, these guys
Can take it other places."

114
00:04:45,183 --> 00:04:47,350
- you--i heard that you
Got together initially

115
00:04:47,352 --> 00:04:49,352
Just to play one party.

116
00:04:49,354 --> 00:04:51,355
Is that right?
- we lived at a church,

117
00:04:51,357 --> 00:04:52,389
Michael and i, in athens.

118
00:04:52,391 --> 00:04:53,691
It was
An old abandoned church,

119
00:04:53,693 --> 00:04:56,462
And we threw a party
For someone, a birthday party.

120
00:04:56,464 --> 00:04:58,963
- right now this looks like
A decrepit abandoned old church,

121
00:04:58,965 --> 00:05:01,900
But ten years ago, it was
A decrepit abandoned old church,

122
00:05:01,902 --> 00:05:04,104
But with r.E.M. Inside of it.

123
00:05:04,106 --> 00:05:06,173
- and the church had a little
Proscenium in the back.

124
00:05:06,175 --> 00:05:08,109
You'd have to climb
Through a closet to get to it,

125
00:05:08,111 --> 00:05:09,544
And it was a stage.

126
00:05:09,546 --> 00:05:11,679
Holes in the stage and holes
That fell down half a story

127
00:05:11,681 --> 00:05:13,682
To the dirt basement
Where the graves were.

128
00:05:13,684 --> 00:05:15,718
- we just wrote ten songs
And got ten covers,

129
00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:17,787
And played for a friend of our's
Birthday party.

130
00:05:17,789 --> 00:05:19,390
- we let people know
That it was going on.

131
00:05:19,392 --> 00:05:21,993
We had kegs of beer and,
Like, 700 people showed up.

132
00:05:21,995 --> 00:05:23,694
Lots of free beer
And a free show?

133
00:05:23,696 --> 00:05:25,830
That's kind of an impetus
To enjoy the band,

134
00:05:25,832 --> 00:05:26,965
And three of the people
That showed up

135
00:05:26,967 --> 00:05:28,300
Were booking agents
From clubs,

136
00:05:28,302 --> 00:05:30,336
And all of 'em were just
Like, "you guys want a job?"

137
00:05:30,338 --> 00:05:32,773
And we're like,
"you're kidding."

138
00:05:32,775 --> 00:05:34,976
- athens was so totally
Unselfconscious

139
00:05:34,978 --> 00:05:37,278
At that time that people--
You know, you could do anything

140
00:05:37,280 --> 00:05:39,113
And nobody would
Think twice about.

141
00:05:39,115 --> 00:05:41,750
No idea that there was actually
A scene going on.

142
00:05:41,752 --> 00:05:43,586
- it was real innocent;
I've never seen a place

143
00:05:43,588 --> 00:05:45,955
Where there was less attention
To things like career.

144
00:05:45,957 --> 00:05:48,525
You know, maybe you'd have
A fire eater open for a band.

145
00:05:48,527 --> 00:05:50,428
We had a guy
That juggled chainsaws once.

146
00:05:50,430 --> 00:05:53,064
It was real non-rock and roll,
In that anything goes.

147
00:05:53,066 --> 00:05:54,166
- yeah.
- you know?

148
00:05:54,168 --> 00:05:55,634
And a lot of people
That were in bands

149
00:05:55,636 --> 00:05:56,903
Couldn't play at all,
You know?

150
00:05:56,905 --> 00:05:59,172
And they were learning.
It was--it was really exciting.

151
00:05:59,174 --> 00:06:01,207
- none of us really
Had that much experience.

152
00:06:01,209 --> 00:06:03,043
I think that's really
What the greatest thing

153
00:06:03,045 --> 00:06:04,311
We had going
For us.

154
00:06:04,313 --> 00:06:08,049
We had just absolutely no idea
What was going on.

155
00:06:08,051 --> 00:06:10,519
- you really played the clubs
And all that down there.

156
00:06:10,521 --> 00:06:12,088
- bikers bars,
Pizza parlors.

157
00:06:12,090 --> 00:06:13,556
Any place
That would let a band play.

158
00:06:13,558 --> 00:06:15,192
We played more
New wave nights

159
00:06:15,194 --> 00:06:18,061
And gay discos
Than any band i could name.

160
00:06:18,063 --> 00:06:19,597
It was pretty interesting
Actually.

161
00:06:19,599 --> 00:06:20,832
It was more fun
Than most the dates we played.

162
00:06:20,834 --> 00:06:22,134
- that's a proving ground.

163
00:06:22,136 --> 00:06:23,535
- basically we were just playing
Around athens.

164
00:06:23,537 --> 00:06:25,672
Then we decided, "well,
You know, let's go to atlanta.

165
00:06:25,674 --> 00:06:27,539
You know? Try that."
It was starting to work.

166
00:06:27,541 --> 00:06:29,742
So we started booking tours
Around the southeast,

167
00:06:29,744 --> 00:06:31,512
And we'd start them
On, like, friday.

168
00:06:31,514 --> 00:06:33,180
So we'd take
Friday off of school,

169
00:06:33,182 --> 00:06:34,783
And maybe
The next monday, too,

170
00:06:34,785 --> 00:06:36,852
And that started
Turning into thursday

171
00:06:36,854 --> 00:06:38,120
All to the next tuesday,

172
00:06:38,122 --> 00:06:41,557
And eventually we were all doing
Quite poorly in school,

173
00:06:41,559 --> 00:06:43,494
And more than one of us

174
00:06:43,496 --> 00:06:46,129
Was invited
To actually leave school.

175
00:06:46,131 --> 00:06:47,999
- we finally started to realize
That we might be

176
00:06:48,001 --> 00:06:50,336
Able to actually
Make a living at it,

177
00:06:50,338 --> 00:06:52,871
And that was a revelation
In itself.

178
00:06:58,279 --> 00:06:59,814
We did go out
And play everywhere

179
00:06:59,816 --> 00:07:01,082
And anywhere
That we could.

180
00:07:01,084 --> 00:07:03,452
A lot of little towns
Where no bands ever went.

181
00:07:03,454 --> 00:07:05,219
And when normally
The only rock and roll

182
00:07:05,221 --> 00:07:06,922
They could ever see
Was the big arena shows.

183
00:07:06,924 --> 00:07:08,858
- we were actually playing
In real little places,

184
00:07:08,860 --> 00:07:10,126
And people
Were seeing us.

185
00:07:10,128 --> 00:07:11,628
We were probably the first band
Some of those people saw

186
00:07:11,630 --> 00:07:12,963
Who didn't have
A record contract

187
00:07:12,965 --> 00:07:14,231
And that didn't do,
Like,

188
00:07:14,233 --> 00:07:16,234
The hits of the day
In the local disco or whatever.

189
00:07:16,236 --> 00:07:18,002
- we were just, like,
Speed freaks, you know?

190
00:07:18,004 --> 00:07:19,538
And the faster we could go,
The better,

191
00:07:19,540 --> 00:07:21,172
And the faster we could play,
The better,

192
00:07:21,174 --> 00:07:23,242
And the more we could cram
Into every day, the better.

193
00:07:23,244 --> 00:07:24,511
We just wanted
To get in the van

194
00:07:24,513 --> 00:07:26,980
And see the u.S.
Like jack kerouac did.

195
00:07:28,317 --> 00:07:31,219
♪ gardening at night ♪

196
00:07:31,221 --> 00:07:33,956
♪ gardening at night ♪

197
00:07:33,958 --> 00:07:36,792
♪ gardening at night ♪

198
00:07:36,794 --> 00:07:38,662
- with does r.E.M.
Stands for?

199
00:07:38,664 --> 00:07:40,231
- well, if you look
In the dictionary,

200
00:07:40,233 --> 00:07:41,365
It means rapid eye movement,

201
00:07:41,367 --> 00:07:42,899
And that's the time
When you dream,

202
00:07:42,901 --> 00:07:44,235
When you're asleep.

203
00:07:44,237 --> 00:07:46,137
Our name doesn't necessarily
Have to mean that.

204
00:07:46,139 --> 00:07:48,507
- we found it in a dictionary
At 3:00 in the morning,

205
00:07:48,509 --> 00:07:49,909
And we were desperate
For a name.

206
00:07:49,911 --> 00:07:51,144
We couldn't think
Of anything.

207
00:07:51,146 --> 00:07:53,047
That would just seem
Not to offend anyone,

208
00:07:53,049 --> 00:07:55,515
And it was very short
And simple, so we picked it.

209
00:07:55,517 --> 00:07:58,852
- we wanted a name
That wouldn't put us

210
00:07:58,854 --> 00:08:01,222
In any particular category
Musically,

211
00:08:01,224 --> 00:08:04,327
And at the time when we
Got together four years ago,

212
00:08:04,329 --> 00:08:06,763
Bands pretty much didn't have
Names that were just letters.

213
00:08:12,004 --> 00:08:14,072
- we spent, you know,
A year and a half writing--

214
00:08:14,074 --> 00:08:16,575
Kind of writing
Abc elementary songs

215
00:08:16,577 --> 00:08:19,512
Getting ourselves ready to
Figure out how to write music.

216
00:08:19,514 --> 00:08:21,046
- all of a sudden
We were writing songs

217
00:08:21,048 --> 00:08:22,716
That actually
We really were proud of.

218
00:08:22,718 --> 00:08:24,385
<i>- we recorded
Radio free europe.</i>

219
00:08:24,387 --> 00:08:26,020
We put it on that
Little label hib-tone.

220
00:08:26,022 --> 00:08:28,657
Within, gee, a month,
It was like, you know,

221
00:08:28,659 --> 00:08:31,794
<i>top ten single of the year
In new york times, and you know,</i>

222
00:08:31,796 --> 00:08:33,930
It's just kind of--you know,
You just kind of go,

223
00:08:33,932 --> 00:08:34,931
"well, whatever."

224
00:08:34,933 --> 00:08:37,901
- ♪ calling on in transit ♪

225
00:08:37,903 --> 00:08:41,006
♪ calling on in transit ♪

226
00:08:41,008 --> 00:08:46,445
♪ radio free europe,
Radio ♪

227
00:08:46,447 --> 00:08:48,614
- i've been listening
To your music for a long time,

228
00:08:48,616 --> 00:08:51,251
And i really like it,
But i still am having trouble

229
00:08:51,253 --> 00:08:53,388
Trying
To figure out your lyrics.

230
00:08:53,390 --> 00:08:54,689
Is there any way, like,

231
00:08:54,691 --> 00:08:56,659
You know, you can get a copy
Of them or something?

232
00:08:56,661 --> 00:08:58,292
- we don't hand out
Copies of the lyrics.

233
00:08:58,294 --> 00:09:00,062
- it's 'cause they change
Every time we play.

234
00:09:00,064 --> 00:09:01,864
- yeah, they're always changing.
They're--

235
00:09:01,866 --> 00:09:04,067
- but you--
- we're kind of against that.

236
00:09:04,069 --> 00:09:05,201
The words to the songs

237
00:09:05,203 --> 00:09:07,171
Are as much a part
Of the song as the bass,

238
00:09:07,173 --> 00:09:08,305
And there's no reason

239
00:09:08,307 --> 00:09:09,541
Really to separate the two.

240
00:09:09,543 --> 00:09:11,308
- ideally you should just
Listen to the songs

241
00:09:11,310 --> 00:09:13,278
And just intuitively feel
What they're about.

242
00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,448
Get your own impression
Of the songs rather than kind

243
00:09:15,450 --> 00:09:17,550
Of being beaten on the head
By a story or something.

244
00:09:17,552 --> 00:09:19,887
- well, what i was saying in the
Early days wasn't a real lot.

245
00:09:19,889 --> 00:09:22,890
I was kind of just moaning and
Howling along with the music.

246
00:09:22,892 --> 00:09:26,194
You know, language, to me,
And music really don't mix well.

247
00:09:26,196 --> 00:09:28,064
- there have been times
When i have not known

248
00:09:28,066 --> 00:09:30,934
What he was talking
About exactly,

249
00:09:30,936 --> 00:09:32,602
But usually i don't bother
To ask

250
00:09:32,604 --> 00:09:34,472
Because one way or another,

251
00:09:34,474 --> 00:09:37,041
They conjure up
Very strong images in my mind.

252
00:09:39,078 --> 00:09:40,345
- i had just heard of r.E.M.

253
00:09:40,347 --> 00:09:42,047
Because i'd seen
A poster for 'em at a club,

254
00:09:42,049 --> 00:09:44,350
And i had some idea from the way
The poster looked that they

255
00:09:44,352 --> 00:09:46,420
Were, like, this sort of
Electronica band, you know?

256
00:09:46,422 --> 00:09:48,722
So they just came to my house,
And i still was thinking that,

257
00:09:48,724 --> 00:09:50,991
And then of course i discover
They had this total disdain

258
00:09:50,993 --> 00:09:53,061
For the production of the era,
Which was kind of cool,

259
00:09:53,063 --> 00:09:56,265
'cause i was really just
Starting to record stuff myself,

260
00:09:56,267 --> 00:09:59,336
But i really enjoyed any way you
Can be contrary about it all,

261
00:09:59,338 --> 00:10:01,404
And they were
Very contrary.

262
00:10:01,406 --> 00:10:03,040
- we hired
Mitch easter to do

263
00:10:03,042 --> 00:10:04,374
<i>what became
The chronic town ep,</i>

264
00:10:04,376 --> 00:10:05,910
And we were gonna
Put it out ourselves.

265
00:10:05,912 --> 00:10:07,112
We started getting interest,

266
00:10:07,114 --> 00:10:09,181
And we were all interested
In i.R.S. Records

267
00:10:09,183 --> 00:10:10,649
Because they had
The buzzcocks,

268
00:10:10,651 --> 00:10:12,552
The go-go's,
The fleshtones.

269
00:10:12,554 --> 00:10:13,853
- we wanted two things

270
00:10:13,855 --> 00:10:15,989
Once we started
Approaching the business,

271
00:10:15,991 --> 00:10:17,691
Or the business
Starting approaching us.

272
00:10:17,693 --> 00:10:19,894
We wanted to
Never be in debt,

273
00:10:19,896 --> 00:10:22,598
And we wanted to have total
Control over everything we did.

274
00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:24,167
I.R.S. Was the perfect company
For that

275
00:10:24,169 --> 00:10:26,435
Because they wouldn't spend
Any money on anybody anyway.

276
00:10:26,437 --> 00:10:27,470
[chuckles]

277
00:10:27,472 --> 00:10:28,738
- when i signed r.E.M.,

278
00:10:28,740 --> 00:10:30,975
My own--half the people
At i.R.S. Thought that,

279
00:10:30,977 --> 00:10:33,077
You know,
"what are you smoking, man?"

280
00:10:33,079 --> 00:10:34,579
It's just like,
"this guy can't sing.

281
00:10:34,581 --> 00:10:36,548
You can't understand
A [...] word he's saying."

282
00:10:36,550 --> 00:10:37,683
I love the fact

283
00:10:37,685 --> 00:10:39,417
That you see something
You think is great

284
00:10:39,419 --> 00:10:42,054
And you have this vision
That they will evolve

285
00:10:42,056 --> 00:10:44,591
And the marketplace will one day
Appreciate that they're great.

286
00:10:44,593 --> 00:10:50,599
- ♪ in a corner garden ♪

287
00:10:50,601 --> 00:10:56,606
♪ wilder lower wolves ♪

288
00:10:56,608 --> 00:10:58,809
- their whole theory was when
You get on the road and tour,

289
00:10:58,811 --> 00:11:00,244
We're not gonna
Spend tons of money

290
00:11:00,246 --> 00:11:01,879
On the promotion, the press,
Or videos.

291
00:11:01,881 --> 00:11:04,182
You're just gonna work, and
We felt really good with that.

292
00:11:04,184 --> 00:11:05,784
We got our e.P. Out
Within three months

293
00:11:05,786 --> 00:11:07,653
And used it as a platform
To go on the road.

294
00:11:07,655 --> 00:11:09,022
- we had a picture
In our head

295
00:11:09,024 --> 00:11:10,824
Of where we wanted to go
With the first record.

296
00:11:10,826 --> 00:11:12,326
I knew which songs
Were gonna be on it.

297
00:11:12,328 --> 00:11:14,128
I knew what kind of instruments
And all that.

298
00:11:14,130 --> 00:11:15,430
- i was really shy
About my voice,

299
00:11:15,432 --> 00:11:17,464
So we brought
My vocal way down,

300
00:11:17,466 --> 00:11:20,168
And in 1983, you know,

301
00:11:20,170 --> 00:11:21,838
Every song you heard,

302
00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:23,873
Every popular song had--

303
00:11:23,875 --> 00:11:25,342
The drums were
The loudest thing,

304
00:11:25,344 --> 00:11:27,779
And so we turned
The drums way down

305
00:11:27,781 --> 00:11:29,580
Because we didn't want
To be a disco band.

306
00:11:29,582 --> 00:11:32,617
We didn't want
To be radio stuff.

307
00:11:32,619 --> 00:11:33,853
So we turned
The drums way down.

308
00:11:33,855 --> 00:11:35,254
We turned
The vocal way down.

309
00:11:35,256 --> 00:11:36,756
Everything else came up,

310
00:11:36,758 --> 00:11:39,492
<i>and we dumped a lot of reverb
On it, and that was murmur.</i>

311
00:11:39,494 --> 00:11:43,664
♪ talk about the passion ♪

312
00:11:47,237 --> 00:11:52,743
♪ talk about the passion ♪

313
00:11:54,578 --> 00:11:55,846
<i>- when murmur
Came out and sold,</i>

314
00:11:55,848 --> 00:11:57,715
I guess,
100,000, 125,000 copies,

315
00:11:57,717 --> 00:11:58,817
That was--
That was huge.

316
00:11:58,819 --> 00:12:00,318
I mean, that was much more

317
00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:04,090
Than i think ourselves or i.R.S.
Records ever expected it to do.

318
00:12:04,092 --> 00:12:09,529
<i>- it was named the record
Of the year by rolling stone.</i>

319
00:12:09,531 --> 00:12:12,000
<i>record of the year over
Michael jackson's thriller.</i>

320
00:12:12,002 --> 00:12:13,334
- getting named
Album of the year

321
00:12:13,336 --> 00:12:15,104
When there were other
Very, very commercial records

322
00:12:15,106 --> 00:12:16,372
In the marketplace
Was like, "what?"

323
00:12:16,374 --> 00:12:18,141
I mean, like, kind of,
Like, hard to believe.

324
00:12:18,143 --> 00:12:20,242
- that was a little bit
Of a wakeup call for me.

325
00:12:20,244 --> 00:12:23,079
Like,
"what on earth is this?"

326
00:12:27,052 --> 00:12:29,087
- i think that the way
The record got made

327
00:12:29,089 --> 00:12:30,356
Was us two producing it,

328
00:12:30,358 --> 00:12:33,058
And i was never
Totally sat well, you know,

329
00:12:33,060 --> 00:12:35,695
With the--back at
The authority's headquarters

330
00:12:35,697 --> 00:12:38,032
And stuff, and the fact that
This record that had been made

331
00:12:38,034 --> 00:12:39,968
Sort of in a secret with them
Kind of feeling like,

332
00:12:39,970 --> 00:12:41,636
"oh, well we've thrown
This one away," you know?

333
00:12:41,638 --> 00:12:43,272
Doing so well was kind of like,
"yeah." you know?

334
00:12:43,274 --> 00:12:44,539
It's kind of like now that's...
- now that's truth.

335
00:12:44,541 --> 00:12:45,941
- little minor revenge
Against the sort

336
00:12:45,943 --> 00:12:47,510
Of standardized thinking...
- the man.

337
00:12:47,512 --> 00:12:49,713
- about who has to produce
A record and all that, you now?

338
00:12:49,715 --> 00:12:51,315
And the kind of record
You have to make.

339
00:12:51,317 --> 00:12:53,151
<i>- murmur has a real kind of
Flannery o'connor feel to me,</i>

340
00:12:53,153 --> 00:12:54,285
And i don't know why.
- and the thing--

341
00:12:54,287 --> 00:12:55,521
- all i have is kudzu.

342
00:12:55,523 --> 00:12:58,122
- people don't know
What kudzu is.

343
00:12:58,124 --> 00:13:00,592
- this is what takes
Over the south.

344
00:13:00,594 --> 00:13:02,028
- does it make you feel
At home at all

345
00:13:02,030 --> 00:13:03,530
By seeing
Some of that stuff?

346
00:13:03,532 --> 00:13:06,767
- this kind of pulls at my heart
Like--like i can't tell you.

347
00:13:06,769 --> 00:13:08,170
I really feel
Like i'm at home now.

348
00:13:08,172 --> 00:13:10,204
- well, none of them
Are actually born in the south.

349
00:13:10,206 --> 00:13:11,707
- yeah.
- you know?

350
00:13:11,709 --> 00:13:14,711
They're seen as the--right
Up there with stonewall jackson,

351
00:13:14,713 --> 00:13:17,447
And i think--i don't think any
Of 'em are born there, you know?

352
00:13:17,449 --> 00:13:20,819
- as far as being
A southern band goes,

353
00:13:20,821 --> 00:13:22,987
<i>whoever the guy that writes
For the village voice</i>

354
00:13:22,989 --> 00:13:25,090
That keeps saying that we may
As well be from chicago,

355
00:13:25,092 --> 00:13:26,458
You know,
He's really wrong.

356
00:13:26,460 --> 00:13:28,961
I mean, if he's expecting
Cowboy hats and spurs

357
00:13:28,963 --> 00:13:31,298
And really twangy vocals,

358
00:13:31,300 --> 00:13:33,568
If that's his idea of
Southern, then he's kind of--

359
00:13:33,570 --> 00:13:37,739
He's really wrong.
- ♪ did you never call? ♪

360
00:13:37,741 --> 00:13:40,409
♪ i waited for your call ♪

361
00:13:40,411 --> 00:13:43,313
♪ these rivers
Of suggestion ♪

362
00:13:43,315 --> 00:13:46,517
♪ are driving me away ♪

363
00:13:46,519 --> 00:13:50,121
<i>- reckoning we recorded
And mixed very fast</i>

364
00:13:50,123 --> 00:13:52,891
<i>so that we wouldn't try
To make murmur part ii.</i>

365
00:13:52,893 --> 00:13:54,826
- you know, we'd go in there
And we'd just knock out

366
00:13:54,828 --> 00:13:57,230
The basic tracks on first
Or second take, all of 'em,

367
00:13:57,232 --> 00:13:58,665
And--
- no matter how bad he plays.

368
00:13:58,667 --> 00:14:00,533
- exactly.

369
00:14:00,535 --> 00:14:03,737
- ♪ i'm sorry ♪

370
00:14:03,739 --> 00:14:07,142
♪ i'm sorry ♪

371
00:14:07,144 --> 00:14:10,379
♪ i'm sorry ♪

372
00:14:10,381 --> 00:14:15,185
♪ i'm sorry ♪

373
00:14:15,187 --> 00:14:17,922
<i>- you know,
We did reckoning in 11 days,</i>

374
00:14:17,924 --> 00:14:19,223
Recorded and mixed it,

375
00:14:19,225 --> 00:14:23,362
And i don't think
Any of us slept that whole time.

376
00:14:23,364 --> 00:14:24,731
It was really insane.

377
00:14:24,733 --> 00:14:26,698
- michael was starting to
Withdraw a little bit.

378
00:14:26,700 --> 00:14:28,435
We did make sure
Michael was in a place

379
00:14:28,437 --> 00:14:32,706
Where he could be
Completely free of any sense

380
00:14:32,708 --> 00:14:36,646
Of people prying on him
Or pressure to perform.

381
00:14:36,648 --> 00:14:38,080
Those were problems,

382
00:14:38,082 --> 00:14:42,385
And those were things that we
Had to address as a--real issues

383
00:14:42,387 --> 00:14:43,654
In terms of
Making a record.

384
00:14:43,656 --> 00:14:44,922
- i was fasting
The whole time.

385
00:14:44,924 --> 00:14:48,961
Those guys were drunk the whole
Time, and it was crazy,

386
00:14:48,963 --> 00:14:50,995
And i was drunk, too, actually,
Near the end,

387
00:14:50,997 --> 00:14:52,665
'caused i couldn't take
The fast anymore.

388
00:14:52,667 --> 00:14:54,233
I think i broke it
With beer.

389
00:15:03,912 --> 00:15:05,848
- if you lived in new york
Or los angeles, you know,

390
00:15:05,850 --> 00:15:07,884
You'd hear whatever's hot
And have to listen to it,

391
00:15:07,886 --> 00:15:09,719
And in athens, you know,
It kind of all drifts by

392
00:15:09,721 --> 00:15:11,822
And you can pick out
What you want to listen to.

393
00:15:11,824 --> 00:15:15,026
So it's--we just have
This real amalgamated style.

394
00:15:15,028 --> 00:15:17,161
- when i first started out,
It's--everyone, you know,

395
00:15:17,163 --> 00:15:18,430
Is like the post punk days,

396
00:15:18,432 --> 00:15:20,465
And everyone was playing
Big stacks and marshalls,

397
00:15:20,467 --> 00:15:22,401
And it was like the ramones,
And i loved all that,

398
00:15:22,403 --> 00:15:24,571
But i just didn't really feel
That that was me.

399
00:15:24,573 --> 00:15:27,008
I didn't want to wear a leather
Jacket and be like them,

400
00:15:27,010 --> 00:15:29,143
And i tended to go for something
A little bit more folky

401
00:15:29,145 --> 00:15:30,478
And pastoral
Or whatever, i mean,

402
00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:31,880
As far as guitar playing.

403
00:15:31,882 --> 00:15:34,316
- what kind of music
Do you consider yourself making?

404
00:15:34,318 --> 00:15:35,518
- rock and roll,
I guess.

405
00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:36,987
You know--
- pure rock and roll?

406
00:15:36,989 --> 00:15:38,288
- if you come up with a really
Good phrase, we'll use it.

407
00:15:38,290 --> 00:15:39,824
We haven't found one
That suits us yet.

408
00:15:39,826 --> 00:15:41,458
We used to say folk rock
A long time ago.

409
00:15:41,460 --> 00:15:42,727
- till everybody
Else started saying it.

410
00:15:42,729 --> 00:15:44,162
- before the folk rock revival
Happened,

411
00:15:44,164 --> 00:15:45,663
And then all of a sudden
There was a folk rock revival,

412
00:15:45,665 --> 00:15:46,765
And it was like,
"oh, my god.

413
00:15:46,767 --> 00:15:47,900
We're part
Of a movement."

414
00:15:47,902 --> 00:15:49,469
- have you got
A good expression for it?

415
00:15:49,471 --> 00:15:51,271
Rock and roll, is that is?
- rock and roll, yes.

416
00:15:51,273 --> 00:15:52,506
- rock and roll.
Yeah.

417
00:15:52,508 --> 00:15:54,307
I mean, really--there really
Isn't--i get--

418
00:15:54,309 --> 00:15:56,577
Everyone's always trying
To pin labels on everyone else,

419
00:15:56,579 --> 00:15:58,780
I guess,
But it's rock and roll.

420
00:16:01,284 --> 00:16:04,287
[dissident guitar playing]

421
00:16:04,289 --> 00:16:09,960
♪ ♪

422
00:16:09,962 --> 00:16:11,462
- 1985 was probably
The hardest year

423
00:16:11,464 --> 00:16:12,697
That the band had.

424
00:16:12,699 --> 00:16:14,066
- we were
Overworking ourselves,

425
00:16:14,068 --> 00:16:15,668
And definitely
Underpaying ourselves.

426
00:16:15,670 --> 00:16:19,271
I mean, we were making
$140 each a month.

427
00:16:19,273 --> 00:16:21,274
<i>- why were things so dark
Around the time of fables?</i>

428
00:16:21,276 --> 00:16:22,576
Can you elaborate at all?

429
00:16:22,578 --> 00:16:25,646
- oh, the weather.
- weather.

430
00:16:25,648 --> 00:16:28,183
- we went into the studio
In london,

431
00:16:28,185 --> 00:16:29,685
Which was
A massive mistake.

432
00:16:29,687 --> 00:16:31,620
We were there in,
I think march,

433
00:16:31,622 --> 00:16:32,888
And it was miserable.

434
00:16:32,890 --> 00:16:34,958
It was cold.
It was snowing.

435
00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:36,760
- now london's a pretty dull
Place actually,

436
00:16:36,762 --> 00:16:38,162
If you're--you know,

437
00:16:38,164 --> 00:16:40,332
Unless you know all the hot
Spots, so it was basically--

438
00:16:40,334 --> 00:16:41,766
- and we're pretty dull boys.
- yeah.

439
00:16:41,768 --> 00:16:43,736
It was just plod into the studio
And do it,

440
00:16:43,738 --> 00:16:44,736
And plod back home.

441
00:16:44,738 --> 00:16:46,872
- when we recorded
That album,

442
00:16:46,874 --> 00:16:48,541
It was a very rough time
For us as a band.

443
00:16:48,543 --> 00:16:51,712
We weren't sure
That we wanted to continue

444
00:16:51,714 --> 00:16:52,847
Doing what we were doing.

445
00:16:52,849 --> 00:16:54,849
- ♪ time and distance ♪

446
00:16:54,851 --> 00:16:58,454
♪ are out of place here ♪

447
00:17:01,626 --> 00:17:04,361
- it was seemingly maybe
The end.

448
00:17:04,363 --> 00:17:06,330
- it wasn't so much tension
Between us.

449
00:17:06,332 --> 00:17:07,498
It was just general tension.

450
00:17:07,500 --> 00:17:09,367
I mean,
None of us were very happy,

451
00:17:09,369 --> 00:17:10,701
And, you know,
We kind of said,

452
00:17:10,703 --> 00:17:14,274
"well, we'll just work
Our way through it."

453
00:17:14,276 --> 00:17:16,009
- well, to say
We got on each other's nerves

454
00:17:16,011 --> 00:17:17,378
Is probably
An understatement.

455
00:17:17,380 --> 00:17:18,445
- well, we almost broke up,

456
00:17:18,447 --> 00:17:20,582
But instead we put out
This record

457
00:17:20,584 --> 00:17:25,987
That is incredibly dark
And kind of very introverted,

458
00:17:25,989 --> 00:17:27,657
And not at all--

459
00:17:27,659 --> 00:17:30,694
It's just very kind
Of constrictive.

460
00:17:30,696 --> 00:17:32,897
- even by that point we'd been
Through enough adversity

461
00:17:32,899 --> 00:17:34,032
To know that, "okay.

462
00:17:34,034 --> 00:17:35,165
Well, we can weather this.

463
00:17:35,167 --> 00:17:36,467
"let's just
Make this record,

464
00:17:36,469 --> 00:17:38,436
"and we'll--you know,
We'll do it again.

465
00:17:38,438 --> 00:17:39,772
It's not the end
Of the world."

466
00:17:39,774 --> 00:17:41,640
- but everything
I think is gonna be successful

467
00:17:41,642 --> 00:17:43,109
Is not successful,

468
00:17:43,111 --> 00:17:45,613
And every time i think something
Is really going down the toilet

469
00:17:45,615 --> 00:17:47,314
It goes right to number one.

470
00:17:47,316 --> 00:17:49,517
- right now there's a lot
Of bands out there

471
00:17:49,519 --> 00:17:52,754
Sweating over
Who's number one.

472
00:17:52,756 --> 00:17:56,359
Well, i don't know what to tell
You other than the truth.

473
00:17:56,361 --> 00:18:01,598
<i>r.E.M.'s fables of the
Reconstruction is number one.</i>

474
00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,168
You did it,
R.E.M. You're number one.

475
00:18:04,170 --> 00:18:07,773
Even the south can't rise
Any higher than that!

476
00:18:07,775 --> 00:18:09,108
- whoo!

477
00:18:09,110 --> 00:18:12,112
<i>[r.E.M.'s can't get there
From here]</i>

478
00:18:12,114 --> 00:18:18,052
♪ ♪

479
00:18:22,125 --> 00:18:28,264
♪ when the world
Is a monster ♪

480
00:18:28,266 --> 00:18:31,836
♪ bad to swallow
You whole ♪

481
00:18:31,838 --> 00:18:36,242
♪ no kick the clay
That holds-- ♪

482
00:18:38,244 --> 00:18:40,213
- you're listening
To wrsu fm,

483
00:18:40,215 --> 00:18:41,948
New brunswick,
Rutgers university,

484
00:18:41,950 --> 00:18:45,285
<i>and here is r.E.M.
With the carnival of sorts.</i>

485
00:18:47,623 --> 00:18:49,225
They were one
Of the first bands that was,

486
00:18:49,227 --> 00:18:51,126
Like, broken almost entirely
On college radio,

487
00:18:51,128 --> 00:18:53,162
And it--it's sort of true.

488
00:18:53,164 --> 00:18:54,330
You heard a few
Of the songs

489
00:18:54,332 --> 00:18:56,333
On regular
Mainstream radio,

490
00:18:56,335 --> 00:18:58,035
You know,
Over and over again possibly,

491
00:18:58,037 --> 00:19:02,374
But for the most part,
They were college radio,

492
00:19:02,376 --> 00:19:04,142
And so i think it's neat

493
00:19:04,144 --> 00:19:06,211
That they're going around
And touring the colleges.

494
00:19:06,213 --> 00:19:07,914
- spring concerts are
One way for students

495
00:19:07,916 --> 00:19:10,583
To ease the pressure
Of oncoming final exams,

496
00:19:10,585 --> 00:19:12,420
And r.E.M. Is
One band that students

497
00:19:12,422 --> 00:19:14,089
Have no trouble relating to.

498
00:19:15,490 --> 00:19:18,827
- ♪ i'm sorry ♪

499
00:19:18,829 --> 00:19:20,830
♪ i'm sorry ♪

500
00:19:20,832 --> 00:19:24,034
- college radio really did kind
Of make r.E.M., i mean,

501
00:19:24,036 --> 00:19:28,505
They picked up on us when all
The big radio stations

502
00:19:28,507 --> 00:19:31,576
And all
The big record stores

503
00:19:31,578 --> 00:19:33,512
Really didn't want
To have that much to do with us.

504
00:19:33,514 --> 00:19:35,614
- i mean, we've always
Done really well at colleges,

505
00:19:35,616 --> 00:19:37,751
And, you know, college
Radio's been real supportive,

506
00:19:37,753 --> 00:19:39,554
But i don't know
Why we picked up more fans

507
00:19:39,556 --> 00:19:40,554
There than anywhere else.

508
00:19:40,556 --> 00:19:42,055
- it's one of three things.

509
00:19:42,057 --> 00:19:43,858
They have more leisure time,
More money,

510
00:19:43,860 --> 00:19:45,193
Or they take more drugs,

511
00:19:45,195 --> 00:19:48,197
And i haven't decided
Which one.

512
00:19:48,199 --> 00:19:50,166
Both: more leisure time.

513
00:19:50,168 --> 00:19:52,236
- i think probably one
Really good thing about r.E.M.

514
00:19:52,238 --> 00:19:55,806
Is that we could maybe
Be defined as a common voice,

515
00:19:55,808 --> 00:19:57,441
And it's something
That most people

516
00:19:57,443 --> 00:19:59,711
That are in college right now
Are the same age that we are,

517
00:19:59,713 --> 00:20:04,150
And they can maybe pick up
On the songs

518
00:20:04,152 --> 00:20:07,253
Faster or better than maybe
People in other age groups

519
00:20:07,255 --> 00:20:09,289
Or people who aren't going
To college, i don't know.

520
00:20:09,291 --> 00:20:13,696
I would say that they
Can kind of take the songs

521
00:20:13,698 --> 00:20:15,030
And make them their own.

522
00:20:15,032 --> 00:20:18,534
I certainly don't think
That r.E.M. Has spear-headed or,

523
00:20:18,536 --> 00:20:21,204
You know, been the leader
Of any kind

524
00:20:21,206 --> 00:20:24,442
Of revolution in music,
You know, in american music.

525
00:20:24,444 --> 00:20:26,311
I mean, that's ridiculous
To even think about.

526
00:20:26,313 --> 00:20:27,813
There are a lot more college
Radios--

527
00:20:27,815 --> 00:20:29,516
- sorry.
- these are nerds.

528
00:20:29,518 --> 00:20:31,550
- these are nerds;
This is what you've been hearing

529
00:20:31,552 --> 00:20:32,819
The entire time.

530
00:20:32,821 --> 00:20:34,687
- i don't think
Anything is important, but--

531
00:20:34,689 --> 00:20:36,323
- as far as we're concerned.
- this is fun,

532
00:20:36,325 --> 00:20:37,591
And it's enjoyable, and,

533
00:20:37,593 --> 00:20:38,927
You know,
It's good experience,

534
00:20:38,929 --> 00:20:41,029
But as far as important,

535
00:20:41,031 --> 00:20:43,065
I can't think of anything
That's really important.

536
00:20:43,067 --> 00:20:44,466
- [laughs]

537
00:20:44,468 --> 00:20:46,402
- we don't live
To be a critic's band.

538
00:20:46,404 --> 00:20:50,307
We don't strive
To be a critic's band.

539
00:20:50,309 --> 00:20:53,778
We don't strive
To be a band, hardly.

540
00:20:53,780 --> 00:20:55,414
We just kind of are here.

541
00:20:55,416 --> 00:20:58,317
- you know, the four members
Of r.E.M. Approach their craft

542
00:20:58,319 --> 00:21:00,920
With a purity of vision
That's really rare

543
00:21:00,922 --> 00:21:03,623
In the commercial jungle
Of the music industry.

544
00:21:03,625 --> 00:21:07,028
They're remarkably free
Of either cliche or pretense.

545
00:21:07,030 --> 00:21:08,497
Now, as a musician myself,

546
00:21:08,499 --> 00:21:10,632
I can say that
There are times

547
00:21:10,634 --> 00:21:12,701
When we play just
For the sheer fun of it.

548
00:21:12,703 --> 00:21:14,604
Now r.E.M. Have that spirit,

549
00:21:14,606 --> 00:21:17,408
So here they are enjoying
What they really do best.

550
00:21:17,410 --> 00:21:23,882
- ♪ the walls are built up
Stone by stone ♪

551
00:21:23,884 --> 00:21:29,356
♪ the fields divided
One by one ♪

552
00:21:29,358 --> 00:21:34,394
♪ and the train conductor says
Take a break, driver 8 ♪

553
00:21:34,396 --> 00:21:37,031
♪ driver 8 take a break ♪

554
00:21:37,033 --> 00:21:40,869
♪ we've been
On this shift too long ♪

555
00:21:40,871 --> 00:21:44,874
- i would just sit around with
Guitars, usually peter and i,

556
00:21:44,876 --> 00:21:47,143
And just play things until
Something useful comes out.

557
00:21:47,145 --> 00:21:49,647
If nothing useful comes out we'd
Try it again the next night,

558
00:21:49,649 --> 00:21:51,717
But that's what we were doing
The night was ju--was--

559
00:21:51,719 --> 00:21:53,151
That's how we write songs.

560
00:21:53,153 --> 00:21:55,455
It's kind of a brainstorming
Hit-or-miss process

561
00:21:55,457 --> 00:21:57,023
That you just play and do

562
00:21:57,025 --> 00:21:59,425
Everything you can think of
Until something good comes out.

563
00:21:59,427 --> 00:22:03,364
- ♪ buy the sky
And sell the sky ♪

564
00:22:03,366 --> 00:22:07,403
♪ and bleed the sky
And tell the sky ♪

565
00:22:07,405 --> 00:22:11,541
♪ don't fall on me ♪

566
00:22:11,543 --> 00:22:15,545
♪ don't fall on me ♪

567
00:22:15,547 --> 00:22:18,116
- we've written
Quite a few hit records.

568
00:22:18,118 --> 00:22:20,653
We didn't record 'em to be hit
Records, so they weren't.

569
00:22:20,655 --> 00:22:22,321
- i was kind of, like--

570
00:22:22,323 --> 00:22:26,660
Almost like the record company
To these guys.

571
00:22:26,662 --> 00:22:28,895
They were a little afraid
Of what i might believe in.

572
00:22:28,897 --> 00:22:30,131
- it's just like a review

573
00:22:30,133 --> 00:22:32,066
I read not too long
Ago that says that don has

574
00:22:32,068 --> 00:22:34,903
Little tolerance for anything
That doesn't advance the song

575
00:22:34,905 --> 00:22:36,205
Or make the song better,

576
00:22:36,207 --> 00:22:38,473
And yet he works real well
With us in that sense.

577
00:22:38,475 --> 00:22:40,543
- i thought
They could be a radio band,

578
00:22:40,545 --> 00:22:42,379
And this idea
Scared them to death.

579
00:22:42,381 --> 00:22:44,048
- and do you think
People were, like,

580
00:22:44,050 --> 00:22:45,717
Wondering if you were
Trying to break out

581
00:22:45,719 --> 00:22:48,521
Of some kind of cult status
Working with--you know,

582
00:22:48,523 --> 00:22:53,059
Like you were maybe going
For a hit this time around?

583
00:22:53,061 --> 00:22:56,129
- ♪ answer me a question
I can't itemize ♪

584
00:22:56,131 --> 00:22:59,000
♪ i can't think clear,
Look to me for reason ♪

585
00:22:59,002 --> 00:23:00,668
♪ it's not there ♪

586
00:23:00,670 --> 00:23:02,737
♪ i can't even rhyme ♪

587
00:23:02,739 --> 00:23:07,009
♪ begin the begin ♪

588
00:23:07,011 --> 00:23:10,681
- stipe would take the track
Away, stay up all night,

589
00:23:10,683 --> 00:23:13,752
Run around to some quarry
Out in the boonies,

590
00:23:13,754 --> 00:23:15,519
And come back with a set
Of lyrics the next day

591
00:23:15,521 --> 00:23:17,656
Called "hyena"
Or whatever it was.

592
00:23:17,658 --> 00:23:20,893
- i hope that people
Are able to take a lot

593
00:23:20,895 --> 00:23:22,729
Of the songs
On the record

594
00:23:22,731 --> 00:23:25,232
And apply them
To their everyday life

595
00:23:25,234 --> 00:23:27,701
And apply them to the things
That are weird.

596
00:23:27,703 --> 00:23:29,938
- it's evocative,

597
00:23:29,940 --> 00:23:31,806
But what is this?

598
00:23:31,808 --> 00:23:33,876
I mean, how are you
Trying to connect?

599
00:23:33,878 --> 00:23:35,946
- how would they apply it
To their own life?

600
00:23:35,948 --> 00:23:39,016
- i would just--i would hope
That people would...

601
00:23:40,985 --> 00:23:44,222
Hmm.
That's a hard one.

602
00:23:44,224 --> 00:23:46,525
I can't get that specific,
Probably.

603
00:23:46,527 --> 00:23:49,095
- and the discussion was, well,
I am not gonna write--

604
00:23:49,097 --> 00:23:52,066
I think the word used
Was "banal."

605
00:23:52,068 --> 00:23:54,267
Banal lyrics,

606
00:23:54,269 --> 00:23:55,603
And it was
Just like, oomph.

607
00:23:55,605 --> 00:23:57,572
- to me,
That typified what working

608
00:23:57,574 --> 00:23:58,673
With the band
Was all about.

609
00:23:58,675 --> 00:23:59,941
It was this rock wall

610
00:23:59,943 --> 00:24:05,115
That you would run into that
Would be who r.E.M. Are,

611
00:24:05,117 --> 00:24:06,616
And it was
A sacred place.

612
00:24:06,618 --> 00:24:08,318
You really didn't
Go in there.

613
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:12,357
- he was the first person
To work with us in the studio

614
00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:15,094
Who really questioned
What i was going on about,

615
00:24:15,096 --> 00:24:16,362
And i admire him
For it now.

616
00:24:16,364 --> 00:24:20,433
He made life hell for me
During the making of the record,

617
00:24:20,435 --> 00:24:22,502
'cause it wasn't my job
To question what i was doing.

618
00:24:22,504 --> 00:24:24,172
I just did it.
- what was that whole thing?

619
00:24:24,174 --> 00:24:26,241
Laa-ti--
I mean, it wasn't laughing--

620
00:24:26,243 --> 00:24:27,609
- it's just--it's a word.

621
00:24:27,611 --> 00:24:28,911
- it is a word?
- it's a word.

622
00:24:28,913 --> 00:24:31,480
It starts with an l,
And laughing starts with an l.

623
00:24:31,482 --> 00:24:33,116
- i know.
- it's called alliteration,

624
00:24:33,118 --> 00:24:34,617
I think, right?

625
00:24:34,619 --> 00:24:36,453
Alliteration is
Where you use the same sound

626
00:24:36,455 --> 00:24:38,055
Over and over again,

627
00:24:38,057 --> 00:24:39,724
And i do that a lot.

628
00:24:39,726 --> 00:24:43,395
Children do it a lot too.
Old people do it a lot.

629
00:24:43,397 --> 00:24:44,529
Goo-goo.

630
00:24:44,531 --> 00:24:46,332
- it was the first time
In my life that i worked

631
00:24:46,334 --> 00:24:48,569
With people that didn't really
Communicate with words.

632
00:24:48,571 --> 00:24:50,737
- people tend to think of us
As this mystic art band that,

633
00:24:50,739 --> 00:24:52,674
You know--"please give us
Another record,"

634
00:24:52,676 --> 00:24:53,875
When in fact we're--
You know,

635
00:24:53,877 --> 00:24:56,110
We're just, like,
Four guys with whatever.

636
00:24:56,112 --> 00:24:57,847
- whatever we are.
- speaking for myself

637
00:24:57,849 --> 00:25:02,118
And for the band, a great deal
Of what we do is consciously--

638
00:25:02,120 --> 00:25:04,155
Not consciously, but not
Thinking about what we do,

639
00:25:04,157 --> 00:25:06,724
Because if you trust
Your intuitive sense,

640
00:25:06,726 --> 00:25:08,459
Then you're gonna
Be able to pull through.

641
00:25:08,461 --> 00:25:09,560
- they taught me that.

642
00:25:09,562 --> 00:25:12,865
They taught me through
Their own very,

643
00:25:12,867 --> 00:25:17,438
Very mysterious relationships
That they had together.

644
00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:19,808
'cause they didn't talk about
How they were gonna do things.

645
00:25:19,810 --> 00:25:21,141
Things just
Kind of happened.

646
00:25:21,143 --> 00:25:23,912
- the title comes from
A pink panther film.

647
00:25:23,914 --> 00:25:26,415
Inspector clouseau, he falls out
Of his car, falls in the car--

648
00:25:26,417 --> 00:25:28,584
- [french accent] it is all part
Of life's rich pageant.

649
00:25:28,586 --> 00:25:31,021
- yeah, and all these mistakes
Are part of life's rich pageant.

650
00:25:31,023 --> 00:25:32,557
He can do the accent
Better than i can.

651
00:25:32,559 --> 00:25:33,991
- i don't know;
We don't really like

652
00:25:33,993 --> 00:25:35,727
To analyze
The creative process too much.

653
00:25:35,729 --> 00:25:37,795
It's kind of scary. That's not
What we kind of want...

654
00:25:37,797 --> 00:25:39,064
- yeah.

655
00:25:39,066 --> 00:25:40,766
- we don't want to know.
- craft is one thing,

656
00:25:40,768 --> 00:25:42,969
And we're pretty good at the
Crafting of the song, right?

657
00:25:42,971 --> 00:25:44,471
- but inspiration's the most
Important part,

658
00:25:44,473 --> 00:25:46,506
And you never know
When you're gonna be inspired.

659
00:25:46,508 --> 00:25:48,709
- peter made one
Brilliant decision

660
00:25:48,711 --> 00:25:50,177
At the beginning
Of this whole thing.

661
00:25:50,179 --> 00:25:52,047
He decided that all the songs
Would be credited

662
00:25:52,049 --> 00:25:53,448
Equally to all four of us...
- yeah.

663
00:25:53,450 --> 00:25:55,685
- and i will confess
That at the time i

664
00:25:55,687 --> 00:25:57,888
Thought that it was like, "well,
What if i write the song?

665
00:25:57,890 --> 00:25:59,289
I want the credit for it."
You know?

666
00:25:59,291 --> 00:26:01,292
- peter, who's slightly older
Than the other guys,

667
00:26:01,294 --> 00:26:03,862
Has an encyclopedic knowledge
Of musical history,

668
00:26:03,864 --> 00:26:06,531
And in peter's mind,
The thing that breaks bands up

669
00:26:06,533 --> 00:26:08,134
Are arguments
Over songwriting credit.

670
00:26:08,136 --> 00:26:10,470
- but as it worked out,

671
00:26:10,472 --> 00:26:11,904
We all do write the songs,
You know?

672
00:26:11,906 --> 00:26:13,473
- yeah.
- everybody comes up with--

673
00:26:13,475 --> 00:26:15,742
With at least a quarter
Of every song, and--

674
00:26:15,744 --> 00:26:19,280
And i know that that's been
A major thing

675
00:26:19,282 --> 00:26:21,283
That has kept us from being
At each other's throats

676
00:26:21,285 --> 00:26:23,153
Because--again,

677
00:26:23,155 --> 00:26:25,655
Not to be crass or callus
About it, but that's where--

678
00:26:25,657 --> 00:26:28,024
A lot of the money comes from,
Is the songwriting royalties,

679
00:26:28,026 --> 00:26:30,194
And the fact that we're
All sharing in that equally...

680
00:26:30,196 --> 00:26:31,462
- yeah.
- i think has definitely

681
00:26:31,464 --> 00:26:32,698
Smoothed the way for things.

682
00:26:32,700 --> 00:26:35,835
- we just made individual
Decisions one at a time.

683
00:26:35,837 --> 00:26:38,271
We never really
Had a huge game plan.

684
00:26:38,273 --> 00:26:40,673
We just did what felt
Right at the time.

685
00:26:40,675 --> 00:26:42,242
- we kind of
Control ourselves,

686
00:26:42,244 --> 00:26:43,644
But it's a kind
Of loose control.

687
00:26:43,646 --> 00:26:46,614
Since we all vote,
It's a democracy.

688
00:26:46,616 --> 00:26:48,217
No one of us can say,
"we're gonna do this.

689
00:26:48,219 --> 00:26:49,684
We're gonna do it."
So we tend to kind

690
00:26:49,686 --> 00:26:51,787
Of just wander
From place to place

691
00:26:51,789 --> 00:26:53,656
As far as the decisions
We make, and so they

692
00:26:53,658 --> 00:26:56,026
All have to be something that
We just are comfortable with,

693
00:26:56,028 --> 00:26:58,062
But whatever integrity
We have it's just kind of--

694
00:26:58,064 --> 00:27:00,164
Just 'cause we do what we do,
And it--you know, it's--

695
00:27:00,166 --> 00:27:01,767
It's not really
A thought-out process.

696
00:27:01,769 --> 00:27:03,469
Like, well,
We have to maintain this image.

697
00:27:03,471 --> 00:27:04,770
We just-- we get up
In the morning

698
00:27:04,772 --> 00:27:06,438
And you look in the mirror,
And this--

699
00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:08,108
You know, you've got
To be happy about that.

700
00:27:12,881 --> 00:27:14,449
- at this stage,
There was no secret.

701
00:27:14,451 --> 00:27:16,284
This band was gonna be huge.

702
00:27:16,286 --> 00:27:18,286
There was--
By this time,

703
00:27:18,288 --> 00:27:21,791
All the hard work was about to
Pay off, and everyone knew it.

704
00:27:21,793 --> 00:27:24,094
- i mean, i was hearing people
In offices that tell me

705
00:27:24,096 --> 00:27:25,764
In los angeles a month

706
00:27:25,766 --> 00:27:27,965
Before we cut the record that,
"well, this is the record

707
00:27:27,967 --> 00:27:29,367
That's gonna make you
As big as u2."

708
00:27:29,369 --> 00:27:30,702
You know, i was like,

709
00:27:30,704 --> 00:27:32,338
"you haven't even heard
The songs yet; how do you know?

710
00:27:32,340 --> 00:27:34,740
I mean, it might really stink."
We've been around long enough

711
00:27:34,742 --> 00:27:36,043
So that the people

712
00:27:36,045 --> 00:27:37,978
That we used to go into
Radio stations they'd say,

713
00:27:37,980 --> 00:27:39,414
"sorry,
We can't play your records.

714
00:27:39,416 --> 00:27:40,847
You don't fit in,"
Now we fit in.

715
00:27:40,849 --> 00:27:44,720
- it's kind of like the music
Business and radio

716
00:27:44,722 --> 00:27:46,622
And all that stuff
Has finally caught up with us.

717
00:27:46,624 --> 00:27:48,058
It's not like
We're doing something

718
00:27:48,060 --> 00:27:50,560
That's extraordinarily
Ahead of its time,

719
00:27:50,562 --> 00:27:53,463
But it's taken them

720
00:27:53,465 --> 00:27:57,669
The entire '80s to be able
To accept music

721
00:27:57,671 --> 00:28:00,172
That's not kind
Of predisposed towards radio.

722
00:28:00,174 --> 00:28:03,209
Uh-oh.

723
00:28:03,211 --> 00:28:06,045
♪ that's great it starts
With an earthquake ♪

724
00:28:06,047 --> 00:28:08,549
♪ birds and snakes
And aeroplanes ♪

725
00:28:08,551 --> 00:28:11,586
♪ and lenny bruce
Is not afraid ♪

726
00:28:11,588 --> 00:28:13,956
♪ eye of a hurricane
Listen to yourself churn ♪

727
00:28:13,958 --> 00:28:16,159
♪ world serves its own needs,
Dummy serve your own needs ♪

728
00:28:16,161 --> 00:28:18,427
♪ feed it off an aux speak,
Grunt, no, strength ♪

729
00:28:18,429 --> 00:28:20,163
♪ ladder starts to clatter
With fear fight ♪

730
00:28:20,165 --> 00:28:22,099
<i>- you know, our last record,
Lifes rich pageant,</i>

731
00:28:22,101 --> 00:28:24,035
It did fairly well,
And--you know, it went gold.

732
00:28:24,037 --> 00:28:26,505
Our first gold record.

733
00:28:26,507 --> 00:28:28,340
We wanted to kind
Of capitalize on that success

734
00:28:28,342 --> 00:28:32,178
By making a little bit more
Of a left field type album.

735
00:28:32,180 --> 00:28:33,480
It's a little bit
More chaotic

736
00:28:33,482 --> 00:28:35,516
And it addresses
Some political things

737
00:28:35,518 --> 00:28:37,785
A little bit more directly maybe
Than we have in the past.

738
00:28:37,787 --> 00:28:45,628
- ♪ it's the end of the world
As we know it and i feel fine ♪

739
00:28:45,630 --> 00:28:48,632
<i>[r.E.M.'s the one i love]</i>

740
00:28:48,634 --> 00:28:54,573
♪ ♪

741
00:29:01,682 --> 00:29:06,555
♪ this one goes out
To the one i love ♪

742
00:29:06,557 --> 00:29:07,723
- the fact that that became

743
00:29:07,725 --> 00:29:09,157
Our first hit
Was just as much

744
00:29:09,159 --> 00:29:10,692
Of a surprise to us
As anyone.

745
00:29:10,694 --> 00:29:15,365
- ♪ this one goes out to
The one i've left behind ♪

746
00:29:17,169 --> 00:29:18,836
♪ a simple prop ♪

747
00:29:18,838 --> 00:29:21,272
<i>- could you talk about
What the one i love is about?</i>

748
00:29:21,274 --> 00:29:22,908
- well, it's pretty evident.

749
00:29:22,910 --> 00:29:26,112
It's right there, to me.

750
00:29:26,114 --> 00:29:28,982
- i thought
It was really obvious that it

751
00:29:28,984 --> 00:29:31,285
Was not a love song at all.

752
00:29:31,287 --> 00:29:38,093
- ♪ fire ♪

753
00:29:38,095 --> 00:29:41,464
<i>- the one i love
Is a very vicious breakup song,</i>

754
00:29:41,466 --> 00:29:43,133
And it's very cold
And cruel.

755
00:29:43,135 --> 00:29:45,436
- it was always kind of amusing
To play it in concerts.

756
00:29:45,438 --> 00:29:47,037
You know, you start that song
And the guys

757
00:29:47,039 --> 00:29:49,106
Would hug their girlfriend,
Kiss their girlfriend,

758
00:29:49,108 --> 00:29:51,176
And it's like, "well,
You don't really understand,"

759
00:29:51,178 --> 00:29:52,444
[chuckles]
And that's fine.

760
00:29:52,446 --> 00:29:54,047
It doesn't matter.
I mean, it--you know,

761
00:29:54,049 --> 00:29:56,349
Michael writes a song about
Whatever he thinks it's about,

762
00:29:56,351 --> 00:29:57,685
And then whatever you think
It's about is what it's about.

763
00:29:57,687 --> 00:29:58,952
You know?
There's--

764
00:29:58,954 --> 00:30:00,754
We're not trying to beat
Anybody over the head

765
00:30:00,756 --> 00:30:02,623
With message or meaning
Or anything like that.

766
00:30:02,625 --> 00:30:03,992
It's--the best music is one

767
00:30:03,994 --> 00:30:05,727
That you can take and adapt
To your own life

768
00:30:05,729 --> 00:30:08,030
Or to your own experience,

769
00:30:08,032 --> 00:30:09,733
And it has to mean
Something to you.

770
00:30:09,735 --> 00:30:12,134
Whether--whatever it means to us
Is not nearly as important

771
00:30:12,136 --> 00:30:13,403
As what it means to you.

772
00:30:13,405 --> 00:30:16,441
- for me, it's about e-minor
To d to g to c.

773
00:30:16,443 --> 00:30:19,511
- captain, i'm picking up
A transmission.

774
00:30:19,513 --> 00:30:23,149
It appears to be from fans
Of the rock group r.E.M.,

775
00:30:24,417 --> 00:30:28,021
Which originated
In athens, georgia.

776
00:30:28,023 --> 00:30:29,023
- hm.

777
00:30:29,025 --> 00:30:31,025
- dr. Mccoy's home state.

778
00:30:35,099 --> 00:30:39,335
- r.E.M. Has a following
Somewhat like the grateful dead.

779
00:30:39,337 --> 00:30:41,071
- well, yeah.
You know, i can see that.

780
00:30:41,073 --> 00:30:42,306
We work in kind
Of the same way

781
00:30:42,308 --> 00:30:43,741
Where we do exactly
What we want to.

782
00:30:43,743 --> 00:30:45,110
We tour when we want to.

783
00:30:45,112 --> 00:30:46,811
We've built a kind
Of real steady following

784
00:30:46,813 --> 00:30:48,281
Of people
That are fairly fanatical.

785
00:30:48,283 --> 00:30:50,048
I mean, musically we
Have nothing in common,

786
00:30:50,050 --> 00:30:54,454
But i think that both bands
Create their own world

787
00:30:54,456 --> 00:30:55,489
Around them,

788
00:30:55,491 --> 00:30:56,858
And that's--

789
00:30:56,860 --> 00:30:58,926
It's something that the fans
Kind of enter into also.

790
00:30:58,928 --> 00:31:00,763
I mean, it's like you
Build your own community.

791
00:31:00,765 --> 00:31:02,196
- it's a lot more people
Listening

792
00:31:02,198 --> 00:31:03,699
To r.E.M. Than ever before.

793
00:31:03,701 --> 00:31:06,202
I mean, it's almost doubled,
The people that are buying,

794
00:31:06,204 --> 00:31:07,504
You know, just in one year.

795
00:31:07,506 --> 00:31:09,239
I mean,
How do you figure that?

796
00:31:09,241 --> 00:31:11,309
- it's kind of exciting
To talk about, you know,

797
00:31:11,311 --> 00:31:13,912
"well, we're top ten," but,

798
00:31:13,914 --> 00:31:15,847
<i>you know, being on the cover
Of rolling stone</i>

799
00:31:15,849 --> 00:31:17,249
Wasn't, like, the pinnacle

800
00:31:17,251 --> 00:31:20,019
Of my career or something
That i'm proud of.

801
00:31:20,021 --> 00:31:21,654
You know?
It just happened.

802
00:31:21,656 --> 00:31:23,090
You know,
All the success

803
00:31:23,092 --> 00:31:25,694
And the getting big and all that
Doesn't really affect me,

804
00:31:25,696 --> 00:31:28,663
Except that more people
Approach me on the street,

805
00:31:28,665 --> 00:31:33,169
And...

806
00:31:33,171 --> 00:31:36,173
You know,
That's kind of--that's bad.

807
00:31:36,175 --> 00:31:37,374
- when the band
First started,

808
00:31:37,376 --> 00:31:38,776
It was the joke
Of the band that--

809
00:31:38,778 --> 00:31:40,577
'cause you never go--
You go everywhere and they go,

810
00:31:40,579 --> 00:31:41,846
"well, who's the leader?"
And everyone would point at me,

811
00:31:41,848 --> 00:31:43,281
And they'd go, "well,
It's his band,

812
00:31:43,283 --> 00:31:45,684
'cause he's the biggest [...]
In the band," and,

813
00:31:45,686 --> 00:31:46,819
You know, it--that was--

814
00:31:46,821 --> 00:31:48,555
None of us ever
Wanted to be the spokesman.

815
00:31:48,557 --> 00:31:49,823
Michael is the singer.

816
00:31:49,825 --> 00:31:52,592
People look at him
And expect him to say things.

817
00:31:52,594 --> 00:31:56,564
- the media
Has been kind of a monkey,

818
00:31:56,566 --> 00:32:01,104
And it--sometimes it's funny
And sometimes it's pretty heavy.

819
00:32:01,106 --> 00:32:02,805
You know? Here.

820
00:32:02,807 --> 00:32:03,974
It was a really big leap

821
00:32:03,976 --> 00:32:06,075
For me as a shy person
Just to present myself.

822
00:32:06,077 --> 00:32:07,511
I mean,
I really knew that i--

823
00:32:07,513 --> 00:32:10,382
You know, i really wanted to be
In the band and stuff, but,

824
00:32:10,384 --> 00:32:12,016
You know, i had hair
That covered my face,

825
00:32:12,018 --> 00:32:14,520
And i could hug myself in lots
Of layers of clothes,

826
00:32:14,522 --> 00:32:16,890
And that was easy and fine
For a while,

827
00:32:16,892 --> 00:32:19,826
But then, you know, people
Really did want to talk to me,

828
00:32:19,828 --> 00:32:21,061
And they were sincere
About it.

829
00:32:21,063 --> 00:32:22,630
- you know,
That's just a natural thing.

830
00:32:22,632 --> 00:32:24,065
It's the lead singer
Who's gonna be

831
00:32:24,067 --> 00:32:25,367
The front man of the band?
- sure.

832
00:32:25,369 --> 00:32:26,635
- and he's come to terms
With that.

833
00:32:28,773 --> 00:32:30,105
- i'm here
To talk to you tonight,

834
00:32:30,107 --> 00:32:32,142
And you're going to listen.
- he enjoys it.

835
00:32:32,144 --> 00:32:34,077
He enjoys the kind
Of challenge of, you know,

836
00:32:34,079 --> 00:32:36,247
Manipulating the media
Or whatever.

837
00:32:36,249 --> 00:32:38,316
- i would say that if there's
A motto that, you know--

838
00:32:38,318 --> 00:32:39,618
That went--a motto

839
00:32:39,620 --> 00:32:43,555
That went along with film,

840
00:32:43,557 --> 00:32:46,592
That went along
With recording music,

841
00:32:46,594 --> 00:32:48,762
That i've repeated to myself
Over and over again,

842
00:32:48,764 --> 00:32:51,866
It would be courage...

843
00:32:54,070 --> 00:32:57,606
Courage and clarity
And thought and statement

844
00:32:57,608 --> 00:33:01,244
And intent and action.

845
00:33:01,246 --> 00:33:03,448
- the three of us are kind of
Happy it's michael and not us.

846
00:33:03,450 --> 00:33:05,349
Michael's been
On all these covers of magazines

847
00:33:05,351 --> 00:33:06,752
And we haven't been,
And bill goes,

848
00:33:06,754 --> 00:33:07,885
"man, if i wanted to be
On the cover of a magazine,

849
00:33:07,887 --> 00:33:08,886
I wouldn't be a drummer."

850
00:33:08,888 --> 00:33:09,988
- i would say as a band

851
00:33:09,990 --> 00:33:11,990
We've certainly
Attained a great deal,

852
00:33:11,992 --> 00:33:15,563
And things that we never thought
Would happen have happened,

853
00:33:17,899 --> 00:33:20,634
And i would say that we're
At a real crossroads right now

854
00:33:20,636 --> 00:33:22,337
In a lot of different ways.

855
00:33:22,339 --> 00:33:25,908
All of them
I would say are very positive,

856
00:33:25,910 --> 00:33:27,176
And, you know,

857
00:33:27,178 --> 00:33:31,816
It's just a pop band
At the end of the day.

858
00:33:31,818 --> 00:33:33,350
It's just a rock show
After all.

859
00:33:33,352 --> 00:33:39,291
♪ ♪

860
00:33:48,437 --> 00:33:54,277
I have a real knee-jerk side
To me about many big things,

861
00:33:54,279 --> 00:33:56,614
And--but i don't--i don't think
That that applies

862
00:33:56,616 --> 00:33:58,047
To, you know, my band at all.

863
00:33:58,049 --> 00:33:59,315
I really don't.

864
00:33:59,317 --> 00:34:01,986
- we had a lot of regard
For i.R.S. And the people there,

865
00:34:01,988 --> 00:34:04,723
But we also realized we kind
Of hit the ceiling.

866
00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:09,696
- ♪ your finest hour ♪

867
00:34:09,698 --> 00:34:13,233
♪ ♪

868
00:34:13,235 --> 00:34:14,368
- this contract--
- i know.

869
00:34:14,370 --> 00:34:15,637
It's the talk of the town.

870
00:34:15,639 --> 00:34:17,372
- everyone talks about it,
But i don't know.

871
00:34:17,374 --> 00:34:19,408
It's kind of boring, really,
When it came down to it.

872
00:34:19,410 --> 00:34:20,543
It was like, you know,

873
00:34:20,545 --> 00:34:22,112
Six hoagie sandwiches
Piled up,

874
00:34:22,114 --> 00:34:23,946
But it was made out of paper
Instead of cheese,

875
00:34:23,948 --> 00:34:25,782
And we just kind of flipped
Through it and said,

876
00:34:25,784 --> 00:34:27,350
"yeah, we're gonna sign it,"
And we did.

877
00:34:27,352 --> 00:34:29,353
- but something like that
Is bound to have some sort

878
00:34:29,355 --> 00:34:30,621
Of effect somewhere,
Isn't it?

879
00:34:30,623 --> 00:34:32,224
At least in the way
People perceive you.

880
00:34:32,226 --> 00:34:33,659
Obviously it does.

881
00:34:33,661 --> 00:34:35,194
- i--you know,
I didn't stop being.

882
00:34:35,196 --> 00:34:36,828
I didn't, you know,
Eat different things

883
00:34:36,830 --> 00:34:37,931
For breakfast or--
- yeah.

884
00:34:37,933 --> 00:34:39,165
- or whatever.

885
00:34:39,167 --> 00:34:41,068
- you're not going out
And buying condos

886
00:34:41,070 --> 00:34:42,202
Or anything, right?
- yeah.

887
00:34:42,204 --> 00:34:44,339
A whole slew of them,
You know.

888
00:34:44,341 --> 00:34:46,741
- hello, warner brothers,
And welcome to new orleans,

889
00:34:46,743 --> 00:34:48,677
The sun and sin capital
Of the world.

890
00:34:48,679 --> 00:34:51,981
This is my associate, and we've
Been working hard, very hard,

891
00:34:51,983 --> 00:34:53,383
And very long--that's enough,

892
00:34:53,385 --> 00:34:55,485
For the record we're putting out
That we're thrilled

893
00:34:55,487 --> 00:34:58,590
<i>to be putting out
With all of you called green.</i>

894
00:34:58,592 --> 00:35:01,292
- ♪ hello, i saw you,
I know you ♪

895
00:35:01,294 --> 00:35:03,295
♪ i knew you ♪

896
00:35:03,297 --> 00:35:06,633
♪ i think
I can remember your name, name ♪

897
00:35:06,635 --> 00:35:10,371
♪ ♪

898
00:35:12,842 --> 00:35:14,442
There's a period of time
Where,

899
00:35:14,444 --> 00:35:15,711
As songwriters, those guys

900
00:35:15,713 --> 00:35:17,913
Were throwing these things at me
That were so bubble gum

901
00:35:17,915 --> 00:35:20,049
And so over the top
With pop music

902
00:35:20,051 --> 00:35:22,353
That i accepted it
As a challenge and was, like,

903
00:35:22,355 --> 00:35:23,887
"i'll raise you
And see you one,"

904
00:35:23,889 --> 00:35:27,157
And i wrote the most inane
Lyrics i could possibly write.

905
00:35:27,159 --> 00:35:30,228
- ♪ stand in the place
Where you live ♪

906
00:35:30,230 --> 00:35:32,098
- ♪ now face north ♪

907
00:35:32,100 --> 00:35:35,469
- ♪ think about direction,
Wonder why you haven't ♪

908
00:35:35,471 --> 00:35:38,039
- as the audience got larger
And larger, it was impossible

909
00:35:38,041 --> 00:35:40,708
For me to not change
To match that.

910
00:35:40,710 --> 00:35:43,912
I realize that, you know,
At one point in our career,

911
00:35:43,914 --> 00:35:46,816
I was reaching people that were
40 or 50 feet away.

912
00:35:46,818 --> 00:35:48,118
At this point in our career,

913
00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:50,621
I was reaching people
Who were way, way up there,

914
00:35:50,623 --> 00:35:51,788
And you know, you know,

915
00:35:51,790 --> 00:35:53,991
I was that big,
And so it was necessary

916
00:35:53,993 --> 00:35:56,395
To make brighter lights
And a bigger persona

917
00:35:56,397 --> 00:35:57,696
And films behind us.

918
00:35:57,698 --> 00:36:00,600
- ♪ when i was young
And give and take ♪

919
00:36:00,602 --> 00:36:03,504
♪ and foolish said
My fool awake ♪

920
00:36:03,506 --> 00:36:06,106
♪ when i was young
And fever fell ♪

921
00:36:06,108 --> 00:36:09,310
♪ my spirit
I will not tell ♪

922
00:36:09,312 --> 00:36:14,917
♪ you're on your honor,
On your honor ♪

923
00:36:14,919 --> 00:36:17,820
- now when you, like, go out
In front of these big audiences

924
00:36:17,822 --> 00:36:20,290
And you think, "well, they're
Listening to my politics.

925
00:36:20,292 --> 00:36:21,993
They're listening
To this or that," i mean,

926
00:36:21,995 --> 00:36:23,695
Do you think about that? Like--
- yeah, i do.

927
00:36:23,697 --> 00:36:25,030
- what they're getting
Out of it?

928
00:36:25,032 --> 00:36:26,965
- i think it's a pretty
Important role that i play,

929
00:36:26,967 --> 00:36:28,268
I mean, in pop music,

930
00:36:28,270 --> 00:36:30,402
Which is pretty low on
The ladder of important things.

931
00:36:30,404 --> 00:36:31,938
I think it's a sad state
Of affairs

932
00:36:31,940 --> 00:36:34,241
When it's up
To the entertainment industry

933
00:36:34,243 --> 00:36:37,144
To bring issues
Like this to the forefront.

934
00:36:37,146 --> 00:36:39,081
Assault weapons are capable
Of shooting dozens

935
00:36:39,083 --> 00:36:40,650
Of bullets in seconds.

936
00:36:40,652 --> 00:36:43,986
Advanced nations manufacture
Some 70,000 different chemicals.

937
00:36:43,988 --> 00:36:46,122
Today's earth day.
Tomorrow's earth day.

938
00:36:46,124 --> 00:36:48,358
The day after is earth day.
Every day is earth day.

939
00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:51,096
This is a symbolic gesture
At best,

940
00:36:51,098 --> 00:36:52,664
But it's a good one.

941
00:36:52,666 --> 00:36:54,366
I think rather than
The public burning out

942
00:36:54,368 --> 00:36:55,433
On the environment,

943
00:36:55,435 --> 00:36:57,002
The environment
May well burn out on us.

944
00:36:57,004 --> 00:36:59,004
<i>i'm michael stipe.
This is 120 minutes.</i>

945
00:36:59,006 --> 00:37:01,374
I'm for the environment.

946
00:37:01,376 --> 00:37:02,677
This is michael stipe.

947
00:37:02,679 --> 00:37:05,446
It's earth day.
Celebrate.

948
00:37:05,448 --> 00:37:06,682
- you have this--
This podium,

949
00:37:06,684 --> 00:37:09,518
In fact, from which to state
What you believe.

950
00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:12,122
I mean, obviously you must have
Reflected on, you know,

951
00:37:12,124 --> 00:37:13,723
Why fate has kind of cast

952
00:37:13,725 --> 00:37:14,958
You in this role
Of archetype,

953
00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:16,894
Why it's your job
To do this.

954
00:37:16,896 --> 00:37:19,764
- i'm not a real great believer
In fate.

955
00:37:19,766 --> 00:37:21,800
I am a pretty big believer
In fortune,

956
00:37:21,802 --> 00:37:23,034
And i feel very fortunate

957
00:37:23,036 --> 00:37:25,171
That i've been able
To achieve the success

958
00:37:25,173 --> 00:37:27,106
That i--that i've--
That i've gotten,

959
00:37:27,108 --> 00:37:29,076
The level that it's put me at,
And the fact

960
00:37:29,078 --> 00:37:31,146
That people are listening to me
For better or worse,

961
00:37:31,148 --> 00:37:32,646
And hopefully for better,
You know?

962
00:37:32,648 --> 00:37:35,650
That i can present something
That--that is, on the one hand

963
00:37:35,652 --> 00:37:37,887
Entertainment
And rock and roll and music,

964
00:37:37,889 --> 00:37:40,390
And something that you can look
At as furniture or as wallpaper,

965
00:37:40,392 --> 00:37:42,459
To clean the dishes to,
Or if you want to dig deeper,

966
00:37:42,461 --> 00:37:44,061
It's something
That you can think about,

967
00:37:44,063 --> 00:37:45,495
Something
That might provoke you.

968
00:37:49,101 --> 00:37:52,538
[cheers and applause]

969
00:37:52,540 --> 00:37:54,073
<i>[r.E.M.'s radio song]</i>

970
00:37:54,075 --> 00:38:00,648
♪ the world is collapsing
Around our ears ♪

971
00:38:00,650 --> 00:38:04,719
♪ i turned up the radio ♪

972
00:38:04,721 --> 00:38:08,124
♪ but i can't hear it ♪

973
00:38:08,126 --> 00:38:10,593
<i>- after the green world tour,
You know, peter didn't even want</i>

974
00:38:10,595 --> 00:38:12,596
To look at an electric guitar,
Much less play one.

975
00:38:12,598 --> 00:38:14,164
- and, like, with most efforts,

976
00:38:14,166 --> 00:38:15,600
We don't really

977
00:38:15,602 --> 00:38:18,002
Pick a conceptual road
That we want to take.

978
00:38:18,004 --> 00:38:19,538
We kind of know
What we want to avoid,

979
00:38:19,540 --> 00:38:22,242
And that's the only thing
We knew going

980
00:38:22,244 --> 00:38:24,109
Into the songwriting process
For this record.

981
00:38:24,111 --> 00:38:27,615
I mean, we wanted to avoid
The guitar, pretty much.

982
00:38:27,617 --> 00:38:29,851
You know, we'd lived with
The big rock and roll lineup

983
00:38:29,853 --> 00:38:31,119
Playing the arenas and stuff,

984
00:38:31,121 --> 00:38:32,554
And the loud, you know,

985
00:38:32,556 --> 00:38:35,024
Kind of impersonality
Of playing

986
00:38:35,026 --> 00:38:37,994
Those big, huge situations,
We wanted to leave that behind.

987
00:38:37,996 --> 00:38:39,395
It was fun,

988
00:38:39,397 --> 00:38:40,764
But we--you know,

989
00:38:40,766 --> 00:38:42,800
The '90s needed to be
Something different for us.

990
00:38:42,802 --> 00:38:45,003
- the rest of us, in terms
Of musical direction like that,

991
00:38:45,005 --> 00:38:46,906
We were always more reactive
And not proactive,

992
00:38:46,908 --> 00:38:48,573
And we'd let peter be
The proactive one,

993
00:38:48,575 --> 00:38:50,376
And he'd say,
"this is what i want to do,

994
00:38:50,378 --> 00:38:51,844
And this is
Where i feel we should go,"

995
00:38:51,846 --> 00:38:53,280
And unless anybody

996
00:38:53,282 --> 00:38:55,349
Had a huge problem with that
We'd say, "that's fine."

997
00:38:55,351 --> 00:38:57,752
- i personally wanted to make
Kind of a more baroque-sounding

998
00:38:57,754 --> 00:38:58,753
Record for a long time.

999
00:38:58,755 --> 00:39:01,990
- ♪ i turned up the radio ♪

1000
00:39:01,992 --> 00:39:04,560
♪ but i can't hear it ♪

1001
00:39:04,562 --> 00:39:06,296
- well, you know,
I love guitar,

1002
00:39:06,298 --> 00:39:08,431
But i was kind of in danger
Of becoming very competent.

1003
00:39:08,433 --> 00:39:11,235
Or almost competent, you know,
Which--

1004
00:39:11,237 --> 00:39:13,205
I mean, for me, songwriting
Is the main thing i do,

1005
00:39:13,207 --> 00:39:15,641
And to keep it fresh, it's nice
To try different instruments.

1006
00:39:15,643 --> 00:39:20,380
- ♪ oh, this lonely deep
Sit hollow ♪

1007
00:39:20,382 --> 00:39:25,620
♪ half a world,
Half a world away ♪

1008
00:39:25,622 --> 00:39:27,321
- for me, the mandolin
Was kind of a shortcut

1009
00:39:27,323 --> 00:39:29,291
To stupidity again.

1010
00:39:29,293 --> 00:39:32,028
- for us, as a band, it was kind
Of a record of challenges.

1011
00:39:32,030 --> 00:39:35,465
It was an incredible challenge
For these guys to write

1012
00:39:35,467 --> 00:39:38,403
On instruments that were not
Their primary instruments.

1013
00:39:38,405 --> 00:39:39,670
It was
An incredible challenge

1014
00:39:39,672 --> 00:39:42,974
For me to write the type
Of songs

1015
00:39:42,976 --> 00:39:44,243
That i've always despised.

1016
00:39:44,245 --> 00:39:47,080
- is the new record
More political or overtly

1017
00:39:47,082 --> 00:39:48,748
Political?
- no politics.

1018
00:39:48,750 --> 00:39:50,952
- mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.

1019
00:39:50,954 --> 00:39:53,421
Is--is that a conscious effort
This time, or--

1020
00:39:53,423 --> 00:39:55,289
- yup.
- why?

1021
00:39:55,291 --> 00:39:56,391
- i felt like it.

1022
00:39:56,393 --> 00:39:57,392
- mm-hmm.
- they're all--

1023
00:39:57,394 --> 00:39:58,427
It's all love songs.

1024
00:39:58,429 --> 00:39:59,862
- they're so common.

1025
00:39:59,864 --> 00:40:03,000
There's so many love songs
That are so poorly written,

1026
00:40:03,002 --> 00:40:04,734
So of course
The one biggest challenge

1027
00:40:04,736 --> 00:40:06,370
As a lyricist
That i could bring on myself

1028
00:40:06,372 --> 00:40:09,808
Would be to write a body of love
Songs that were "intelligent,"

1029
00:40:09,810 --> 00:40:14,280
Quote-unquote,
That--that were not stupid.

1030
00:40:14,282 --> 00:40:15,882
- i'm really happy
With the song writing.

1031
00:40:15,884 --> 00:40:17,450
I--it's one of
The first records

1032
00:40:17,452 --> 00:40:19,720
We've ever done where i walked
In before we laid down a note

1033
00:40:19,722 --> 00:40:21,422
And just was really pleased
With the songs.

1034
00:40:21,424 --> 00:40:22,890
I think they're
Very diverse and--

1035
00:40:22,892 --> 00:40:25,227
You know, it's still us;
If you don't like us,

1036
00:40:25,229 --> 00:40:27,229
You're probably not gonna like
This one either.

1037
00:40:27,231 --> 00:40:29,431
- it's--it's destined
To be pop legend.

1038
00:40:29,433 --> 00:40:31,034
It's--it's the best thing
We've done.

1039
00:40:31,036 --> 00:40:32,068
- really?

1040
00:40:32,070 --> 00:40:33,470
- yeah. [mumbles]

1041
00:40:33,472 --> 00:40:34,839
It's gonna redefine music.

1042
00:40:34,841 --> 00:40:36,374
I think it really is.
- really?

1043
00:40:36,376 --> 00:40:37,943
- yeah.
- how so?

1044
00:40:37,945 --> 00:40:39,244
- well, it's--
It's brilliant.

1045
00:40:39,246 --> 00:40:40,680
- so then you think
It's gonna--

1046
00:40:40,682 --> 00:40:43,048
You think it's gonna
Redefine pop music?

1047
00:40:43,050 --> 00:40:45,718
- i think we already have.
[laughs]

1048
00:40:45,720 --> 00:40:47,654
Even before this record.
- and all that,

1049
00:40:47,656 --> 00:40:50,525
But we still don't have a name
For the record yet, so...

1050
00:40:50,527 --> 00:40:51,793
- what are
Some of the ideas?

1051
00:40:51,795 --> 00:40:53,396
- every record
We've ever had, the name

1052
00:40:53,398 --> 00:40:55,063
Just occurs real early
And it makes sense

1053
00:40:55,065 --> 00:40:57,066
'cause it kind of says
What the songs are all about,

1054
00:40:57,068 --> 00:41:00,370
But i think
The songs are so--

1055
00:41:00,372 --> 00:41:02,507
Nothing links them, really,
Either lyrically

1056
00:41:02,509 --> 00:41:03,941
Or musically that--
I don't--

1057
00:41:03,943 --> 00:41:06,045
Nobody knows
What to call it.

1058
00:41:06,047 --> 00:41:09,048
- every time that we make
A record we put up a list,

1059
00:41:09,050 --> 00:41:12,852
And it says, "name this--
Name this record."

1060
00:41:12,854 --> 00:41:15,423
Mike mills did this one,
And we're on our fourth page.

1061
00:41:15,425 --> 00:41:17,324
This is the first page,

1062
00:41:17,326 --> 00:41:20,061
Featuring
Such great titles as,

1063
00:41:20,063 --> 00:41:21,663
"imitation crab meat."

1064
00:41:21,665 --> 00:41:24,267
We were thinking of calling it
"willful obscurity."

1065
00:41:24,269 --> 00:41:25,535
- "trolling for olives."

1066
00:41:25,537 --> 00:41:28,105
- "dignity and aplomb."
- "love is squalor."

1067
00:41:28,107 --> 00:41:29,473
- "cat butt."
- "pomegranate."

1068
00:41:29,475 --> 00:41:31,476
- those are too literal
For us.

1069
00:41:31,478 --> 00:41:33,210
I mean, we needed something
More oblique.

1070
00:41:33,212 --> 00:41:34,679
- warner brothers
Called us and said,

1071
00:41:34,681 --> 00:41:36,849
"look, your record release
Is going to be affected.

1072
00:41:36,851 --> 00:41:38,384
"the release date's gonna
Be affected

1073
00:41:38,386 --> 00:41:40,821
If you don't name this today,"
But they had all the artwork

1074
00:41:40,823 --> 00:41:42,289
Ready except the actual title.

1075
00:41:42,291 --> 00:41:44,991
I mean, it was just blank
On the mock-up.

1076
00:41:44,993 --> 00:41:46,761
- it was like, pick a title
That day or else

1077
00:41:46,763 --> 00:41:48,930
It's just gonna be--it'll be
Like spinal tap, you know?

1078
00:41:48,932 --> 00:41:50,365
How black can it be?
This black.

1079
00:41:50,367 --> 00:41:52,367
Well, there would be no title
On the record.

1080
00:41:52,369 --> 00:41:54,070
- and it was, "oh, [...].
We're out of time."

1081
00:41:54,072 --> 00:41:58,508
You know?
And it was like, whoa.

1082
00:41:58,510 --> 00:42:00,511
- the big shocker,
Of course, to warners

1083
00:42:00,513 --> 00:42:02,881
Was when they announced
That they weren't gonna tour,

1084
00:42:02,883 --> 00:42:04,950
And how happy did
That make them?

1085
00:42:04,952 --> 00:42:06,853
- we just felt, you know,
Let's not go on the road.

1086
00:42:06,855 --> 00:42:08,722
Let's not just
Be a performing unit right now.

1087
00:42:08,724 --> 00:42:10,923
Let's just concentrate on kind
Of working and writing

1088
00:42:10,925 --> 00:42:12,159
And seeing
Where it takes us.

1089
00:42:12,161 --> 00:42:14,662
- it's like write songs,
Record them, tour them.

1090
00:42:14,664 --> 00:42:16,397
Take a small break
And do it all over again.

1091
00:42:16,399 --> 00:42:17,900
- without a band touring,

1092
00:42:17,902 --> 00:42:20,469
The record company has to spend
Twice or three times as much.

1093
00:42:20,471 --> 00:42:22,505
- every single person
That talked to us said, "well,

1094
00:42:22,507 --> 00:42:24,808
You know what, you're just
Kissing your career good-bye,"

1095
00:42:24,810 --> 00:42:26,843
And they're like "you're making
An acoustic record

1096
00:42:26,845 --> 00:42:28,579
And you're not gonna tour.
Well, forget it.

1097
00:42:28,581 --> 00:42:31,116
Everything you've worked
For all these years is gone."

1098
00:42:31,118 --> 00:42:34,120
<i>[r.E.M.'s losing my religion]</i>

1099
00:42:34,122 --> 00:42:38,124
♪ ♪

1100
00:42:44,567 --> 00:42:50,640
- ♪ oh, life is bigger ♪

1101
00:42:50,642 --> 00:42:55,880
♪ it's bigger than you,
And you are not me ♪

1102
00:42:55,882 --> 00:42:59,418
♪ the lengths that
I will go to ♪

1103
00:42:59,420 --> 00:43:03,222
♪ the distance
In your eyes ♪

1104
00:43:06,027 --> 00:43:11,967
♪ oh, no,
I've said too much ♪

1105
00:43:11,969 --> 00:43:15,437
♪ i set it up ♪

1106
00:43:15,439 --> 00:43:19,242
♪ that's me
In the corner ♪

1107
00:43:19,244 --> 00:43:22,613
♪ that's me
In the spotlight ♪

1108
00:43:22,615 --> 00:43:25,683
♪ losing my religion ♪

1109
00:43:25,685 --> 00:43:28,320
- they had this odd,
Compelling acoustic bass song

1110
00:43:28,322 --> 00:43:29,588
With a mandolin
As the lead

1111
00:43:29,590 --> 00:43:31,657
That everybody thought would be
A great first song,

1112
00:43:31,659 --> 00:43:33,025
Not 'cause it was
A big hit single

1113
00:43:33,027 --> 00:43:34,494
But because it was
A beautiful song.

1114
00:43:34,496 --> 00:43:35,996
- it doesn't really
Have a chorus.

1115
00:43:35,998 --> 00:43:38,365
The main instrument
Is a mandolin.

1116
00:43:38,367 --> 00:43:40,969
It's really long.
It's five minutes plus long.

1117
00:43:40,971 --> 00:43:43,539
All the ingredients
For a total disaster

1118
00:43:43,541 --> 00:43:44,840
As far as a single goes.

1119
00:43:44,842 --> 00:43:46,876
- and why not let the statement
Be, "this is our band.

1120
00:43:46,878 --> 00:43:48,111
"this is what
We sound like now.

1121
00:43:48,113 --> 00:43:49,814
"it's different.
It's changed.

1122
00:43:49,816 --> 00:43:51,881
<i>it's not the same as green."
- and we'll just put it out</i>

1123
00:43:51,883 --> 00:43:54,085
And we won't tour and we'll
Probably fade into obscurity

1124
00:43:54,087 --> 00:43:55,587
And nobody will ever
Hear of us again.

1125
00:43:55,589 --> 00:44:00,526
- ♪ i think i thought
I saw you try ♪

1126
00:44:00,528 --> 00:44:07,268
♪ ♪

1127
00:44:07,270 --> 00:44:08,970
- you know, the record came out
And it sold,

1128
00:44:08,972 --> 00:44:10,205
Like, ten million copies.

1129
00:44:10,207 --> 00:44:14,243
- ♪ but that was
Just a dream ♪

1130
00:44:14,245 --> 00:44:19,016
♪ that was just a dream,
That's me in the corner ♪

1131
00:44:19,018 --> 00:44:20,985
- 'cause after ten years
Of putting out records,

1132
00:44:20,987 --> 00:44:23,121
<i>this band has finally
Released an album, out of time,</i>

1133
00:44:23,123 --> 00:44:25,557
<i>and a great hit single,
Losing my religion,</i>

1134
00:44:25,559 --> 00:44:28,328
That have taken the american
Musical mainstream by storm.

1135
00:44:28,330 --> 00:44:30,196
- i'd go to new york
And for the first time, like,

1136
00:44:30,198 --> 00:44:32,265
65-year-old black men
Would go,

1137
00:44:32,267 --> 00:44:33,634
"yo, mike," on the street,

1138
00:44:33,636 --> 00:44:36,972
Whereas before it was
25-year-old white people

1139
00:44:36,974 --> 00:44:38,540
And--and no one else.

1140
00:44:38,542 --> 00:44:42,411
- i think having a number one
Record was really--i mean,

1141
00:44:42,413 --> 00:44:44,213
Obviously that's a big event
In your life.

1142
00:44:44,215 --> 00:44:46,417
It doesn't happen
To most people,

1143
00:44:46,419 --> 00:44:48,619
But i was kind of worried
That it was gonna hurt us.

1144
00:44:48,621 --> 00:44:49,821
Like, "oh, no.
This is gonna--

1145
00:44:49,823 --> 00:44:52,992
"we've totally lost
Our street credibility.

1146
00:44:52,994 --> 00:44:54,959
"you know, next week
We're gonna be off the charts

1147
00:44:54,961 --> 00:44:56,896
And nobody's gonna
Want to know our names."

1148
00:44:56,898 --> 00:44:59,333
<i>- r.E.M.
For losing my religion.</i>

1149
00:44:59,335 --> 00:45:05,007
- ♪ that's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion ♪

1150
00:45:07,977 --> 00:45:09,478
- and the winner is...

1151
00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:12,115
- big moment here.

1152
00:45:12,117 --> 00:45:13,350
R.E.M.

1153
00:45:16,521 --> 00:45:19,457
- you've got this public forum,
You know?

1154
00:45:19,459 --> 00:45:20,926
If you win an mtv award

1155
00:45:20,928 --> 00:45:22,994
You don't want to go up
And thank god and your manager.

1156
00:45:22,996 --> 00:45:25,498
Well, that's what everyone else
Does. God gets thanked enough.

1157
00:45:25,500 --> 00:45:26,834
And your manager, fine.
You know?

1158
00:45:26,836 --> 00:45:28,469
But you've got a chance
To say something,

1159
00:45:28,471 --> 00:45:30,939
And when i'm 80 years old
I don't want to think,

1160
00:45:30,941 --> 00:45:32,506
"well, gee, you know,
I just got up there

1161
00:45:32,508 --> 00:45:34,409
And reveled in the moment
Of being successful,"

1162
00:45:34,411 --> 00:45:35,977
'cause it's just shallow
And pointless

1163
00:45:35,979 --> 00:45:37,913
And vaguely embarrassing.

1164
00:45:37,915 --> 00:45:39,916
- hold on.

1165
00:45:39,918 --> 00:45:40,984
This might be lengthy.

1166
00:45:53,300 --> 00:45:55,034
Everybody,
Thank you so much.

1167
00:45:57,738 --> 00:45:58,973
Peace.

1168
00:46:01,109 --> 00:46:03,311
- r.E.M.,
♪ shiny happy people ♪

1169
00:46:03,313 --> 00:46:04,747
Hey, hey, hey,
Hey, hey.

1170
00:46:04,749 --> 00:46:07,517
Pull that bus over to the side
Of the pretentiousness turnpike.

1171
00:46:07,519 --> 00:46:09,219
Okay, pal?
I want everybody off the bus.

1172
00:46:09,221 --> 00:46:10,653
I want the shiny people
Over here

1173
00:46:10,655 --> 00:46:12,156
And the happy people
Over here, okay?

1174
00:46:12,158 --> 00:46:15,160
<i>[r.E.M.'s shiny happy people]</i>

1175
00:46:15,162 --> 00:46:19,465
♪ ♪

1176
00:46:19,467 --> 00:46:23,035
- ♪ shiny happy people
Laughing ♪

1177
00:46:23,037 --> 00:46:24,871
<i>- we all knew even then
That shiny happy people,</i>

1178
00:46:24,873 --> 00:46:26,473
While it's a good song,

1179
00:46:26,475 --> 00:46:30,212
It's not really what you want
To be remembered for in history.

1180
00:46:30,214 --> 00:46:31,947
- i'm aware
Of how stupid this is,

1181
00:46:31,949 --> 00:46:33,783
And i'm not manipulating people

1182
00:46:33,785 --> 00:46:36,453
By introducing
Hooky, catchy things,

1183
00:46:36,455 --> 00:46:39,557
But i'm right there
Beside you laughing at myself,

1184
00:46:39,559 --> 00:46:41,292
Laughing at the song,
And at the same time

1185
00:46:41,294 --> 00:46:43,028
Really grooving on it
And really digging it

1186
00:46:43,030 --> 00:46:45,497
And saying, "god, what a--
What a great song."

1187
00:46:45,499 --> 00:46:46,866
- it's silly.
I mean,

1188
00:46:46,868 --> 00:46:48,968
It's supposed to be silly,

1189
00:46:48,970 --> 00:46:51,904
And there's nothing wrong
With doing silly songs

1190
00:46:51,906 --> 00:46:53,474
Every once in a while,
But--but fo--

1191
00:46:53,476 --> 00:46:54,942
To have them as a single

1192
00:46:54,944 --> 00:46:57,712
And to have pe--'cause people--
For some reason that title,

1193
00:46:57,714 --> 00:46:59,348
People just love
That title.

1194
00:46:59,350 --> 00:47:00,715
They can make any headline

1195
00:47:00,717 --> 00:47:02,818
Or any photo caption
They want to, and it's pithy,

1196
00:47:02,820 --> 00:47:04,286
And it relates
To contemporary--

1197
00:47:04,288 --> 00:47:06,623
You know, it's just--
It's really irritating, and--

1198
00:47:06,625 --> 00:47:08,960
And, you know, i knew--we knew
That was gonna be trouble.

1199
00:47:08,962 --> 00:47:11,530
<i>- out of time also
Marked a venture into politics.</i>

1200
00:47:11,532 --> 00:47:14,132
The outspoken r.E.M.
Included a postcard on the back

1201
00:47:14,134 --> 00:47:16,702
Of that album that fans
Could mail to their congressman

1202
00:47:16,704 --> 00:47:19,005
In support of the so-called
Motor voter bill,

1203
00:47:19,007 --> 00:47:20,641
Which registered
Eligible people

1204
00:47:20,643 --> 00:47:22,510
To vote when they got
Their driver's license.

1205
00:47:22,512 --> 00:47:24,412
- it's gonna make people
Feel more franchised,

1206
00:47:24,414 --> 00:47:26,313
Like they have a better reason
To go out and vote,

1207
00:47:26,315 --> 00:47:27,816
And i hope
It makes a big difference.

1208
00:47:27,818 --> 00:47:30,219
- i think it's been estimated
That there are 50 million people

1209
00:47:30,221 --> 00:47:32,388
Who might get on the register
Who wouldn't have before.

1210
00:47:32,390 --> 00:47:34,525
I really see it
As an equal rights bill.

1211
00:47:34,527 --> 00:47:36,594
- to paraphrase michael,

1212
00:47:36,596 --> 00:47:38,295
Some people
May not know it yet,

1213
00:47:38,297 --> 00:47:42,133
But george bush
Is out of time.

1214
00:47:42,135 --> 00:47:43,869
- i'm here with mike mills
Of r.E.M.

1215
00:47:43,871 --> 00:47:45,739
Have you ever seen
So many happy democrats?

1216
00:47:45,741 --> 00:47:47,741
- not at one time in my life,
And i'm one of 'em.

1217
00:47:47,743 --> 00:47:48,743
It's a great thing.

1218
00:47:48,745 --> 00:47:51,444
- ♪ one love ♪

1219
00:47:51,446 --> 00:47:53,948
♪ one blood ♪

1220
00:47:53,950 --> 00:47:55,083
♪ one life ♪

1221
00:47:55,085 --> 00:47:58,955
♪ you got to do
What you should ♪

1222
00:47:58,957 --> 00:48:01,090
♪ one life ♪

1223
00:48:01,092 --> 00:48:03,826
♪ with each other ♪

1224
00:48:03,828 --> 00:48:06,130
♪ sisters ♪

1225
00:48:06,132 --> 00:48:08,867
♪ brothers ♪

1226
00:48:08,869 --> 00:48:12,271
♪ one life
But we're not the same ♪

1227
00:48:15,676 --> 00:48:17,110
A standard bag,

1228
00:48:17,112 --> 00:48:21,649
And it's, uh, 2 1/2 ounce
Of peanuts, net weight,

1229
00:48:21,651 --> 00:48:23,084
"automatic for the people."

1230
00:48:24,487 --> 00:48:25,955
They liked the slogan.

1231
00:48:25,957 --> 00:48:31,595
They wanted to use it
As the title of their album.

1232
00:48:31,597 --> 00:48:33,331
This is really great,
You know?

1233
00:48:33,333 --> 00:48:34,799
And i was just so happy.

1234
00:48:34,801 --> 00:48:36,935
I think there's been a smile
On my face ever since then.

1235
00:48:38,438 --> 00:48:41,206
- i don't think "automatic
For the people"

1236
00:48:41,208 --> 00:48:43,042
Necessarily sounds
Southern.

1237
00:48:43,044 --> 00:48:44,711
I guess if you know
The story it does,

1238
00:48:44,713 --> 00:48:47,881
But we just kind of
Liked the ring of it.

1239
00:48:47,883 --> 00:48:49,317
- "automatic for the people"

1240
00:48:49,319 --> 00:48:52,688
Is a slogan for weaver d's soul
Food restaurant in athens.

1241
00:48:52,690 --> 00:48:54,155
You walk in,
You get a plate of food.

1242
00:48:54,157 --> 00:48:56,058
You say, "i'd like
Some pork chops and greens."

1243
00:48:56,060 --> 00:48:57,093
He goes, "automatic."

1244
00:48:57,095 --> 00:48:59,363
So it just means that--

1245
00:48:59,365 --> 00:49:00,731
You know,
That he's got some food.

1246
00:49:00,733 --> 00:49:02,266
It's gonna be good,
And you can have it.

1247
00:49:02,268 --> 00:49:04,737
Well, here's a record, we think
It's good, and you can have it.

1248
00:49:04,739 --> 00:49:06,070
You know,
That's what we think.

1249
00:49:06,072 --> 00:49:08,474
- r.E.M.,
When they came to me,

1250
00:49:08,476 --> 00:49:10,744
They were saying,
"we want to send your peanuts

1251
00:49:10,746 --> 00:49:13,881
"to various radio stations
Around the world

1252
00:49:13,883 --> 00:49:16,083
Along with the album
As a promotional item."

1253
00:49:17,787 --> 00:49:20,789
<i>[r.E.M.'s drive]</i>

1254
00:49:20,791 --> 00:49:26,730
♪ ♪

1255
00:49:31,403 --> 00:49:33,438
- ♪ smack crack ♪

1256
00:49:33,440 --> 00:49:34,739
♪ bushwhacked ♪

1257
00:49:34,741 --> 00:49:40,247
♪ tie another one
To the racks, baby ♪

1258
00:49:40,249 --> 00:49:44,451
♪ ♪

1259
00:49:44,453 --> 00:49:46,721
<i>- i think the progression
That ran from out of time</i>

1260
00:49:46,723 --> 00:49:48,089
<i>through
Automatic for the people</i>

1261
00:49:48,091 --> 00:49:51,928
Was more that we
Were thinking anything goes.

1262
00:49:51,930 --> 00:49:53,897
Any little instrument
That you want to throw down

1263
00:49:53,899 --> 00:49:56,133
On top of this--you know,
If we want to put a harpsichord

1264
00:49:56,135 --> 00:49:57,567
On something, we'll do that.

1265
00:49:57,569 --> 00:50:00,271
If we want to put a cello
In here, we'll do that.

1266
00:50:00,273 --> 00:50:03,475
- ♪ maybe i ride,
Maybe you walk ♪

1267
00:50:03,477 --> 00:50:09,248
♪ maybe i drive
To get off, baby ♪

1268
00:50:09,250 --> 00:50:10,884
- the record is kind of stark
In some ways.

1269
00:50:10,886 --> 00:50:12,986
It's not maybe exactly
What people expect.

1270
00:50:12,988 --> 00:50:14,956
You know, at that time
I didn't even have a house.

1271
00:50:14,958 --> 00:50:17,259
I was driving around in the car
And listen to the cassettes

1272
00:50:17,261 --> 00:50:18,728
And staying
In $19-a-night motels,

1273
00:50:18,730 --> 00:50:20,597
And i just didn't
Really feel

1274
00:50:20,599 --> 00:50:21,831
Like it really
Meant anything.

1275
00:50:21,833 --> 00:50:23,934
- each one of us had
Their own personal things

1276
00:50:23,936 --> 00:50:25,168
Going on,
Good or bad,

1277
00:50:25,170 --> 00:50:26,671
That just kind of--

1278
00:50:26,673 --> 00:50:27,839
It--that was a hard record

1279
00:50:27,841 --> 00:50:29,475
To focus on.

1280
00:50:29,477 --> 00:50:32,344
I mean, the songs were kind
Of these nebulous ideas

1281
00:50:32,346 --> 00:50:35,681
That we just
Allowed to take shape.

1282
00:50:35,683 --> 00:50:38,218
- we accomplished something
That we set out to accomplish,

1283
00:50:38,220 --> 00:50:39,854
Unconsciously or otherwise,

1284
00:50:39,856 --> 00:50:41,822
In terms of
Making a record

1285
00:50:41,824 --> 00:50:44,392
That was, you know,
Largely acoustic

1286
00:50:44,394 --> 00:50:48,698
And using
Unorthodox instrumentation

1287
00:50:48,700 --> 00:50:50,633
For a rock and roll band,

1288
00:50:50,635 --> 00:50:52,836
And also, you know,
Dealing with subject matter

1289
00:50:52,838 --> 00:50:54,672
That was unorthodox
To rock and roll.

1290
00:50:54,674 --> 00:50:56,441
- but you don't want
To have too much attitude

1291
00:50:56,443 --> 00:50:58,277
When you're talking
About your own mortality,

1292
00:50:58,279 --> 00:50:59,410
Or anyone else's mortality,

1293
00:50:59,412 --> 00:51:01,447
Because death always wins,
And--

1294
00:51:01,449 --> 00:51:02,681
- we found--yeah. God.

1295
00:51:02,683 --> 00:51:04,551
Hmm, how about that?

1296
00:51:04,553 --> 00:51:05,786
Ultimately for me,
That record

1297
00:51:05,788 --> 00:51:07,288
Is very uplifting.
- yeah.

1298
00:51:07,290 --> 00:51:09,390
- but it does deal
With a very dark subject,

1299
00:51:09,392 --> 00:51:11,794
And one
That maybe rock listeners

1300
00:51:11,796 --> 00:51:14,062
Aren't used to
Dealing with on that level,

1301
00:51:14,064 --> 00:51:16,331
Or with that level
Of vulnerability and openness.

1302
00:51:16,333 --> 00:51:19,335
<i>[r.E.M.'s everybody hurts]</i>

1303
00:51:19,337 --> 00:51:25,276
♪ ♪

1304
00:51:28,481 --> 00:51:34,087
♪ when the day is long ♪

1305
00:51:34,089 --> 00:51:36,791
♪ and the night ♪

1306
00:51:36,793 --> 00:51:40,261
♪ the night
Is yours alone ♪

1307
00:51:40,263 --> 00:51:44,500
♪ ♪

1308
00:51:44,502 --> 00:51:46,036
- it was three chords.

1309
00:51:46,038 --> 00:51:49,840
Anybody that's just started to
Play guitar can play that song.

1310
00:51:49,842 --> 00:51:53,778
- ♪ of this life ♪

1311
00:51:53,780 --> 00:51:55,314
♪ well, hang on ♪

1312
00:51:55,316 --> 00:51:57,917
I actually started playing it
When peter and mike were around.

1313
00:51:57,919 --> 00:52:00,420
Before i even finished it they
Were already doing their thing.

1314
00:52:00,422 --> 00:52:04,825
- ♪ don't let yourself go ♪

1315
00:52:04,827 --> 00:52:08,163
♪ ♪

1316
00:52:08,165 --> 00:52:12,568
♪ 'cause everybody cries ♪

1317
00:52:12,570 --> 00:52:14,972
- so, yeah, i came up
With the three chords

1318
00:52:14,974 --> 00:52:16,439
<i>in everybody hurts.</i>

1319
00:52:16,441 --> 00:52:20,745
- ♪ and everybody hurts ♪

1320
00:52:20,747 --> 00:52:23,115
♪ ♪

1321
00:52:23,117 --> 00:52:27,220
♪ sometimes ♪

1322
00:52:27,222 --> 00:52:31,858
<i>- everybody hurts, r.E.M.</i>

1323
00:52:31,860 --> 00:52:33,961
- we get to take this home
And put it on our shelf,

1324
00:52:33,963 --> 00:52:35,363
But there's--you know,

1325
00:52:35,365 --> 00:52:37,366
There are a lot of things
You can't put on a shelf,

1326
00:52:37,368 --> 00:52:40,369
And what this song is
And what this song

1327
00:52:40,371 --> 00:52:43,706
I think has become is something
That you can't put on a shelf,

1328
00:52:43,708 --> 00:52:45,075
And that's yours,

1329
00:52:45,077 --> 00:52:47,244
And it's everybody's
Out there, and...

1330
00:52:49,515 --> 00:52:51,016
I'm a lot more involved
In the videos

1331
00:52:51,018 --> 00:52:53,985
Than the other guys
In the band

1332
00:52:53,987 --> 00:52:57,758
Because of my untapped desire
To be a great photographer,

1333
00:52:57,760 --> 00:52:59,860
Probably,
Is where it stems from.

1334
00:52:59,862 --> 00:53:02,530
When we had to do the artwork
For our first single,

1335
00:53:02,532 --> 00:53:05,767
Peter said, "you're the art
Major, you do it,"

1336
00:53:05,769 --> 00:53:08,203
And from there on out
It was my job

1337
00:53:08,205 --> 00:53:10,507
To produce all the graphic stuff
And all the creative stuff

1338
00:53:10,509 --> 00:53:13,711
And pick the video directors
And what have you.

1339
00:53:13,713 --> 00:53:15,379
I've always thought
That we're like--

1340
00:53:15,381 --> 00:53:18,582
Our songs are like
Little films, you know?

1341
00:53:18,584 --> 00:53:19,952
A lot of people
Don't get the plot,

1342
00:53:19,954 --> 00:53:22,287
But that's okay.
That's okay.

1343
00:53:22,289 --> 00:53:29,431
♪ ♪

1344
00:53:29,433 --> 00:53:32,534
<i>probably my favorite
R.E.M. Video is man on the moon,</i>

1345
00:53:32,536 --> 00:53:37,440
Just 'cause i look like,
You know, steve mcqueen.

1346
00:53:37,442 --> 00:53:41,144
[chuckles]

1347
00:53:41,146 --> 00:53:42,814
I kind of look
Like steve mcqueen.

1348
00:53:42,816 --> 00:53:44,247
- i can see that.
You got the hat.

1349
00:53:44,249 --> 00:53:46,150
<i>- i had all the gear.
- man on the moon? Oh, yeah.</i>

1350
00:53:46,152 --> 00:53:47,685
That's my--
That's my favorite video.

1351
00:53:47,687 --> 00:53:49,688
I mean, we got to wear
Cowboy hats and fake tattoos.

1352
00:53:49,690 --> 00:53:51,691
- i got to play a bartender,
And i've always aspired

1353
00:53:51,693 --> 00:53:52,959
To be a bartender,

1354
00:53:52,961 --> 00:53:54,929
And i got to live out
My fantasy just that day.

1355
00:53:54,931 --> 00:53:58,699
- ♪ now, andy, did you hear
About this one? ♪

1356
00:53:58,701 --> 00:54:02,771
♪ tell me are you locked
In the punch? ♪

1357
00:54:02,773 --> 00:54:05,141
♪ andy, are you goofing
On elvis? ♪

1358
00:54:05,143 --> 00:54:10,814
♪ hey, baby
Are you having fun? ♪

1359
00:54:10,816 --> 00:54:13,050
♪ if you believed ♪

1360
00:54:13,052 --> 00:54:15,887
♪ they put a man
On the moon ♪

1361
00:54:15,889 --> 00:54:18,024
♪ man on the moon ♪

1362
00:54:18,026 --> 00:54:20,660
<i>- when we wrote the song man
On the moon, it was kind of--</i>

1363
00:54:20,662 --> 00:54:22,863
It was one of those songs
That kind of didn't make a lot

1364
00:54:22,865 --> 00:54:24,131
Of sense,
But it didn't need to.

1365
00:54:24,133 --> 00:54:26,200
It was about andy kaufman,
And he was just so

1366
00:54:26,202 --> 00:54:29,405
Incredibly ahead
Of the curve

1367
00:54:29,407 --> 00:54:32,509
In terms of what he
Was presenting as a comedian

1368
00:54:32,511 --> 00:54:33,809
And as
A performance artist.

1369
00:54:33,811 --> 00:54:35,745
Years and years later
We write the song.

1370
00:54:35,747 --> 00:54:38,448
A couple years later
Somebody's written a script,

1371
00:54:38,450 --> 00:54:39,850
And now this film
Is being made.

1372
00:54:39,852 --> 00:54:41,619
<i>- let me ask you this.
Man on the moon</i>

1373
00:54:41,621 --> 00:54:43,922
Is the soundtrack
To the andy kaufman--

1374
00:54:43,924 --> 00:54:45,291
What songs
Do you guys have on it?

1375
00:54:45,293 --> 00:54:46,725
Let me put this
Out here.

1376
00:54:46,727 --> 00:54:49,195
- we did everything except
The songs that aren't ours.

1377
00:54:55,671 --> 00:54:57,940
In terms of doing interviews
Or not doing interviews,

1378
00:54:57,942 --> 00:55:01,377
I think it--pretty much
Every other record

1379
00:55:01,379 --> 00:55:02,545
I step back and--

1380
00:55:02,547 --> 00:55:04,081
'cause i just
Feel bored with myself.

1381
00:55:04,083 --> 00:55:06,149
I don't really have
Anything new to say.

1382
00:55:06,151 --> 00:55:07,952
I feel like i'm going
Over the same territory,

1383
00:55:07,954 --> 00:55:09,320
And it's tedious for me.

1384
00:55:09,322 --> 00:55:11,523
- michael's always been
Fairly enigmatic personality,

1385
00:55:11,525 --> 00:55:13,425
And he didn't do interviews
For a couple years

1386
00:55:13,427 --> 00:55:15,294
'cause he didn't really
Want to talk to people,

1387
00:55:15,296 --> 00:55:16,763
And all of that
Combined with,

1388
00:55:16,765 --> 00:55:18,865
You know, the steady rock
And roll rumor mill, "well,

1389
00:55:18,867 --> 00:55:20,968
I haven't seen him in public
For a while," you know?

1390
00:55:20,970 --> 00:55:22,737
Went to--i mean,
I was supposed to be a junkie

1391
00:55:22,739 --> 00:55:24,238
During those years too.

1392
00:55:24,240 --> 00:55:26,741
You know, everyone's like, "oh,
He always wears long sleeves."

1393
00:55:26,743 --> 00:55:27,909
- but in not playing the game

1394
00:55:27,911 --> 00:55:29,745
In the last few years,
Amongst various rumors,

1395
00:55:29,747 --> 00:55:31,147
One was that you were dead--
I mean,

1396
00:55:31,149 --> 00:55:32,916
Like, for instance, like--
- that i was dead?

1397
00:55:32,918 --> 00:55:35,085
<i>- well, i mean, the automatic
For the people out there--</i>

1398
00:55:35,087 --> 00:55:36,654
- that i have aids.
- you know, i wore a hat

1399
00:55:36,656 --> 00:55:38,790
That said, "white house stop
Aids," and it all kind of

1400
00:55:38,792 --> 00:55:42,194
Started rolling around
Then, i think.

1401
00:55:42,196 --> 00:55:43,429
We weren't touring.

1402
00:55:43,431 --> 00:55:45,432
We put out a record
About mortality and death,

1403
00:55:45,434 --> 00:55:48,803
And, you know, i
Started wearing tighter clothes,

1404
00:55:48,805 --> 00:55:50,837
And people saw that,
You know, i weigh 131 pounds.

1405
00:55:50,839 --> 00:55:53,207
- any statement would have been
The wrong statement to make,

1406
00:55:53,209 --> 00:55:54,409
And it would have
Looked bad,

1407
00:55:54,411 --> 00:55:55,944
So we just really
Didn't say anything.

1408
00:55:55,946 --> 00:55:58,214
I mean, if people asked we
Would say, "yeah, he's healthy.

1409
00:55:58,216 --> 00:56:00,383
He's fine," but, you know,
We didn't go into panic mode.

1410
00:56:00,385 --> 00:56:02,519
I mean, i felt sorry for
The fans who took it seriously,

1411
00:56:02,521 --> 00:56:04,255
And i felt sorry for our friends
Who it hurt.

1412
00:56:04,257 --> 00:56:08,360
- i didn't want to immediately
Come forward with a note

1413
00:56:08,362 --> 00:56:10,596
From my doctor saying
That i'm perfectly healthy,

1414
00:56:10,598 --> 00:56:12,632
Because i thought
It would stigmatize people

1415
00:56:12,634 --> 00:56:14,468
Who are hiv positive
Or who have aids, you know?

1416
00:56:14,470 --> 00:56:18,038
In a way that they've been
Stigmatized enough.

1417
00:56:18,040 --> 00:56:20,408
You know,
I realized at one point,

1418
00:56:20,410 --> 00:56:24,013
I guess, pretty early on
That i couldn't leave it up

1419
00:56:24,015 --> 00:56:27,349
To journalists
Or reporters

1420
00:56:27,351 --> 00:56:30,320
Or people talking to me
That were then going out

1421
00:56:30,322 --> 00:56:34,091
And putting this word out
To a much larger audience.

1422
00:56:34,093 --> 00:56:35,327
I couldn't leave it up to them

1423
00:56:35,329 --> 00:56:37,729
To draw the line of what
Was too private, you know.

1424
00:56:37,731 --> 00:56:39,865
I had to draw
It really distinctly.

1425
00:56:39,867 --> 00:56:42,468
I don't just really think
It's anybody's business

1426
00:56:42,470 --> 00:56:43,603
What i do with my [...],

1427
00:56:43,605 --> 00:56:45,806
Unless they're sitting
On my lap.

1428
00:56:45,808 --> 00:56:48,243
I swear.
[laughter]

1429
00:56:48,245 --> 00:56:50,545
Sexuality and desire
Are very fluid things,

1430
00:56:50,547 --> 00:56:51,847
And in a world

1431
00:56:51,849 --> 00:56:55,952
That tends to think of things
As one way or the other,

1432
00:56:55,954 --> 00:56:58,622
There's another,
And i fit into the other.

1433
00:56:58,624 --> 00:57:00,825
Now, nobody really wanted
To hear that in 1994.

1434
00:57:00,827 --> 00:57:02,827
If--you know, if i [...]
Or if i [...]

1435
00:57:02,829 --> 00:57:06,765
Or if i alternate
Between, you know...

1436
00:57:09,135 --> 00:57:12,872
It's kind of
Nobody's business, frankly.

1437
00:57:12,874 --> 00:57:14,909
All the lyrics that i've written
For the most part,

1438
00:57:14,911 --> 00:57:15,910
With a few exceptions,

1439
00:57:15,912 --> 00:57:17,179
Are really
Gender unspecific,

1440
00:57:17,181 --> 00:57:18,779
And that's the way i--
You know,

1441
00:57:18,781 --> 00:57:21,416
That's less of
A political statement, and--

1442
00:57:21,418 --> 00:57:25,723
And more of just a desire to be
The band that writes songs

1443
00:57:25,725 --> 00:57:28,125
That anyone can sing no matter
Who they're living with

1444
00:57:28,127 --> 00:57:30,028
Or who they're--you know,

1445
00:57:30,030 --> 00:57:32,063
Who their desires fall onto.

1446
00:57:32,065 --> 00:57:37,270
I kind of wanted--i wanted
Everyone to be able to sing...

1447
00:57:37,272 --> 00:57:40,340
Along and not feel excluded.

1448
00:57:40,342 --> 00:57:43,277
- ♪ she's got ♪

1449
00:57:43,279 --> 00:57:47,683
♪ pretty persuasion ♪

1450
00:57:47,685 --> 00:57:51,221
♪ he's got ♪

1451
00:57:51,223 --> 00:57:54,692
♪ pretty persuasion ♪

1452
00:57:54,694 --> 00:57:56,026
- well, what is
The kind of stuff

1453
00:57:56,028 --> 00:57:57,261
That you guys
Are listening to?

1454
00:57:57,263 --> 00:57:58,462
I mean, every song

1455
00:57:58,464 --> 00:58:01,600
Has a real kind of
Different vibe to it.

1456
00:58:01,602 --> 00:58:03,670
- well, we listen to music.

1457
00:58:03,672 --> 00:58:06,406
We like all kinds
Of stuff.

1458
00:58:06,408 --> 00:58:09,342
Lead belly,
Bikini kill,

1459
00:58:09,344 --> 00:58:15,183
The breeders,
The pixies, r.E.M.

1460
00:58:15,185 --> 00:58:16,686
- it was incredibly
Complimentary

1461
00:58:16,688 --> 00:58:18,954
And really shocking to me
That the lead singer of nirvana,

1462
00:58:18,956 --> 00:58:20,023
Early in their career,

1463
00:58:20,025 --> 00:58:21,724
Would even refer to r.E.M.

1464
00:58:21,726 --> 00:58:24,961
In anything but a negative
Light, you know, and i was--

1465
00:58:24,963 --> 00:58:27,365
I was amazed
That he was not ashamed to say

1466
00:58:27,367 --> 00:58:28,801
That he was a fan of ours.

1467
00:58:28,803 --> 00:58:30,502
- i remember talking to michael
On the phone

1468
00:58:30,504 --> 00:58:33,340
When kurt and courtney were
Staying at his house in athens,

1469
00:58:33,342 --> 00:58:35,709
And michael will tell you
This himself.

1470
00:58:35,711 --> 00:58:38,946
He just--he liked kurt
Tremendously, tremendously.

1471
00:58:38,948 --> 00:58:41,148
And it also, i think,
Meant a lot to him

1472
00:58:41,150 --> 00:58:43,785
That kurt and courtney
Liked him so much,

1473
00:58:43,787 --> 00:58:46,688
And liked his music
So much and that they

1474
00:58:46,690 --> 00:58:49,726
Respected him in that way
Really meant a lot to him.

1475
00:58:49,728 --> 00:58:51,729
- and mike would just call him
And talk about rock

1476
00:58:51,731 --> 00:58:54,799
And movies and stuff.

1477
00:58:54,801 --> 00:58:58,570
And because he inspires a lot
Of trust and respect in people,

1478
00:58:58,572 --> 00:59:00,306
It was just really
Well received.

1479
00:59:00,308 --> 00:59:03,577
It was nice
To see him make a friend

1480
00:59:03,579 --> 00:59:05,879
Because he didn't have
A whole lot.

1481
00:59:05,881 --> 00:59:09,450
<i>- when kurt died, we were just
Getting rowing on monster,</i>

1482
00:59:09,452 --> 00:59:12,988
And i got the call in the studio
From a friend of mine.

1483
00:59:12,990 --> 00:59:15,090
You know, i mean,
It was shocking and upsetting.

1484
00:59:15,092 --> 00:59:17,026
I mean, we--you know,
We basically closed up shop

1485
00:59:17,028 --> 00:59:19,663
For a couple of days
And went out and...

1486
00:59:19,665 --> 00:59:21,499
Tried to find some way
To deal with it, you know?

1487
00:59:21,501 --> 00:59:22,801
Drink a toast to kurt.

1488
00:59:22,803 --> 00:59:28,808
- i felt like i had lost an ally
In the world of music,

1489
00:59:28,810 --> 00:59:33,247
And somebody who i really deeply
Respected and liked as a person.

1490
00:59:33,249 --> 00:59:34,916
You know, i miss him.
I wish he wasn't dead.

1491
00:59:37,952 --> 00:59:40,455
- it was not too much
Far in time

1492
00:59:40,457 --> 00:59:43,259
After the loss of river phoenix,
Who was a really good friend

1493
00:59:43,261 --> 00:59:44,795
Of michael's and the rest
Of the guys.

1494
00:59:44,797 --> 00:59:48,699
He was much--even younger than
Kurt, similar circumstances.

1495
00:59:48,701 --> 00:59:50,133
It was sad.
It was a very somber time.

1496
00:59:50,135 --> 00:59:51,669
- you know, it sobered up
The process

1497
00:59:51,671 --> 00:59:55,574
Of making that record
In a huge way,

1498
00:59:55,576 --> 00:59:56,875
But, you know, as--

1499
00:59:56,877 --> 00:59:58,912
At the same time you--you know,

1500
00:59:58,914 --> 01:00:01,248
Like i said, you have
To accept it and deal with it

1501
01:00:01,250 --> 01:00:05,486
And then try to find inspiration
In it, maybe if you can,

1502
01:00:05,488 --> 01:00:06,855
And move on and try
To do good work,

1503
01:00:06,857 --> 01:00:08,523
'cause you don't have
Any choice.

1504
01:00:11,628 --> 01:00:14,630
<i>[what's the frequency,
Kenneth]</i>

1505
01:00:14,632 --> 01:00:20,405
♪ ♪

1506
01:00:20,407 --> 01:00:22,006
- ♪ what's the frequency,
Kenneth? ♪

1507
01:00:22,008 --> 01:00:25,879
♪ is your benzedrine,
Uh-huh ♪

1508
01:00:25,881 --> 01:00:29,916
♪ ♪

1509
01:00:29,918 --> 01:00:32,286
- we were definitely aiming
For a hard, loud sound on this.

1510
01:00:32,288 --> 01:00:34,255
- and what was the catalyst
For that?

1511
01:00:34,257 --> 01:00:35,958
- sitting on stools
For the last two weeks.

1512
01:00:35,960 --> 01:00:37,059
- [all laughing]
- yeah.

1513
01:00:37,061 --> 01:00:40,095
Tired butts.

1514
01:00:40,097 --> 01:00:43,633
- ♪ i thought i'd pegged you
An idiot's dream ♪

1515
01:00:43,635 --> 01:00:45,569
- what's the frequency
This weekend?

1516
01:00:45,571 --> 01:00:48,406
- we don't know.
It's mtv weekend, all weekend,

1517
01:00:48,408 --> 01:00:49,741
R.E.M. Weekend.

1518
01:00:49,743 --> 01:00:53,578
- ♪ i never understood
The frequency ♪

1519
01:00:53,580 --> 01:00:55,648
♪ uh-huh ♪

1520
01:00:55,650 --> 01:01:00,522
♪ ♪

1521
01:01:00,524 --> 01:01:03,859
- how does it feel having
The most anticipated album

1522
01:01:03,861 --> 01:01:06,795
Of the year?
- oh, is it really?

1523
01:01:06,797 --> 01:01:08,764
It's gonna--a lot
Of records are cerebral.

1524
01:01:08,766 --> 01:01:10,300
A lot of records
Are from the heart.

1525
01:01:10,302 --> 01:01:12,102
This one's more
From the crotch.

1526
01:01:12,104 --> 01:01:14,505
It's kind of a [...] record.
- [laughing]

1527
01:01:14,507 --> 01:01:17,808
- can you say [...] on--
- i don't know' could we--

1528
01:01:17,810 --> 01:01:19,444
- we do write these kind
Of serious songs

1529
01:01:19,446 --> 01:01:20,979
On quite many occasions,

1530
01:01:20,981 --> 01:01:23,516
But i've got to say i get a kick
Out of teenagers

1531
01:01:23,518 --> 01:01:25,886
Standing in front
Of me going...

1532
01:01:25,888 --> 01:01:28,055
- my entire adult life i've been
In a rock and roll band.

1533
01:01:28,057 --> 01:01:29,457
- yeah,
That's pretty amazing.

1534
01:01:29,459 --> 01:01:31,793
- i was 19
When we started r.E.M.

1535
01:01:31,795 --> 01:01:33,295
Now i'm 34.

1536
01:01:33,297 --> 01:01:34,897
It's a teenage
Preoccupation,

1537
01:01:34,899 --> 01:01:37,333
Playing guitar,
Doing this in front of people.

1538
01:01:37,335 --> 01:01:39,870
It's an inane thing
To do as an adult,

1539
01:01:39,872 --> 01:01:43,941
And i'm childish enough to get
Really a kick out of this thing,

1540
01:01:43,943 --> 01:01:46,110
This weird way
Of doing this,

1541
01:01:46,112 --> 01:01:47,313
And i kind of--
I revel in that.

1542
01:01:47,315 --> 01:01:50,015
It's the stupidity
Of being 17 again.

1543
01:01:50,017 --> 01:01:52,152
- it's a pretty weird way
To, like--to live, you know?

1544
01:01:52,154 --> 01:01:55,422
It's a pretty strange way
To enter into adulthood,

1545
01:01:55,424 --> 01:01:58,492
But it's no less strange
Than a lot of other jobs,

1546
01:01:58,494 --> 01:02:00,662
I guess.

1547
01:02:00,664 --> 01:02:02,731
I'd much rather be a rock
And roll singer than, like,

1548
01:02:02,733 --> 01:02:06,470
A senator, so, yeah.

1549
01:02:06,472 --> 01:02:08,938
- i've been a busboy,
And i like this better.

1550
01:02:08,940 --> 01:02:11,442
I mean,
What else would i do?

1551
01:02:11,444 --> 01:02:12,844
This is fun.

1552
01:02:12,846 --> 01:02:14,045
You know,
You do it so long,

1553
01:02:14,047 --> 01:02:16,582
You kind of forget
That it's a real job,

1554
01:02:16,584 --> 01:02:19,753
But this tour
Is gonna be a reminder.

1555
01:02:19,755 --> 01:02:21,654
- yeah, you know,
It was time to do it.

1556
01:02:21,656 --> 01:02:24,625
Five years off.
I was ready to go again.

1557
01:02:24,627 --> 01:02:27,261
As much as i hated a lot
Of parts of being on the road,

1558
01:02:27,263 --> 01:02:28,430
Being away from home,

1559
01:02:28,432 --> 01:02:29,999
I was ready to go again.

1560
01:02:30,001 --> 01:02:33,702
<i>- the monster tour starts
In perth, australia, on--</i>

1561
01:02:33,704 --> 01:02:37,273
Actually the first night
Is friday the 13th, january.

1562
01:02:37,275 --> 01:02:38,909
That's for good luck.

1563
01:02:38,911 --> 01:02:40,711
- i don't know how much fun
This is gonna be.

1564
01:02:40,713 --> 01:02:42,280
I mean, i haven't done--

1565
01:02:42,282 --> 01:02:44,684
I haven't been--done it in five
Years; i'm not out there yet.

1566
01:02:44,686 --> 01:02:45,684
The--it starts,

1567
01:02:45,686 --> 01:02:46,952
You know,
In just a few days.

1568
01:02:46,954 --> 01:02:48,588
I think it's gonna
Be a huge amount of fun.

1569
01:02:48,590 --> 01:02:51,358
I'm totally looking forward
To it, but, who knows?

1570
01:02:51,360 --> 01:02:54,095
- ♪ i know you called ♪

1571
01:02:54,097 --> 01:02:57,833
♪ i know you called ♪

1572
01:02:57,835 --> 01:02:59,835
♪ i know you called ♪

1573
01:02:59,837 --> 01:03:01,570
♪ i know you called ♪

1574
01:03:01,572 --> 01:03:03,440
- how'd it feel
Playing for the first time

1575
01:03:03,442 --> 01:03:06,277
In five years
To such a large crowd?

1576
01:03:06,279 --> 01:03:08,513
- it felt like i did it
Yesterday.

1577
01:03:08,515 --> 01:03:11,582
It was just like
There wasn't five years gone.

1578
01:03:11,584 --> 01:03:13,285
- i wasn't nervous
At all about the show

1579
01:03:13,287 --> 01:03:17,323
Until our tour manager
Came in and said, "ten minutes."

1580
01:03:17,325 --> 01:03:18,591
Then i officially
Got nervous.

1581
01:03:18,593 --> 01:03:20,361
So that's the way it is.

1582
01:03:20,363 --> 01:03:22,431
You don't worry about it
Until right before you go on,

1583
01:03:22,433 --> 01:03:23,597
And then you're nervous

1584
01:03:23,599 --> 01:03:25,200
And you do the show
With a nervous energy,

1585
01:03:25,202 --> 01:03:26,902
And then it's over
With until the next time.

1586
01:03:26,904 --> 01:03:28,104
So i feel really good
About it.

1587
01:03:28,106 --> 01:03:29,639
I think it's gonna
Be a great year.

1588
01:03:29,641 --> 01:03:31,675
- i don't know what to say
To anybody who's gonna come

1589
01:03:31,677 --> 01:03:33,844
See us in concert except that
You should probably do it.

1590
01:03:33,846 --> 01:03:34,946
'cause we are
Pretty good.

1591
01:03:34,948 --> 01:03:36,880
On a good night,
We're great.

1592
01:03:36,882 --> 01:03:39,317
And i'm really excited
About being out here,

1593
01:03:39,319 --> 01:03:43,122
And that's probably enough
Self-promotion for tonight.

1594
01:03:47,296 --> 01:03:49,396
- scary news
From the r.E.M. Tour.

1595
01:03:49,398 --> 01:03:52,400
R.E.M. Drummer bill berry
Is resting in a swiss hospital

1596
01:03:52,402 --> 01:03:55,904
After suffering a ruptured brain
Aneurysm during a show.

1597
01:03:55,906 --> 01:03:57,207
- we were playing,

1598
01:03:57,209 --> 01:03:59,175
And bill was supposed
Come forward and play bass,

1599
01:03:59,177 --> 01:04:01,478
And he came out, and it was like
The night of the living dead.

1600
01:04:01,480 --> 01:04:03,514
His eyes were wide open,
And he was holding his head,

1601
01:04:03,516 --> 01:04:05,916
And he was swaying, and then he
Just collapsed on me, you know?

1602
01:04:05,918 --> 01:04:07,452
And i was like, "jesus, bill.
What's wrong?"

1603
01:04:07,454 --> 01:04:09,020
He goes, "i think i've had--
I've just got a migraine."

1604
01:04:09,022 --> 01:04:10,223
He said, "i've had migraines
Before, this is an awful--

1605
01:04:10,225 --> 01:04:11,224
It's the worst migraine
I've ever had."

1606
01:04:11,226 --> 01:04:12,493
- it hurt.

1607
01:04:12,495 --> 01:04:14,393
It felt like a bowling ball
Hit my head,

1608
01:04:14,395 --> 01:04:16,363
And the lights
Kind of dimmed,

1609
01:04:16,365 --> 01:04:18,232
And the next thing
I knew i was on the floor.

1610
01:04:18,234 --> 01:04:20,034
I remember every bit of it.
I didn't pass out.

1611
01:04:20,036 --> 01:04:22,571
I didn't go into shock
Or anything; it was scary.

1612
01:04:22,573 --> 01:04:24,206
- they eventually got him
To the hospital

1613
01:04:24,208 --> 01:04:26,609
And operated on him
Virtually immediately.

1614
01:04:26,611 --> 01:04:28,145
- it was miraculous
That we were

1615
01:04:28,147 --> 01:04:29,379
In lausanne, switzerland,

1616
01:04:29,381 --> 01:04:31,516
When he collapsed
With a brain aneurysm.

1617
01:04:31,518 --> 01:04:32,817
You know, we were two miles

1618
01:04:32,819 --> 01:04:34,686
From the greatest brain surgeons
In the world.

1619
01:04:34,688 --> 01:04:36,755
- the very first day
Mike and--

1620
01:04:36,757 --> 01:04:38,291
Michael and i went up
To mike's room,

1621
01:04:38,293 --> 01:04:39,291
And just said, "okay.

1622
01:04:39,293 --> 01:04:40,627
We're not hiring
Another drummer

1623
01:04:40,629 --> 01:04:41,928
And we're not going
On the road without bill."

1624
01:04:41,930 --> 01:04:43,263
You know,
Virtually everyone

1625
01:04:43,265 --> 01:04:45,099
Is saying, "you can't just
Not do these dates,"

1626
01:04:45,101 --> 01:04:47,135
And it was like,
"no, i'm sorry.

1627
01:04:47,137 --> 01:04:48,904
"this--that's not the way
This band works.

1628
01:04:48,906 --> 01:04:51,107
"i mean, i'm not gonna
Go leave bill in a hospital

1629
01:04:51,109 --> 01:04:54,043
"dying and go, you know,
Iggly-piggly down the road

1630
01:04:54,045 --> 01:04:55,244
And do a rock show.
Forget it."

1631
01:04:55,246 --> 01:04:56,814
- initially they
Said, "well, you know,

1632
01:04:56,816 --> 01:04:58,615
You have to stay here,"
And i was like, "no, no.

1633
01:04:58,617 --> 01:05:00,685
"you don't understand.
You need to give me something

1634
01:05:00,687 --> 01:05:02,755
For the pain 'cause i need
To get back out on the road,"

1635
01:05:02,757 --> 01:05:04,889
And they're like, "no, no, no.
You don't understand."

1636
01:05:04,891 --> 01:05:06,559
- at that point
I thought the tour was over.

1637
01:05:06,561 --> 01:05:08,561
I just thought, "well, you know,
If bill recovers,

1638
01:05:08,563 --> 01:05:10,597
Maybe he'll want to do something
In a couple years,"

1639
01:05:10,599 --> 01:05:12,533
And he was just like,
"i'll be ready in two weeks."

1640
01:05:12,535 --> 01:05:14,669
And we were just like,
"you know, that's insane, bill.

1641
01:05:14,671 --> 01:05:16,605
They just cracked your head
Open like a coconut."

1642
01:05:16,607 --> 01:05:18,372
- r.E.M. Fans have been
Holding their breath

1643
01:05:18,374 --> 01:05:20,576
Wondering if the tour would even
Happen ever since berry

1644
01:05:20,578 --> 01:05:23,112
Suffered a ruptured aneurysm
In his brain on march 1st.

1645
01:05:23,114 --> 01:05:25,783
- would you like to be the guy
That ended the r.E.M. Tour

1646
01:05:25,785 --> 01:05:28,353
Halfway through because you had
A little boo-boo in your head?

1647
01:05:28,355 --> 01:05:30,454
No, just took three
Or four weeks

1648
01:05:30,456 --> 01:05:32,190
For my body
To recover for it.

1649
01:05:32,192 --> 01:05:33,625
- bill's recovered
Really well.

1650
01:05:33,627 --> 01:05:34,827
I mean,
We wouldn't be out here

1651
01:05:34,829 --> 01:05:37,431
If it wasn't 100% safe
And all that,

1652
01:05:37,433 --> 01:05:40,668
But it was surprising to me
That we were out this quick.

1653
01:05:40,670 --> 01:05:42,269
- and if you're wondering
How bill is,

1654
01:05:42,271 --> 01:05:46,809
You can open up the program
And see the x-ray of his head.

1655
01:05:46,811 --> 01:05:49,078
- let's put it this way, now
That we've played another show

1656
01:05:49,080 --> 01:05:50,947
And everyone knows
That we can do it, and the--

1657
01:05:50,949 --> 01:05:52,649
And bill's okay
And everything's fine,

1658
01:05:52,651 --> 01:05:56,186
We really downplayed the drama
Of what occurred in switzerland.

1659
01:05:56,188 --> 01:05:57,989
It was really
Very frightening.

1660
01:05:57,991 --> 01:05:59,424
- we spent the next month
Over there,

1661
01:05:59,426 --> 01:06:01,193
And then there was another month
Or so of bill

1662
01:06:01,195 --> 01:06:03,396
Recuperating here at home
Before he felt strong enough,

1663
01:06:03,398 --> 01:06:04,697
And restarted
The whole thing,

1664
01:06:04,699 --> 01:06:06,767
And then, you know, there we are
Back in switzerland,

1665
01:06:06,769 --> 01:06:08,768
And mike comes down
With something, and it ended up

1666
01:06:08,770 --> 01:06:11,138
Being a really pretty serious
Abdominal operation for him.

1667
01:06:11,140 --> 01:06:12,474
- i had what's...
- other--

1668
01:06:12,476 --> 01:06:15,043
- known by the lovely term
Of abdominal adhesions.

1669
01:06:15,045 --> 01:06:17,413
It's complications
From an appendectomy

1670
01:06:17,415 --> 01:06:18,615
I had the year before.

1671
01:06:18,617 --> 01:06:20,216
- they finally figured out
What's wrong,

1672
01:06:20,218 --> 01:06:21,685
And he needs an operation
Right then.

1673
01:06:21,687 --> 01:06:23,887
Well, that was the night
We were supposed to play prague.

1674
01:06:23,889 --> 01:06:25,523
We'd already rescheduled
The show once,

1675
01:06:25,525 --> 01:06:27,258
So now we have to announce,
In prague,

1676
01:06:27,260 --> 01:06:29,428
That once again we're not gonna
Be able to play the show,

1677
01:06:29,430 --> 01:06:31,464
Which creates a certain amount
Of disappointment.

1678
01:06:31,466 --> 01:06:33,132
People wonder are we messing
With them?

1679
01:06:33,134 --> 01:06:35,735
- it's frustrating
Because you don't want to--

1680
01:06:35,737 --> 01:06:37,237
You want to make
The shows, you know.

1681
01:06:37,239 --> 01:06:39,240
You're out there to do--
You know, you're out there

1682
01:06:39,242 --> 01:06:41,410
Partly because you love it,
But you're also doing a job.

1683
01:06:41,412 --> 01:06:43,445
- mike drafted a little press
Release before he went

1684
01:06:43,447 --> 01:06:45,147
Into the hospital--
"to our fans in prague,

1685
01:06:45,149 --> 01:06:46,381
We will be back
No matter what."

1686
01:06:46,383 --> 01:06:48,384
A month a later
We tacked on--

1687
01:06:48,386 --> 01:06:50,554
We flew in and did a show
Just in prague,

1688
01:06:50,556 --> 01:06:52,022
Just for the fans there.

1689
01:06:52,024 --> 01:06:54,225
That's the night that michael
Came down with his hernia,

1690
01:06:54,227 --> 01:06:55,994
So michael's walking
Around prague going,

1691
01:06:55,996 --> 01:06:57,663
"you know,
I'm not feeling quite right."

1692
01:06:57,665 --> 01:06:59,498
-i had a hernia
Because i sing hard.

1693
01:06:59,500 --> 01:07:02,335
The doctor told me
I was pushing the--

1694
01:07:02,337 --> 01:07:04,471
Pushing from singing is what
Caused it to happen.

1695
01:07:04,473 --> 01:07:05,940
I've had it
For a few years.

1696
01:07:05,942 --> 01:07:07,508
I never knew what it was.

1697
01:07:07,510 --> 01:07:09,645
- so, i'm in this hospital
With michael in the hallway.

1698
01:07:09,647 --> 01:07:11,479
Michael's just talked
To this doctor who says,

1699
01:07:11,481 --> 01:07:13,182
"yeah, you can play the show,
But, you know,

1700
01:07:13,184 --> 01:07:15,385
You might want to be careful;
You might want to sit down."

1701
01:07:15,387 --> 01:07:16,586
These kids walk up--

1702
01:07:16,588 --> 01:07:18,389
Kids, you know,
Maybe 20 years old, backpack.

1703
01:07:18,391 --> 01:07:20,224
Look like typical travelers
Around europe,

1704
01:07:20,226 --> 01:07:21,593
And they see michael
And they go,

1705
01:07:21,595 --> 01:07:22,960
"is the show
Still gonna be on?"

1706
01:07:22,962 --> 01:07:25,664
And michael goes, "yeah,
The show's still happening."

1707
01:07:25,666 --> 01:07:27,366
They do the show.
We get him on an airplane.

1708
01:07:27,368 --> 01:07:30,036
He's operated on, emory hospital
In atlanta the next morning.

1709
01:07:30,038 --> 01:07:32,639
- and with us right now,
The band is looking both ways

1710
01:07:32,641 --> 01:07:33,907
Before they cross
The street,

1711
01:07:33,909 --> 01:07:35,576
R.E.M., how are
You guys doing?

1712
01:07:35,578 --> 01:07:36,944
- hey, tabitha.
We're doing good.

1713
01:07:36,946 --> 01:07:38,947
- michael, you're the most
Recent surgery victim.

1714
01:07:38,949 --> 01:07:40,483
How you feeling?
- do you want to see it?

1715
01:07:40,485 --> 01:07:41,584
- yeah.
- i can show it to you.

1716
01:07:41,586 --> 01:07:42,651
- show me, baby.

1717
01:07:42,653 --> 01:07:43,987
Oh, there we go.

1718
01:07:43,989 --> 01:07:45,088
Very nice.
Thank you.

1719
01:07:45,090 --> 01:07:46,758
Okay.
You can put that up now.

1720
01:07:46,760 --> 01:07:48,425
- you know,
In defense of myself,

1721
01:07:48,427 --> 01:07:49,927
I was on pain killers
The whole time

1722
01:07:49,929 --> 01:07:51,829
That i was showing my scar
To the world, and--

1723
01:07:51,831 --> 01:07:53,165
- as you know,
Michael stipe

1724
01:07:53,167 --> 01:07:55,501
Is still recovering
From his hernia operation,

1725
01:07:55,503 --> 01:07:57,170
So he's moving
A little slower these days,

1726
01:07:57,172 --> 01:07:58,671
But i checked
The tote board,

1727
01:07:58,673 --> 01:08:01,408
And if you can believe this,
It's actually been 38 days

1728
01:08:01,410 --> 01:08:04,011
Since r.E.M. Has had
A medical emergency.

1729
01:08:04,013 --> 01:08:05,947
- you know, we had to have
A sense of humor about it,

1730
01:08:05,949 --> 01:08:08,885
But it--when mike fell
It was like, "okay, whatever."

1731
01:08:08,887 --> 01:08:11,087
When i fell it was like,
"this is ridiculous."

1732
01:08:11,089 --> 01:08:13,923
- what are the odds of three of
The four guys having--

1733
01:08:13,925 --> 01:08:15,025
In bill's case very serious,

1734
01:08:15,027 --> 01:08:16,460
In mike's case
Pretty darn serious,

1735
01:08:16,462 --> 01:08:18,363
And in michael's case
Less serious, but still,

1736
01:08:18,365 --> 01:08:21,467
Three guys going under the knife
In a four month period?

1737
01:08:21,469 --> 01:08:24,036
- it turned out to be the tour
Of attrition, you know?

1738
01:08:24,038 --> 01:08:26,739
Everybody but peter
Ended up in the hospital.

1739
01:08:26,741 --> 01:08:28,475
<i>[r.E.M.'s i took your name]</i>

1740
01:08:28,477 --> 01:08:32,647
- ♪ if there is
Some confusion ♪

1741
01:08:32,649 --> 01:08:36,718
♪ if there is
Some confusion ♪

1742
01:08:36,720 --> 01:08:40,490
♪ if there is
Some confusion ♪

1743
01:08:40,492 --> 01:08:43,661
♪ who's to blame? ♪

1744
01:08:43,663 --> 01:08:46,565
- that tour we were
Also writing and recording

1745
01:08:46,567 --> 01:08:48,633
A whole album at sound check,
Which was just insane.

1746
01:08:48,635 --> 01:08:50,336
I mean, bill's come back
From aneurysm.

1747
01:08:50,338 --> 01:08:52,805
Mike has
Internal operation,

1748
01:08:52,807 --> 01:08:55,041
And we're spending two hours
Every day at sound check

1749
01:08:55,043 --> 01:08:56,376
Writing and recording
New songs.

1750
01:08:56,378 --> 01:08:58,145
You know, i don't know
What we were thinking.

1751
01:08:58,147 --> 01:09:00,348
- it's something that we've
Never been able to do since,

1752
01:09:00,350 --> 01:09:03,085
<i>like, reckoning,
Is do material on the road.</i>

1753
01:09:03,087 --> 01:09:05,386
- it's not about bad food.
It's not about hotels.

1754
01:09:05,388 --> 01:09:08,290
It's about putting yourself
In this kind of whirlwind.

1755
01:09:08,292 --> 01:09:10,527
- we just wanted to kind
Of capture the kind of insanity

1756
01:09:10,529 --> 01:09:12,196
And the weirdness
And the alienation

1757
01:09:12,198 --> 01:09:17,568
And the total upside-down
Aspect of life

1758
01:09:17,570 --> 01:09:19,872
By writing them on the road
And recording them on the road.

1759
01:09:19,874 --> 01:09:21,174
- it was done mostly
On the road,

1760
01:09:21,176 --> 01:09:23,109
And then we took
A good few months in the studio

1761
01:09:23,111 --> 01:09:24,645
To sort of flesh it out
And finish it up

1762
01:09:24,647 --> 01:09:25,713
And polish it
A little bit.

1763
01:09:25,715 --> 01:09:30,451
- one, two, three, four.
- i--no. You--

1764
01:09:30,453 --> 01:09:31,987
I don't think
We should start cold.

1765
01:09:31,989 --> 01:09:33,421
Just play--give me
Two for nothing.

1766
01:09:33,423 --> 01:09:35,057
- okay, two for nothing?
Okay, cool.

1767
01:09:35,059 --> 01:09:39,163
- yeah.
- one, two, three, four.

1768
01:09:39,165 --> 01:09:42,166
<i>[r.E.M.'s new test leper]</i>

1769
01:09:42,168 --> 01:09:48,107
♪ ♪

1770
01:09:53,248 --> 01:09:59,621
- ♪ i can't say
That i love jesus ♪

1771
01:10:01,324 --> 01:10:04,928
♪ that would be
A hollow claim ♪

1772
01:10:07,131 --> 01:10:13,972
♪ he did make
Some observations ♪

1773
01:10:15,609 --> 01:10:19,246
♪ and i'm quoting
Them today ♪

1774
01:10:22,650 --> 01:10:28,824
♪ "judge not
Lest ye be judged" ♪

1775
01:10:29,926 --> 01:10:33,429
♪ what a beautiful
Refrain ♪

1776
01:10:38,570 --> 01:10:39,837
We've been in
For five weeks,

1777
01:10:39,839 --> 01:10:41,306
And i think--
Is that right?

1778
01:10:41,308 --> 01:10:44,244
Five weeks
In the studio working.

1779
01:10:44,246 --> 01:10:46,579
- how do you feel
About the songs?

1780
01:10:46,581 --> 01:10:48,014
- the songs are great.

1781
01:10:48,016 --> 01:10:49,215
I mean, i--

1782
01:10:49,217 --> 01:10:50,684
The kind of--the band--

1783
01:10:50,686 --> 01:10:52,954
I think talking to mike
And talking to peter and bill,

1784
01:10:52,956 --> 01:10:54,856
Everybody's the happiest
With this record

1785
01:10:54,858 --> 01:10:56,626
As we've been
In a long time.

1786
01:10:56,628 --> 01:10:58,159
- please welcome patti smith.

1787
01:10:58,161 --> 01:11:04,167
[cheers and applause]

1788
01:11:04,169 --> 01:11:07,805
- i was the 52nd member
Of the patti smith fan club.

1789
01:11:07,807 --> 01:11:09,508
- have--
- so i--i mean, i've--you know,

1790
01:11:09,510 --> 01:11:14,714
And i've been ever since doing
A third-rate hack job on,

1791
01:11:14,716 --> 01:11:17,517
You know, some male patti sm--
Version of patti smith,

1792
01:11:17,519 --> 01:11:19,754
And haven't really
Been called down on it yet,

1793
01:11:19,756 --> 01:11:20,989
But it served me well.

1794
01:11:20,991 --> 01:11:23,758
♪ i wore it like a badge
Of teenage film stars ♪

1795
01:11:23,760 --> 01:11:27,029
♪ hash bars cherry mash
And tin foil tiaras ♪

1796
01:11:27,031 --> 01:11:29,632
♪ dreaming
Of maria callas ♪

1797
01:11:29,634 --> 01:11:33,570
I have yet to meet a musician
Who i really,

1798
01:11:33,573 --> 01:11:36,808
Really respected
Who wasn't profoundly affected

1799
01:11:36,810 --> 01:11:38,677
By patti smith's music,

1800
01:11:38,679 --> 01:11:39,879
And so--yeah,

1801
01:11:39,881 --> 01:11:41,681
I mean, she, you know--

1802
01:11:41,683 --> 01:11:44,117
She abstractly,
Through her work,

1803
01:11:44,119 --> 01:11:46,721
Changed the course
Of my life forever and ever.

1804
01:11:46,723 --> 01:11:48,755
For that
I'm forever indebted,

1805
01:11:48,757 --> 01:11:51,693
'cause i like my life
And i like where i'm at.

1806
01:11:51,695 --> 01:11:57,367
- ♪ i'll take you
Over there ♪

1807
01:11:57,369 --> 01:12:03,908
♪ i'll take you
Over there ♪

1808
01:12:03,910 --> 01:12:07,913
- i remember going to see patti
When i was 17 or 18 in 1976,

1809
01:12:07,915 --> 01:12:10,016
And, you know it--
I would have just given probably

1810
01:12:10,018 --> 01:12:11,618
20 years off my life
If i could have been,

1811
01:12:11,620 --> 01:12:13,519
You know, the rhythm guitar
Player in that band,

1812
01:12:13,521 --> 01:12:15,723
And it was a great band,
A great experience.

1813
01:12:15,725 --> 01:12:17,157
To be in the studio
With her singing

1814
01:12:17,159 --> 01:12:19,294
On a song that i wrote
Was just incredibly moving.

1815
01:12:19,296 --> 01:12:24,201
- [vocalizing]

1816
01:12:24,203 --> 01:12:25,701
- ♪ it tastes like fear ♪

1817
01:12:25,703 --> 01:12:28,271
- [vocalizing]
- ♪ it pulls us near ♪

1818
01:12:28,273 --> 01:12:31,442
- [vocalizing]
- ♪ it tastes like fear ♪

1819
01:12:31,444 --> 01:12:32,844
- i was really proud
Of that record,

1820
01:12:32,846 --> 01:12:34,747
And i still am,
Two years later.

1821
01:12:34,749 --> 01:12:36,115
Unlike most records,
You know?

1822
01:12:36,117 --> 01:12:38,384
Two years later i
Can shoot holes through it,

1823
01:12:38,386 --> 01:12:40,720
And our entire catalogue
I could go,

1824
01:12:40,722 --> 01:12:42,088
"i can sing that better.

1825
01:12:42,090 --> 01:12:43,958
"that should have never
Made the record.

1826
01:12:43,960 --> 01:12:45,493
"why are the drums
So low on that one?

1827
01:12:45,495 --> 01:12:47,062
"why is your vocal
So reverb on that one?

1828
01:12:47,064 --> 01:12:49,665
You should have worked harder on
Those lyrics because they suck."

1829
01:12:49,667 --> 01:12:51,333
- i feel like that record
Suffered for a lot

1830
01:12:51,335 --> 01:12:52,735
Of reasons
That weren't its fault.

1831
01:12:52,737 --> 01:12:54,303
I think there were
Some misperceptions

1832
01:12:54,305 --> 01:12:55,606
About how it was recorded

1833
01:12:55,608 --> 01:12:57,741
And the amount of effort
And energy that we put into it,

1834
01:12:57,743 --> 01:13:00,845
But a lot of people
Think it was a live album

1835
01:13:00,847 --> 01:13:02,882
Or a bunch of knock-offs
Or something

1836
01:13:02,884 --> 01:13:05,184
That was just thrown together
On the road and then put out.

1837
01:13:05,186 --> 01:13:07,219
- you know,
We'd gone '91, huge record,

1838
01:13:07,221 --> 01:13:10,657
'92, huge record,
'95, huge record.

1839
01:13:10,659 --> 01:13:12,560
'96, '97,

1840
01:13:12,562 --> 01:13:14,128
Record didn't do as well.

1841
01:13:14,130 --> 01:13:16,998
- i think
The stupid record deal

1842
01:13:17,000 --> 01:13:18,667
Sort of overshadowed it,
Unfortunately.

1843
01:13:18,669 --> 01:13:20,235
- if you said r.E.M.
To somebody in 1996,

1844
01:13:20,237 --> 01:13:21,938
They didn't say anything
About the record.

1845
01:13:21,940 --> 01:13:23,773
They said, "oh,
Did you hear about their deal?"

1846
01:13:23,775 --> 01:13:25,009
That was way more

1847
01:13:25,011 --> 01:13:26,777
In the ether than we ever
Thought it would be.

1848
01:13:26,779 --> 01:13:28,046
It was like to us,
"okay, well,

1849
01:13:28,048 --> 01:13:29,980
"we renegotiated our deal
With warner brothers.

1850
01:13:29,982 --> 01:13:31,583
"well, okay.
That kind of stuff happens.

1851
01:13:31,585 --> 01:13:32,918
"that's kind of
A business story.

1852
01:13:32,920 --> 01:13:34,120
No big deal."
Well, it ended up

1853
01:13:34,122 --> 01:13:35,888
Being a lot bigger deal
Than people thought.

1854
01:13:35,890 --> 01:13:37,057
- i...

1855
01:13:37,059 --> 01:13:39,560
Was...

1856
01:13:39,562 --> 01:13:40,628
Cool...

1857
01:13:40,630 --> 01:13:44,632
♪ i look good
In a glass pack ♪

1858
01:13:44,634 --> 01:13:48,504
♪ i look good and mean ♪

1859
01:13:48,506 --> 01:13:51,241
♪ i look good
In metallic sick ♪

1860
01:13:51,243 --> 01:13:56,414
♪ wraparound
Blackout tease ♪

1861
01:13:56,416 --> 01:13:59,051
- how do you feel about getting
The video vanguard award

1862
01:13:59,053 --> 01:14:01,453
In terms of a lifetime
Achievement of filmmaking?

1863
01:14:01,455 --> 01:14:03,890
- old.
- i think the vocabulary

1864
01:14:03,892 --> 01:14:06,293
That we've used, that michael
Has helped kind of pioneer

1865
01:14:06,295 --> 01:14:08,629
Is now kind
Of a vocabulary

1866
01:14:08,631 --> 01:14:10,197
That everyone
Uses making videos,

1867
01:14:10,199 --> 01:14:12,067
And, you know,
In that sense i think, you know,

1868
01:14:12,069 --> 01:14:13,935
The award's for michael
And his kind of vision.

1869
01:14:13,937 --> 01:14:17,039
- ladies and gentlemen,
R.E.M.!

1870
01:14:17,041 --> 01:14:18,542
Whoo!

1871
01:14:18,544 --> 01:14:20,944
[cheers and applause]

1872
01:14:25,985 --> 01:14:30,055
- hi.
- michael!

1873
01:14:30,057 --> 01:14:33,827
- a friend the other night--

1874
01:14:33,829 --> 01:14:35,495
A friend the other night
Asked me,

1875
01:14:35,497 --> 01:14:40,569
"what is
The video vanguard award,

1876
01:14:40,571 --> 01:14:42,337
And what does it mean?"

1877
01:14:42,339 --> 01:14:43,907
And i said,
"i don't really know.

1878
01:14:43,909 --> 01:14:47,877
I think the word vanguard
Means in the front."

1879
01:14:50,148 --> 01:14:54,319
I said, "i think
It means that we're a band.

1880
01:14:54,321 --> 01:14:58,089
"we've been together
For a long time,

1881
01:14:58,091 --> 01:15:00,192
"without breaking up,

1882
01:15:00,194 --> 01:15:04,565
"without selling
Ourselves out.

1883
01:15:04,567 --> 01:15:09,071
"we've made a whole lot
Of videos.

1884
01:15:09,073 --> 01:15:13,042
We've made a whole lot
Of videos that don't--

1885
01:15:13,044 --> 01:15:15,245
You know, don't suck."

1886
01:15:18,784 --> 01:15:20,051
Thank you very much.

1887
01:15:20,053 --> 01:15:21,853
- i think if you asked
All of us, the assumption

1888
01:15:21,855 --> 01:15:23,922
Would be that ten years
From now we'll still be a band.

1889
01:15:23,924 --> 01:15:25,958
I mean, we may not be at
This level ten years from now.

1890
01:15:25,960 --> 01:15:28,595
We'll be making records,
And we'll be doing things

1891
01:15:28,597 --> 01:15:30,731
And working together,
But we are fe--

1892
01:15:30,733 --> 01:15:33,067
I feel like we're working at
A really kind of strong level.

1893
01:15:33,069 --> 01:15:34,868
The last three records
Have been really good,

1894
01:15:34,870 --> 01:15:37,272
And we're writing new songs all
The time that are really good.

1895
01:15:37,274 --> 01:15:38,907
So we might as well
Just keep doing it.

1896
01:15:38,909 --> 01:15:40,676
I mean, there's plenty of time
To stay at home

1897
01:15:40,678 --> 01:15:42,044
And do nothing
When we're older.

1898
01:15:44,382 --> 01:15:48,485
♪ ♪

1899
01:15:48,487 --> 01:15:50,421
- we started pre-production,
As you know,

1900
01:15:50,423 --> 01:15:52,791
In athens
At john keane's studio,

1901
01:15:52,793 --> 01:15:54,126
And we were
A couple of weeks in,

1902
01:15:54,128 --> 01:15:56,296
And there was definitely
Something going on.

1903
01:15:56,298 --> 01:15:58,365
- they had been
Recording for about--

1904
01:15:58,367 --> 01:15:59,500
I guess about a week,

1905
01:15:59,502 --> 01:16:02,937
And bill wasn't there,

1906
01:16:02,939 --> 01:16:05,607
And i was going,
You know, "where's bill?

1907
01:16:05,609 --> 01:16:07,442
Why isn't he here?"
- between mike and myself,

1908
01:16:07,444 --> 01:16:08,811
We'd written,
Like, 45 songs,

1909
01:16:08,813 --> 01:16:11,548
And i was so excited about
Getting in to do this record

1910
01:16:11,550 --> 01:16:12,949
That i couldn't sleep
At night.

1911
01:16:12,951 --> 01:16:15,719
I mean, i was--you know, my life
Was focused on this for months.

1912
01:16:15,721 --> 01:16:17,589
You know, i was making demos,
And--you know,

1913
01:16:17,591 --> 01:16:19,958
I just--i was so excited, and i
Was calling mike and michael,

1914
01:16:19,960 --> 01:16:21,661
And i was going,
"oh, man, this is so great."

1915
01:16:21,663 --> 01:16:23,930
You know, i'd left word for
Bill; he never called me back.

1916
01:16:23,932 --> 01:16:25,931
- i thought that he was gonna
Come in later

1917
01:16:25,933 --> 01:16:28,902
And do some drum parts
Or something,

1918
01:16:28,904 --> 01:16:31,539
But halfway
Through the session,

1919
01:16:31,541 --> 01:16:34,810
He made the announcement
That he was leaving the band.

1920
01:16:34,812 --> 01:16:37,846
- bill, you said some
Of your priorities have shifted.

1921
01:16:37,848 --> 01:16:39,181
What are those priorities

1922
01:16:39,183 --> 01:16:42,687
And why do they mean
You can't be in r.E.M. Anymore?

1923
01:16:42,689 --> 01:16:46,391
- well, when you don't have
The enthusiasm that for 17 years

1924
01:16:46,393 --> 01:16:50,529
I've managed to have, matched
With these guys, you know,

1925
01:16:50,531 --> 01:16:52,799
You need to make a change.
- i was devastated.

1926
01:16:52,801 --> 01:16:54,934
I mean, i--i'm like
The grandma in the band.

1927
01:16:54,936 --> 01:16:56,737
- i thought he was insane.
I mean, i just--

1928
01:16:56,739 --> 01:16:58,640
I was like, "bill,
You can't be in your right mind

1929
01:16:58,642 --> 01:17:00,875
If you're thinking that," but,
You know, he talked to us,

1930
01:17:00,877 --> 01:17:02,978
And he convinced us all
That he was in his right mind.

1931
01:17:02,980 --> 01:17:05,181
He's not depressed.
He's not reacting to anything.

1932
01:17:05,183 --> 01:17:07,249
He just didn't want
To do it anymore.

1933
01:17:07,251 --> 01:17:08,885
- i had been thinking about it
For a while,

1934
01:17:08,887 --> 01:17:10,587
But really
After the surgery,

1935
01:17:10,589 --> 01:17:12,356
The brain thing, i mean,
I had a lot of time--

1936
01:17:12,358 --> 01:17:13,691
My brain was working fine,

1937
01:17:13,693 --> 01:17:15,327
But i couldn't do an--
I'm a hyper person.

1938
01:17:15,329 --> 01:17:16,794
You can see
I fidget a lot,

1939
01:17:16,796 --> 01:17:18,897
And i was laying in a bed
For two, three weeks

1940
01:17:18,899 --> 01:17:20,567
And just couldn't do anything
But think,

1941
01:17:20,569 --> 01:17:22,435
And i reassessed
Some things.

1942
01:17:22,437 --> 01:17:25,673
- his lack of joy
At the external parts

1943
01:17:25,675 --> 01:17:26,942
Of the music business

1944
01:17:26,944 --> 01:17:29,143
Seeped into his joy
Of the fun part,

1945
01:17:29,145 --> 01:17:30,979
Which was playing
And writing and that stuff,

1946
01:17:30,981 --> 01:17:33,082
And eventually it made
That not fun for him either,

1947
01:17:33,084 --> 01:17:35,918
And when that became no fun
For him, what's the point?

1948
01:17:35,920 --> 01:17:37,888
- we've done something that
A lot of bands,

1949
01:17:37,890 --> 01:17:39,758
I think,
Would love to have done,

1950
01:17:39,760 --> 01:17:41,358
Which is to maintain

1951
01:17:41,360 --> 01:17:45,998
A friendship and a really great
Career for 17 years,

1952
01:17:46,000 --> 01:17:47,967
And for him to say,

1953
01:17:47,969 --> 01:17:49,369
"i don't want
To do it any longer,"

1954
01:17:49,371 --> 01:17:51,939
You know, it really--
It really--

1955
01:17:51,941 --> 01:17:53,241
We were left speechless.

1956
01:17:53,243 --> 01:17:56,577
- r.E.M., for me,
Is first--

1957
01:17:56,579 --> 01:17:59,815
I mean, even before
The music is three--

1958
01:17:59,817 --> 01:18:02,185
They're my best friends,

1959
01:18:02,187 --> 01:18:03,753
And we actually
Love each other,

1960
01:18:03,755 --> 01:18:07,223
And it's...

1961
01:18:07,225 --> 01:18:10,528
- we're four very
Distinct people.

1962
01:18:10,530 --> 01:18:15,168
We admire and appreciate each
Other a great deal, usually,

1963
01:18:15,170 --> 01:18:18,305
And all those differences
Put together are r.E.M.

1964
01:18:18,307 --> 01:18:21,308
If any one of us were
To leave this couch right now...

1965
01:18:21,310 --> 01:18:23,010
- we'd be more comfortable.
[all laughing]

1966
01:18:23,012 --> 01:18:24,779
- the other two
Would be more comfortable,

1967
01:18:24,781 --> 01:18:26,481
But we would not
Be r.E.M. Anymore.

1968
01:18:26,483 --> 01:18:28,417
- the first thing
That bill said to us was,

1969
01:18:28,419 --> 01:18:32,121
"if my leaving breaks up the
Band, i'm not gonna leave."

1970
01:18:32,123 --> 01:18:34,157
- no, i would have gone
Through therapy or something

1971
01:18:34,159 --> 01:18:35,959
And would have--really,
I would have stayed.

1972
01:18:35,961 --> 01:18:37,862
I wasn't gonna let
The band break up over it.

1973
01:18:37,864 --> 01:18:39,298
- well, he didn't want
To deprive us

1974
01:18:39,300 --> 01:18:40,399
Of the things
That we loved,

1975
01:18:40,401 --> 01:18:41,767
And he also didn't
Want to be known

1976
01:18:41,769 --> 01:18:44,169
As the guy
Who broke up r.E.M.,

1977
01:18:44,171 --> 01:18:45,672
Both of which
I understand very much.

1978
01:18:45,674 --> 01:18:47,440
- it was a huge relief to bill
When they said,

1979
01:18:47,442 --> 01:18:49,543
"don't worry about it;
We'll stay together."

1980
01:18:49,545 --> 01:18:50,811
Once they kind
Of had their talk

1981
01:18:50,813 --> 01:18:52,747
And decided to stay together,
Bill said, "okay."

1982
01:18:52,749 --> 01:18:54,783
He could quit with a good
Conscience, and that was--

1983
01:18:54,785 --> 01:18:56,185
You know,
He's got a good heart.

1984
01:18:56,187 --> 01:18:59,055
He wanted the right thing
For the group, and they for him.

1985
01:18:59,057 --> 01:19:01,358
- he made a very
Courageous decision.

1986
01:19:01,360 --> 01:19:04,562
I mean, to walk away
From this is not easy,

1987
01:19:04,564 --> 01:19:08,067
And, i mean, no matter
How much you're disliking it,

1988
01:19:08,069 --> 01:19:12,271
To--to throw it all away
Is--is amazingly difficult.

1989
01:19:12,273 --> 01:19:13,840
- if bill had quit at the end
Of the tour,

1990
01:19:13,842 --> 01:19:15,308
I think we would have
Broken up,

1991
01:19:15,310 --> 01:19:17,445
And if we'd finished
The hi-fi record,

1992
01:19:17,447 --> 01:19:19,146
Which we had started
On the tour,

1993
01:19:19,148 --> 01:19:20,749
And which we were
Really proud of,

1994
01:19:20,751 --> 01:19:22,717
And we felt was
A really great record,

1995
01:19:22,719 --> 01:19:24,853
If bill had quit at the end
Of that, we would have quit.

1996
01:19:24,855 --> 01:19:26,689
- in retrospect,

1997
01:19:26,691 --> 01:19:28,691
When all things
Are clear,

1998
01:19:28,693 --> 01:19:30,060
He did do it
At the perfect time,

1999
01:19:30,062 --> 01:19:33,632
But none of us
Knew that then.

2000
01:19:33,634 --> 01:19:36,835
- mike, are you gonna hire
Another drummer?

2001
01:19:36,837 --> 01:19:40,573
- no. We--our drummers now come
In little aluminum boxes.

2002
01:19:40,575 --> 01:19:42,008
- we don't want
To get a new drummer.

2003
01:19:42,010 --> 01:19:43,911
There's no way
To replace bill berry.

2004
01:19:43,913 --> 01:19:45,546
We can't--you know,

2005
01:19:45,548 --> 01:19:47,447
There will never be
A fourth member of r.E.M.

2006
01:19:47,449 --> 01:19:49,150
- the thing
That really drove the decision

2007
01:19:49,152 --> 01:19:51,286
To stay together, which only
Took a couple of minutes,

2008
01:19:51,288 --> 01:19:53,188
Was they had a bunch
Of songs written, and as long

2009
01:19:53,190 --> 01:19:55,492
As they had those songs written
They weren't about to quit.

2010
01:19:55,494 --> 01:19:56,726
- and it's like if you
Teach a kid

2011
01:19:56,728 --> 01:19:58,162
To swim
By throwing him in the pool.

2012
01:19:58,164 --> 01:19:59,463
Well, this is what bill
Did to us.

2013
01:19:59,465 --> 01:20:01,165
He taught us how to make
A new type of record

2014
01:20:01,167 --> 01:20:02,767
By pulling the drums
Out from under us.

2015
01:20:02,769 --> 01:20:04,369
- everything from then on

2016
01:20:04,371 --> 01:20:06,838
After bill left
The band was like quicksand.

2017
01:20:06,840 --> 01:20:09,909
You know, none of us
Had any idea what--you know,

2018
01:20:09,911 --> 01:20:11,178
Where the solid ground was.

2019
01:20:11,180 --> 01:20:12,645
- has it changed the dynamic

2020
01:20:12,647 --> 01:20:14,882
With the three
Remaining members?

2021
01:20:14,884 --> 01:20:16,150
- you betcha, dave.
- yeah?

2022
01:20:16,152 --> 01:20:19,054
- yeah, we did have a chemistry
As a four-piece.

2023
01:20:19,056 --> 01:20:21,590
We suddenly
Not only doubted

2024
01:20:21,592 --> 01:20:23,159
Whether we should still
Be doing this,

2025
01:20:23,161 --> 01:20:25,995
But we also lost
Whatever that was

2026
01:20:25,997 --> 01:20:28,966
And had no idea
How to find it.

2027
01:20:28,968 --> 01:20:31,269
- since we have no rules we had
No way to get out of traps,

2028
01:20:31,271 --> 01:20:33,639
And the traps we had this time
Were, "what is the record?

2029
01:20:33,641 --> 01:20:35,976
"we've got 40 songs, none
Of which we know how to play.

2030
01:20:35,978 --> 01:20:37,443
"who--what's gonna
Make the record?

2031
01:20:37,445 --> 01:20:39,379
"i like this song.
Michael doesn't.

2032
01:20:39,381 --> 01:20:40,947
How do we deal with it?"
I don't know why.

2033
01:20:40,949 --> 01:20:42,583
It was just harder.
It was a lot harder.

2034
01:20:42,585 --> 01:20:44,785
- did it come--
Did we come to blows? Yes.

2035
01:20:44,787 --> 01:20:46,421
Is that what you were asking?
Yeah.

2036
01:20:46,423 --> 01:20:47,856
- you don't look like
A violent type.

2037
01:20:47,858 --> 01:20:49,392
I wasn't implying that.

2038
01:20:49,394 --> 01:20:51,661
- i'm not terribly violent.
- there was no swinging fists.

2039
01:20:51,663 --> 01:20:53,830
- you don't have to actually hit
Somebody to be violent.

2040
01:20:53,832 --> 01:20:55,866
I think there were points
When none of the three of us

2041
01:20:55,868 --> 01:20:57,768
Thought that the record
Would ever get finished

2042
01:20:57,770 --> 01:20:59,137
And that it
Would just--you know,

2043
01:20:59,139 --> 01:21:01,307
That the whole thing would
Just collapse and dissolve,

2044
01:21:01,309 --> 01:21:02,475
And we would
No longer exist,

2045
01:21:02,477 --> 01:21:03,708
And it would
Just be over.

2046
01:21:03,710 --> 01:21:07,647
We had to either
Fake it and pretend

2047
01:21:07,649 --> 01:21:10,384
Like he'd never left
And hire someone to be him--

2048
01:21:10,386 --> 01:21:11,686
Which none of us
Wanted to do--

2049
01:21:11,688 --> 01:21:14,723
Or pretty much dump
The whole thing out the window

2050
01:21:14,725 --> 01:21:16,724
And start over again,
And that's what we did.

2051
01:21:16,726 --> 01:21:24,068
♪ ♪

2052
01:21:24,070 --> 01:21:25,069
♪ hey, hey ♪

2053
01:21:25,071 --> 01:21:31,009
♪ ♪

2054
01:21:35,516 --> 01:21:37,251
- bill loves the record,
By the way.

2055
01:21:37,253 --> 01:21:39,354
- good.
- yeah, we gave him a copy

2056
01:21:39,356 --> 01:21:42,057
And gave him three days
To listen to it

2057
01:21:42,059 --> 01:21:43,992
And met up with him,
Had a couple bottles of wine,

2058
01:21:43,994 --> 01:21:45,261
And just talked
About it

2059
01:21:45,263 --> 01:21:47,163
And talked about old times,
And it was great.

2060
01:21:47,165 --> 01:21:48,765
- boy, when i heard it
I felt like a chump.

2061
01:21:48,767 --> 01:21:50,067
[laughs]

2062
01:21:50,069 --> 01:21:52,336
You--i'm sure
I must have looked like one.

2063
01:21:52,338 --> 01:21:54,004
I mean,
I can listen to it as a fan.

2064
01:21:54,006 --> 01:21:55,306
I can come out here
And say,

2065
01:21:55,308 --> 01:21:57,475
"you know, i just really think
This new record stinks."

2066
01:21:57,477 --> 01:21:59,445
I couldn't say that
In old efforts.

2067
01:21:59,447 --> 01:22:01,081
When we were promoting
The records like,

2068
01:22:01,083 --> 01:22:03,049
"oh, yeah, this is our best
Record ever, really.

2069
01:22:03,051 --> 01:22:05,119
This time--this is the one."
You know?

2070
01:22:05,121 --> 01:22:07,020
I'm just like a fan,
Like anybody else,

2071
01:22:07,022 --> 01:22:10,091
Except i'm
The number one r.E.M. Fan.

2072
01:22:10,093 --> 01:22:11,560
That's the one distinction.

2073
01:22:11,562 --> 01:22:15,498
- we're gonna do a song
That was written by bill berry.

2074
01:22:15,500 --> 01:22:19,035
♪ perfect circle of ♪

2075
01:22:19,037 --> 01:22:24,309
♪ acquaintances
And friends ♪

2076
01:22:24,311 --> 01:22:28,514
♪ drink another ♪

2077
01:22:28,516 --> 01:22:33,753
♪ coin a phrase ♪

2078
01:22:37,759 --> 01:22:40,829
♪ standing too soon ♪

2079
01:22:40,831 --> 01:22:46,035
♪ shoulders high
In the room ♪

2080
01:22:46,037 --> 01:22:48,973
♪ standing too soon ♪

2081
01:22:48,975 --> 01:22:54,079
♪ shoulders high
In the room ♪

2082
01:22:54,081 --> 01:22:56,248
♪ standing too soon ♪

2083
01:22:56,250 --> 01:22:58,084
- i've been a fan
From the very, very beginning,

2084
01:22:58,086 --> 01:22:59,652
<i>and it's--if you listen
To chronic town</i>

2085
01:22:59,654 --> 01:23:02,556
<i>then you listen to up,
It's such a huge departure,</i>

2086
01:23:02,558 --> 01:23:04,759
Such a journey you've gone
Through, through the years.

2087
01:23:04,761 --> 01:23:07,263
How do you account for
The vast changes in the music?

2088
01:23:07,265 --> 01:23:09,197
- we had the audacity
To change as we grew older.

2089
01:23:09,199 --> 01:23:10,666
- right.
- we've actually allowed it

2090
01:23:10,668 --> 01:23:12,902
To happen in a pretty--pretty
Organic way, i think.

2091
01:23:12,904 --> 01:23:17,375
♪ receiving department,
3:00 a.M. ♪

2092
01:23:17,377 --> 01:23:21,146
♪ staff cuts have
Socked up the overage ♪

2093
01:23:21,148 --> 01:23:24,349
- i feel closer to them probably
Now than i did eight months ago,

2094
01:23:24,351 --> 01:23:26,519
Just because we've gone
Through, you know,

2095
01:23:26,521 --> 01:23:28,054
Our own little hell
And back.

2096
01:23:28,056 --> 01:23:30,191
- there's little we're gonna
Do in the rest of our lives

2097
01:23:30,193 --> 01:23:31,392
That is better than this.

2098
01:23:31,394 --> 01:23:33,428
I mean, you know,
Peter makes me better.

2099
01:23:33,430 --> 01:23:34,828
I think
I make peter better,

2100
01:23:34,830 --> 01:23:37,065
And michael makes us better,
And we make michael better.

2101
01:23:37,067 --> 01:23:39,402
It's--you know, i mean,
And nothing we're gonna

2102
01:23:39,404 --> 01:23:41,905
Do individually will equal
What r.E.M. Does collectively,

2103
01:23:41,907 --> 01:23:44,541
And that's--that's
Worth keeping, i think.

2104
01:23:44,543 --> 01:23:46,044
- they've all got
Other interests.

2105
01:23:46,046 --> 01:23:47,277
Mike likes producing people.

2106
01:23:47,279 --> 01:23:48,613
Peter plays
With tons of people.

2107
01:23:48,615 --> 01:23:50,215
Michael does movies now,

2108
01:23:50,217 --> 01:23:53,419
But i think they all realize
That their best work,

2109
01:23:53,421 --> 01:23:55,088
What they really
Are here for,

2110
01:23:55,090 --> 01:23:56,356
Is to be in r.E.M.

2111
01:23:56,358 --> 01:23:57,992
- how long have you guys
Been doing it now?

2112
01:23:57,994 --> 01:23:59,626
- 18 years.
- 18 years.

2113
01:23:59,628 --> 01:24:01,329
- yeah.
Can i get a round of applause?

2114
01:24:01,331 --> 01:24:05,033
- yeah, please.
[cheers and applause]

2115
01:24:05,035 --> 01:24:06,468
Is it still exciting
For you?

2116
01:24:06,470 --> 01:24:09,005
Do you still--or do you get
On stage and think, you know,

2117
01:24:09,007 --> 01:24:11,741
"everybody hurts some..."
- right.

2118
01:24:11,743 --> 01:24:13,176
- you know?
Do you still--

2119
01:24:13,178 --> 01:24:16,514
Do you have the joy still?

2120
01:24:16,516 --> 01:24:17,515
- i have the joy.

2121
01:24:17,517 --> 01:24:21,320
♪ headache gray
Don't wake me ♪

2122
01:24:21,322 --> 01:24:26,727
♪ with so much ♪

2123
01:24:26,729 --> 01:24:29,497
♪ daysleeper ♪

2124
01:24:29,499 --> 01:24:31,499
♪ daysleeper ♪

2125
01:24:31,501 --> 01:24:33,702
♪ ♪

2126
01:24:33,704 --> 01:24:35,705
♪ daysleeper ♪

2127
01:24:35,707 --> 01:24:37,473
♪ ♪

2128
01:24:37,475 --> 01:24:39,476
♪ daysleeper ♪

2129
01:24:39,478 --> 01:24:41,779
♪ ♪

2130
01:24:41,781 --> 01:24:43,781
♪ daysleeper ♪

2131
01:24:43,783 --> 01:24:52,091
♪ ♪

2132
01:24:52,093 --> 01:24:53,226
Thank you.

2133
01:24:59,535 --> 01:25:01,103
- we're trying to
Make something that,

2134
01:25:01,105 --> 01:25:02,704
You know,
Do the impossible.

2135
01:25:02,706 --> 01:25:05,274
We want to give some--the people
Something they've never heard.

2136
01:25:05,276 --> 01:25:07,277
That is impossible,
But we keep pushing ourselves

2137
01:25:07,279 --> 01:25:09,112
And tearing it op--up
And starting over again,

2138
01:25:09,114 --> 01:25:10,415
And i think
That's real healthy.

2139
01:25:10,417 --> 01:25:13,519
- art and commerce
Will always come together.

2140
01:25:13,521 --> 01:25:15,053
Commerce is a butch top

2141
01:25:15,055 --> 01:25:16,555
And always has been,

2142
01:25:16,557 --> 01:25:18,457
So you got to watch out,
'cause there's one point

2143
01:25:18,459 --> 01:25:20,727
Where it's just
Gonna bitch slap art

2144
01:25:20,729 --> 01:25:22,897
To the ground
And kind--and straddle.

2145
01:25:22,899 --> 01:25:25,066
- yeah.
- you got to watch out for that.

2146
01:25:25,068 --> 01:25:26,935
- that's probably,
For a lot of people at home--

2147
01:25:26,937 --> 01:25:28,569
- pardon the analogy.
- [laughs]

2148
01:25:28,571 --> 01:25:30,072
- i mean,
You can't worry about sales.

2149
01:25:30,074 --> 01:25:31,640
If you're in this business
For sales,

2150
01:25:31,642 --> 01:25:33,943
You're bound to be disappointed.
I don't care who you are.

2151
01:25:33,945 --> 01:25:36,580
- we've always been
Completely out of step.

2152
01:25:36,582 --> 01:25:39,017
We have our own trajectory,

2153
01:25:39,019 --> 01:25:41,185
And pop culture will
Sometimes go like this

2154
01:25:41,187 --> 01:25:43,355
And kind of knock against us,
And--

2155
01:25:43,357 --> 01:25:44,522
We had a hit single or

2156
01:25:44,524 --> 01:25:46,959
We're all over tv
Or something.

2157
01:25:46,961 --> 01:25:50,330
- oh, god.
Who is that guy?

2158
01:25:50,332 --> 01:25:51,799
Get that guy
Off the screen.

2159
01:25:56,538 --> 01:25:59,875
He's so sincere.
Oh, my god.

2160
01:25:59,877 --> 01:26:02,245
He looks great though,
Doesn't he?

2161
01:26:02,247 --> 01:26:04,982
Jesus.
What a fox.

2162
01:26:04,984 --> 01:26:07,985
<i>[r.E.M.'s disappear]</i>

2163
01:26:07,987 --> 01:26:12,157
♪ i've dragged my feet
Across the seat ♪

2164
01:26:12,159 --> 01:26:15,895
♪ and jumped out
The passenger side ♪

2165
01:26:15,897 --> 01:26:19,600
♪ the only thing
Worth looking for ♪

2166
01:26:19,602 --> 01:26:22,704
♪ is what you find inside ♪

2167
01:26:22,706 --> 01:26:28,310
♪ but that had
Not yet appeared ♪

2168
01:26:28,312 --> 01:26:31,013
♪ lost invisible here ♪

2169
01:26:31,015 --> 01:26:32,516
- every time
You write a new song,

2170
01:26:32,518 --> 01:26:34,684
It's just like
The first one almost.

2171
01:26:34,686 --> 01:26:36,554
It's like, "oh, my god.
I can still write a song.

2172
01:26:36,556 --> 01:26:38,323
I can still come up
With interesting music,"

2173
01:26:38,325 --> 01:26:39,625
And it--it's exciting.

2174
01:26:39,627 --> 01:26:41,961
It's the process
Of discovery and creation.

2175
01:26:41,963 --> 01:26:44,329
- the songwriting is brilliant,
Of course,

2176
01:26:44,331 --> 01:26:46,132
I think.
- i think--

2177
01:26:46,134 --> 01:26:49,503
- i can say that, can't i?
- i guess, i don't know.

2178
01:26:49,505 --> 01:26:50,972
- ♪ i looked for you ♪

2179
01:26:50,974 --> 01:26:56,645
♪ and everywhere ♪

2180
01:26:56,647 --> 01:26:58,314
♪ i looked for you ♪

2181
01:26:58,316 --> 01:27:03,688
♪ and everywhere ♪

2182
01:27:03,690 --> 01:27:07,460
♪ tell me why you're here ♪

2183
01:27:07,462 --> 01:27:10,863
♪ ♪

2184
01:27:10,865 --> 01:27:16,136
♪ i came to disappear ♪

2185
01:27:16,138 --> 01:27:18,172
♪ ♪

2186
01:27:18,174 --> 01:27:20,142
- we really wanted to get out
And tour this summer.

2187
01:27:20,144 --> 01:27:21,742
We thought having
A "best of" thing

2188
01:27:21,744 --> 01:27:23,145
Would be
A nice thing to do,

2189
01:27:23,147 --> 01:27:25,547
Especially to remind people
In america that we exist still.

2190
01:27:25,549 --> 01:27:27,584
We're not as popular
As we once were, which is fine.

2191
01:27:27,586 --> 01:27:29,487
You know? We did--
We do really well over here.

2192
01:27:29,489 --> 01:27:32,157
- here we're expecting
22,000 r.E.M. Fans here

2193
01:27:32,159 --> 01:27:33,591
For the gig live
In cologne.

2194
01:27:33,593 --> 01:27:36,595
<i>[r.E.M.'s imitation of life]</i>

2195
01:27:36,597 --> 01:27:44,539
♪ ♪

2196
01:27:49,278 --> 01:27:51,247
- ♪ charades pop skill ♪

2197
01:27:51,249 --> 01:27:54,417
♪ water hyacinth ♪

2198
01:27:54,419 --> 01:27:56,786
♪ named by a poet ♪

2199
01:27:56,788 --> 01:28:00,424
♪ imitation of life ♪

2200
01:28:00,426 --> 01:28:02,126
- playing live
Is its own reward.

2201
01:28:02,128 --> 01:28:05,297
I mean, i never looked at this
As if it was, you know,

2202
01:28:05,299 --> 01:28:06,633
A career or like a bank,

2203
01:28:06,635 --> 01:28:08,601
You put money in,
You get interest back, you know.

2204
01:28:08,603 --> 01:28:11,005
It's--we tour
'cause we like to tour.

2205
01:28:11,007 --> 01:28:13,240
- you have to appreciate it
Even more because you realize

2206
01:28:13,242 --> 01:28:15,843
A, how lucky you are
That you've had the success,

2207
01:28:15,845 --> 01:28:19,282
And b, how it could all go away
In a second.

2208
01:28:19,284 --> 01:28:21,050
- ♪ this sugarcane ♪

2209
01:28:21,052 --> 01:28:22,886
♪ this lemonade ♪

2210
01:28:22,888 --> 01:28:26,290
♪ this hurricane
I'm not afraid ♪

2211
01:28:26,292 --> 01:28:28,358
♪ come on, come on ♪

2212
01:28:28,360 --> 01:28:33,832
♪ no one can see me cry ♪

2213
01:28:33,834 --> 01:28:35,735
♪ this lightning storm ♪

2214
01:28:35,737 --> 01:28:37,570
♪ this tidal wave ♪

2215
01:28:37,572 --> 01:28:41,007
♪ this avalanche
I'm not afraid ♪

2216
01:28:41,009 --> 01:28:42,877
♪ come on, come on ♪

2217
01:28:42,879 --> 01:28:48,217
♪ no one can see me cry ♪

2218
01:28:48,219 --> 01:28:51,721
♪ that sugar cane
That tasted good ♪

2219
01:28:51,723 --> 01:28:53,089
♪ that's who you are ♪

2220
01:28:53,091 --> 01:28:54,959
♪ that's what you could ♪

2221
01:28:54,961 --> 01:28:59,130
♪ come on, come on
No one can see you try ♪

2222
01:28:59,132 --> 01:29:02,133
We always have an idea of
What a record is going to be

2223
01:29:02,135 --> 01:29:05,171
And we're always
Wildly wrong.

2224
01:29:05,173 --> 01:29:07,174
It's never--i mean,
Fiercely wrong.

2225
01:29:07,176 --> 01:29:09,644
It's never what we think
It's going to be.

2226
01:29:09,646 --> 01:29:14,316
♪ now the universe
Left you for a runner's lap ♪

2227
01:29:14,318 --> 01:29:18,387
♪ it feels like home
When it comes crashing back ♪

2228
01:29:18,389 --> 01:29:20,457
♪ and it makes you laugh ♪

2229
01:29:20,459 --> 01:29:22,860
♪ and it makes you cry ♪

2230
01:29:22,862 --> 01:29:26,865
♪ when london falls
And you're still alive ♪

2231
01:29:26,867 --> 01:29:30,836
- this record
That we are making now,

2232
01:29:30,838 --> 01:29:33,272
We all have a real clear idea
Of what it's going to be,

2233
01:29:33,274 --> 01:29:35,542
And i can tell you already
That we're dead wrong.

2234
01:29:35,544 --> 01:29:36,944
It's not gonna be that.

2235
01:29:36,946 --> 01:29:39,180
<i>- around the sun.</i>

2236
01:29:39,182 --> 01:29:41,516
Is there some clue in that title
To the amount of time

2237
01:29:41,518 --> 01:29:43,351
It's taken to put
This record together?

2238
01:29:43,353 --> 01:29:44,420
- [chuckles]

2239
01:29:44,422 --> 01:29:45,821
- god knows it feels
Like it's been,

2240
01:29:45,823 --> 01:29:47,658
You know, a millennia
We've been working on it.

2241
01:29:47,660 --> 01:29:49,660
Bill and i always tended to be
The guys who are like,

2242
01:29:49,662 --> 01:29:51,229
"come on, let's hurry up.
Let's just--

2243
01:29:51,231 --> 01:29:53,296
Everything faster, faster."
He's gone. Now i'm--

2244
01:29:53,298 --> 01:29:55,133
- he's--
- i'm the lone ranger.

2245
01:29:55,135 --> 01:29:56,501
I'm out there
In left field going,

2246
01:29:56,503 --> 01:29:58,470
"come on, guys.
Let's go, let's go, let's go."

2247
01:29:58,472 --> 01:30:01,241
- having more time on a record
Can be a double-edged sword.

2248
01:30:01,243 --> 01:30:04,078
It is nice to be able
To record songs and get away

2249
01:30:04,080 --> 01:30:06,112
And take a break and come back
And look at them again,

2250
01:30:06,114 --> 01:30:09,483
But if you allow yourself
Too much time,

2251
01:30:09,485 --> 01:30:11,286
You end up over analyzing them

2252
01:30:11,288 --> 01:30:13,189
And looking for all
The little tiny flaws

2253
01:30:13,191 --> 01:30:14,691
And fixing
All the little tiny flaws,

2254
01:30:14,693 --> 01:30:16,026
Which is not always
A good thing.

2255
01:30:16,028 --> 01:30:17,227
- we had basically just

2256
01:30:17,229 --> 01:30:19,129
Kind of stopped
Talking to each other.

2257
01:30:19,131 --> 01:30:22,032
We lost a lot of focus,
Not so much as a live act,

2258
01:30:22,034 --> 01:30:23,902
But in the studio,
We were just going off

2259
01:30:23,904 --> 01:30:25,404
In all these different
Directions

2260
01:30:25,406 --> 01:30:27,006
And not really
Communicating that well.

2261
01:30:27,008 --> 01:30:28,274
<i>the songs off of
Around the sun</i>

2262
01:30:28,276 --> 01:30:31,143
Really worked great live,

2263
01:30:31,145 --> 01:30:33,847
More so than they did
In the recorded version.

2264
01:30:33,849 --> 01:30:38,721
- ♪ you might have laughed
If i told you ♪

2265
01:30:38,723 --> 01:30:43,592
♪ you might have hidden
A frown ♪

2266
01:30:43,594 --> 01:30:48,799
♪ you might have succeeded
In changing me ♪

2267
01:30:48,801 --> 01:30:52,270
♪ i might have been
Turned around ♪

2268
01:30:52,272 --> 01:30:54,707
- we want to thank you
For coming out tonight.

2269
01:30:54,709 --> 01:30:56,274
- this is
A very important moment

2270
01:30:56,276 --> 01:30:58,778
For each and every one of us,
And for our country.

2271
01:30:58,780 --> 01:31:00,881
- we're here tonight
To fight for a government

2272
01:31:00,883 --> 01:31:05,754
That is open, rational,
Forward-looking, and humane,

2273
01:31:05,756 --> 01:31:09,592
And we plan to rock the joint
While doing so.

2274
01:31:09,594 --> 01:31:11,260
<i>[bruce springsteen's
Because the night]</i>

2275
01:31:11,262 --> 01:31:14,197
- ♪ come on now,
Try and understand ♪

2276
01:31:14,199 --> 01:31:18,603
♪ the way i feel
When i'm in your hands ♪

2277
01:31:18,605 --> 01:31:22,407
♪ take my hand,
Now we're undercover ♪

2278
01:31:22,409 --> 01:31:26,746
♪ they can't hurt you now,
Can't hurt you now ♪

2279
01:31:26,748 --> 01:31:31,051
♪ can't hurt you now-ow-ow ♪

2280
01:31:31,053 --> 01:31:34,923
♪ because the night
Belongs to lovers ♪

2281
01:31:34,925 --> 01:31:39,095
♪ because the night
Belongs to us ♪

2282
01:31:39,097 --> 01:31:40,463
I was a u.S. Citizen
A long time

2283
01:31:40,465 --> 01:31:42,232
Before i was a musician,

2284
01:31:42,234 --> 01:31:44,067
Before i was
A successful musician,

2285
01:31:44,069 --> 01:31:45,936
Before i was a media figure,
A public figure,

2286
01:31:45,938 --> 01:31:47,539
Celebrity,
Whatever you want to call it.

2287
01:31:47,541 --> 01:31:49,507
I have an opinion as a person,

2288
01:31:49,509 --> 01:31:53,445
And if my opinion means

2289
01:31:53,447 --> 01:31:56,016
That i put a yard sign
In my front yard--

2290
01:31:56,018 --> 01:31:58,485
And my front yard happens
To be a stage this year

2291
01:31:58,487 --> 01:32:00,555
Because we just released
The record,

2292
01:32:00,557 --> 01:32:02,123
We're just releasing
Another record,

2293
01:32:02,125 --> 01:32:05,127
And we're on tour--
That's my yard sign.

2294
01:32:05,129 --> 01:32:06,329
<i>[r.E.M.'s man-sized wreath]</i>

2295
01:32:06,331 --> 01:32:07,764
- ♪ i turn on the tv ♪

2296
01:32:07,766 --> 01:32:09,366
♪ what do i see? ♪

2297
01:32:09,368 --> 01:32:13,204
♪ a pageantry of empty gestures
All lined up for me ♪

2298
01:32:13,206 --> 01:32:14,772
♪ wow ♪

2299
01:32:18,444 --> 01:32:21,814
♪ i'd have thought by now
We would be ready to proceed ♪

2300
01:32:21,816 --> 01:32:23,749
♪ but a tearful hymn
To tug the heart ♪

2301
01:32:23,751 --> 01:32:26,753
♪ and a man-sized wreath,
Wow ♪

2302
01:32:26,755 --> 01:32:30,525
♪ ♪

2303
01:32:30,527 --> 01:32:32,061
- are you political at all

2304
01:32:32,063 --> 01:32:33,162
In this album?
- yes.

2305
01:32:33,164 --> 01:32:34,731
- because you guys
Have been accused--

2306
01:32:34,733 --> 01:32:35,932
Especially--sir--

2307
01:32:35,934 --> 01:32:38,034
Uh...
[audience laughter]

2308
01:32:38,036 --> 01:32:40,770
Accused of having a--
Sort of a political quality,

2309
01:32:40,772 --> 01:32:42,840
At least to your lyrics.

2310
01:32:42,842 --> 01:32:44,443
- yeah, i write the lyrics.
- is there--

2311
01:32:44,445 --> 01:32:45,444
- how much of that in this?

2312
01:32:45,446 --> 01:32:46,879
- um, a good portion.

2313
01:32:46,881 --> 01:32:50,048
Probably half the songs
Are fairly overtly political.

2314
01:32:50,050 --> 01:32:53,520
- and i assume--i assume

2315
01:32:53,522 --> 01:32:56,590
That you're standing
By our president.

2316
01:32:56,592 --> 01:32:58,493
[audience laughter]

2317
01:32:58,495 --> 01:32:59,661
- um, nope.
- time of war.

2318
01:32:59,663 --> 01:33:01,063
- time of war, sir.
- that would be--

2319
01:33:01,065 --> 01:33:02,497
That would be
A giant assumption.

2320
01:33:02,499 --> 01:33:03,699
Yeah.
- all right.

2321
01:33:03,701 --> 01:33:05,301
<i>[r.E.M.'s
Supernatural superserious]</i>

2322
01:33:05,303 --> 01:33:06,937
- ♪ everybody here ♪

2323
01:33:06,939 --> 01:33:10,408
♪ comes from somewhere ♪

2324
01:33:10,410 --> 01:33:15,046
♪ that they would
Just as soon forget ♪

2325
01:33:15,048 --> 01:33:18,785
♪ and disguise ♪

2326
01:33:18,787 --> 01:33:22,690
♪ at the summer camp
Where you volunteered ♪

2327
01:33:22,692 --> 01:33:26,594
♪ no one saw your face
No one saw your fear ♪

2328
01:33:26,596 --> 01:33:30,232
♪ if that apparition
Had just appeared ♪

2329
01:33:30,234 --> 01:33:33,169
♪ took you up and away
From this base ♪

2330
01:33:33,171 --> 01:33:37,408
♪ and sheer humiliation ♪

2331
01:33:37,410 --> 01:33:39,843
♪ of your teenage station ♪

2332
01:33:39,845 --> 01:33:42,681
♪ ♪

2333
01:33:42,683 --> 01:33:44,383
- this is getting
Great critical reviews.

2334
01:33:44,385 --> 01:33:47,220
People are calling
This your comeback album.

2335
01:33:47,222 --> 01:33:49,089
When you hear people say that,

2336
01:33:49,091 --> 01:33:51,426
Do you want to tell those people
To go [...] themselves?

2337
01:33:51,428 --> 01:33:55,463
[audience laughter and cheering]

2338
01:33:55,465 --> 01:33:57,399
- yes.
- 'cause if anybody told me

2339
01:33:57,401 --> 01:33:59,068
Like, "hey,
You're coming back,"

2340
01:33:59,070 --> 01:34:01,271
I would cut out their eye
With a broken bottle.

2341
01:34:01,273 --> 01:34:03,174
You haven't gone anywhere.

2342
01:34:03,176 --> 01:34:07,078
- ♪ this inexperience,
Sweet, delirious ♪

2343
01:34:07,080 --> 01:34:12,785
♪ supernatural, super serious
Inexperience ♪

2344
01:34:12,787 --> 01:34:18,792
♪ sweet, delirious
Supernatural, super serious ♪

2345
01:34:18,794 --> 01:34:20,894
♪ wow ♪

2346
01:34:20,896 --> 01:34:22,130
[cheers and applause]

2347
01:34:26,169 --> 01:34:28,038
- r.E.M.'s music
Is truly all-encompassing.

2348
01:34:28,040 --> 01:34:30,840
They've used every color
On the palette.

2349
01:34:30,842 --> 01:34:33,410
They've invented colors
On their own.

2350
01:34:33,412 --> 01:34:36,180
There are a couple of things
I need to address,

2351
01:34:36,182 --> 01:34:40,386
And the hardest one being...

2352
01:34:40,388 --> 01:34:41,588
Michael stipe.

2353
01:34:41,590 --> 01:34:45,692
How do you explain
The dialogue

2354
01:34:45,694 --> 01:34:49,263
Between michael
And the listener?

2355
01:34:49,265 --> 01:34:54,270
A dialogue that grew up,
And we grew up with it.

2356
01:34:54,272 --> 01:34:57,974
Such wisdom in the feelings
Of these songs

2357
01:34:57,976 --> 01:35:01,678
That i think they helped us
Find things

2358
01:35:01,680 --> 01:35:06,352
That we knew were inside us,
And i think he--they helped us

2359
01:35:06,354 --> 01:35:09,321
Find things that we didn't know
We had inside us,

2360
01:35:09,323 --> 01:35:11,557
And i can say that,
Personally,

2361
01:35:11,559 --> 01:35:13,593
There are things that i hold

2362
01:35:13,595 --> 01:35:16,864
And feel very deeply about
Inside here

2363
01:35:16,866 --> 01:35:21,035
That michael stipe
Put in there himself.

2364
01:35:21,037 --> 01:35:23,839
This all happens without ever
Being able to understand

2365
01:35:23,841 --> 01:35:26,376
A [...] thing he was saying.

2366
01:35:26,378 --> 01:35:27,610
<i>[r.E.M.'s gardening at night]</i>

2367
01:35:27,612 --> 01:35:30,381
- ♪ i see your money
On the floor ♪

2368
01:35:30,383 --> 01:35:32,384
♪ i felt the pocket change ♪

2369
01:35:32,386 --> 01:35:36,388
♪ though all the feelings
That broke through that door ♪

2370
01:35:36,390 --> 01:35:39,725
♪ just didn't seem to be
Too real ♪

2371
01:35:39,727 --> 01:35:41,428
- peter buck plays guitar

2372
01:35:41,430 --> 01:35:44,332
Like a guy who worked
In a record store...

2373
01:35:44,334 --> 01:35:47,435
[all cheering]

2374
01:35:47,437 --> 01:35:49,304
And when i say that,

2375
01:35:49,306 --> 01:35:52,608
I say that it's not
Necessarily derivative

2376
01:35:52,610 --> 01:35:55,846
Of all this music that he knows,
His guitar playing.

2377
01:35:55,848 --> 01:35:58,715
He knows his music so well,
But it's more of a thing

2378
01:35:58,717 --> 01:36:02,153
Where he plays through the holes
And invents things

2379
01:36:02,155 --> 01:36:04,957
And hits spot that have
Yet to be covered.

2380
01:36:04,959 --> 01:36:06,226
♪ ♪

2381
01:36:06,228 --> 01:36:11,397
- ♪ the charge is changing
Every month ♪

2382
01:36:11,399 --> 01:36:14,702
- now if r.E.M.
Had a secret weapon,

2383
01:36:14,704 --> 01:36:18,240
I would say
It was mr. Mike mills.

2384
01:36:18,242 --> 01:36:20,476
The secret weapon, i believe,
Is his voice.

2385
01:36:20,478 --> 01:36:22,446
It's really not
A background vocal.

2386
01:36:22,448 --> 01:36:24,848
It's almost like
A second lead vocal,

2387
01:36:24,850 --> 01:36:26,984
And i think it really is
What makes

2388
01:36:26,986 --> 01:36:31,390
So many of their songs
Absolutely haunting.

2389
01:36:31,392 --> 01:36:34,093
Actually, he was stealth
Till about 14 years ago

2390
01:36:34,095 --> 01:36:38,999
When he took to wearing these
Really bright colored suits

2391
01:36:39,001 --> 01:36:43,204
With massive embroidery
And rhinestones and--

2392
01:36:43,206 --> 01:36:45,841
Right around that time,
The time of the suits.

2393
01:36:45,843 --> 01:36:47,377
Bill berry's playing
In switzerland,

2394
01:36:47,379 --> 01:36:51,648
And in the middle of a show
An aneurysm bursts in his head,

2395
01:36:51,650 --> 01:36:55,886
And he almost dies,
And i think i read somewhere

2396
01:36:55,888 --> 01:37:01,560
Where it might have been
Triggered by a-a strobe light,

2397
01:37:01,562 --> 01:37:04,630
But i was just thinking about--
It might have been

2398
01:37:04,632 --> 01:37:07,768
One of mike's suits.

2399
01:37:07,770 --> 01:37:10,171
[laughter]

2400
01:37:10,173 --> 01:37:14,709
The orange one, perhaps.

2401
01:37:14,711 --> 01:37:18,013
The most difficult hurdle
They've had to reach

2402
01:37:18,015 --> 01:37:20,050
Was when bill had to say

2403
01:37:20,052 --> 01:37:23,187
That he didn't think
He could keep playing with 'em.

2404
01:37:23,189 --> 01:37:25,991
As a fan, it's an incredible,
Exciting thrill

2405
01:37:25,993 --> 01:37:27,124
To see him here tonight.

2406
01:37:27,126 --> 01:37:29,228
♪ ♪

2407
01:37:29,230 --> 01:37:31,664
- ♪ i see your money
On the floor ♪

2408
01:37:31,666 --> 01:37:36,103
♪ i felt the pocket change
Though all the feelings ♪

2409
01:37:36,105 --> 01:37:37,672
♪ that broke through that door ♪

2410
01:37:37,674 --> 01:37:41,142
♪ just didn't seem to be
Too real ♪

2411
01:37:41,144 --> 01:37:43,178
- but what i'm saying is,
No matter what

2412
01:37:43,180 --> 01:37:48,452
We can give them back
In the form of this honor,

2413
01:37:48,454 --> 01:37:51,322
We'll never match
What they've given to us,

2414
01:37:51,324 --> 01:37:54,659
And this is not even mentioning
Social causes and activism,

2415
01:37:54,661 --> 01:37:56,462
Which is--
Should not be a postscript,

2416
01:37:56,464 --> 01:38:02,235
And by some strange power
Invested in me right now,

2417
01:38:02,237 --> 01:38:06,274
I hereby induct r.E.M. Into
The rock and roll hall of fame.

2418
01:38:06,276 --> 01:38:09,478
- i would like to personally
Thank peter, mike, and bill

2419
01:38:09,480 --> 01:38:13,483
For providing me,
The least likely candidate,

2420
01:38:13,485 --> 01:38:15,986
To have a place in the rock
And roll hall of fame

2421
01:38:15,988 --> 01:38:17,487
With a gang

2422
01:38:17,489 --> 01:38:21,459
Who not only accepted me
At face value in 1979,

2423
01:38:21,461 --> 01:38:25,931
But allowed a frankly
Fantastical teenage dream

2424
01:38:25,933 --> 01:38:28,435
To become an adult
And lifetime reality.

2425
01:38:28,437 --> 01:38:29,702
Thank you, guys.

2426
01:38:29,704 --> 01:38:33,774
[cheers and applause]
- thank you!

2427
01:38:33,776 --> 01:38:36,144
- in closing,

2428
01:38:36,146 --> 01:38:38,480
My grandmother stipe,

2429
01:38:38,482 --> 01:38:42,618
In her last years, told me--

2430
01:38:42,620 --> 01:38:45,722
She grabbed my arm very hard,
As she would,

2431
01:38:45,724 --> 01:38:48,826
And she said, "do you know
What r.E.M. Means to me?"

2432
01:38:48,828 --> 01:38:52,030
She said, "it means
'remember every moment,'"

2433
01:38:52,032 --> 01:38:53,800
And this is a moment
That i will never forget.

2434
01:38:53,802 --> 01:38:55,167
Thank you all so much.

2435
01:38:55,169 --> 01:39:00,007
[cheers and applause]

2436
01:39:00,009 --> 01:39:01,241
<i>[r.E.M.'s man on the moon]</i>

2437
01:39:01,243 --> 01:39:04,179
- ♪ andy, did you hear
About this one? ♪

2438
01:39:04,181 --> 01:39:08,183
♪ tell me are you locked
In the punch? ♪

2439
01:39:08,185 --> 01:39:10,920
- ♪ oh, andy,
Are you goofing on elvis? ♪

2440
01:39:10,922 --> 01:39:15,259
♪ hey, baby,
Are you losing touch? ♪

2441
01:39:15,261 --> 01:39:16,661
♪ oh ♪

2442
01:39:16,663 --> 01:39:20,732
- ♪ if you believed
They put a man on the moon ♪

2443
01:39:20,734 --> 01:39:24,103
- ♪ man on the moon ♪
- ♪ yeah, yeah ♪

2444
01:39:24,105 --> 01:39:26,072
- ♪ if you believe ♪

2445
01:39:26,074 --> 01:39:28,409
♪ there's nothing up my sleeve ♪

2446
01:39:28,411 --> 01:39:32,147
♪ then nothing is cool,
Whoa ♪

2447
01:39:32,149 --> 01:39:40,022
♪ ♪

2448
01:39:40,024 --> 01:39:41,558
- for a band that
Doesn't have lineage,

2449
01:39:41,560 --> 01:39:42,893
A lot of--great deal
Of narrative

2450
01:39:42,895 --> 01:39:45,863
And a great deal of lineage
In its work,

2451
01:39:45,865 --> 01:39:48,800
When you look at the whole,
It actually kind of makes sense.

2452
01:39:48,802 --> 01:39:51,203
I think if--you know,
If someone wanted to sit down

2453
01:39:51,205 --> 01:39:53,473
And listen to all the records
One after the other,

2454
01:39:53,475 --> 01:39:55,442
What you would see is
A band growing up

2455
01:39:55,444 --> 01:39:57,644
And a band--you know,
Each member

2456
01:39:57,646 --> 01:40:00,782
Kind of becoming
Their own thing and changing.

2457
01:40:02,017 --> 01:40:05,020
<i>[r.E.M.'s discoverer]</i>

2458
01:40:05,022 --> 01:40:12,963
♪ ♪

2459
01:40:23,310 --> 01:40:26,647
- ♪ hey, baby
This is not a challenge ♪

2460
01:40:26,649 --> 01:40:28,450
♪ it just means
That i love you ♪

2461
01:40:28,452 --> 01:40:32,922
♪ as much as i always
Said i did ♪

2462
01:40:32,924 --> 01:40:37,928
♪ i was wrong
I have been laughable wrong ♪

2463
01:40:37,930 --> 01:40:40,898
♪ sandpaper, paper mache,
Chalk ♪

2464
01:40:40,900 --> 01:40:42,333
♪ hung out wet ♪

2465
01:40:42,335 --> 01:40:45,437
♪ ♪

2466
01:40:45,439 --> 01:40:48,607
♪ on the city
And your skin now ♪

2467
01:40:48,609 --> 01:40:51,511
♪ na, na, na, na, yeah ♪

2468
01:40:51,513 --> 01:40:53,981
And we worked really hard.
We had a lot of luck.

2469
01:40:53,983 --> 01:40:55,817
We had a modicum of talent,
And we did

2470
01:40:55,819 --> 01:40:57,719
The best that we could
With what we had, and--

2471
01:40:57,721 --> 01:41:01,456
And it turned out good.
In fact, great.

2472
01:41:01,458 --> 01:41:02,725
[chuckles]

2473
01:41:02,727 --> 01:41:07,998
♪ that just the slightest bit
Of finesse ♪

2474
01:41:08,000 --> 01:41:12,404
♪ might have made
A little less mess ♪

2475
01:41:12,406 --> 01:41:15,274
♪ but it was what it was ♪

2476
01:41:15,276 --> 01:41:18,745
♪ let's all get on with it ♪

2477
01:41:18,747 --> 01:41:22,950
♪ now-ow-ow ♪

2478
01:41:22,952 --> 01:41:25,354
- it's a little cliche, but we
Just got together for fun,

2479
01:41:25,356 --> 01:41:27,021
And that was all we meant to do,

2480
01:41:27,023 --> 01:41:30,158
Was just to play some parties
And go out and have a good time.

2481
01:41:30,160 --> 01:41:31,861
- i mean, the only reason
That we have

2482
01:41:31,863 --> 01:41:33,363
Any kind of integrity at all
Is 'cause

2483
01:41:33,365 --> 01:41:35,099
This is the way
We have to live our lives

2484
01:41:35,101 --> 01:41:38,169
To feel good, you know?

2485
01:41:38,171 --> 01:41:39,470
You know, i don't know--

2486
01:41:39,472 --> 01:41:41,406
The things that the--
I guess that other people do

2487
01:41:41,408 --> 01:41:43,276
Are just things that
I couldn't physically do.

2488
01:41:43,278 --> 01:41:45,411
You know, the concessions
That you might have to make,

2489
01:41:45,413 --> 01:41:46,680
To be successful.

2490
01:41:46,682 --> 01:41:48,549
- we weren't really trying
To become huge

2491
01:41:48,551 --> 01:41:52,319
Or hugely popular,
And we did want to have fun

2492
01:41:52,321 --> 01:41:55,456
And maybe not have regrets
Later in our lives.

2493
01:41:55,458 --> 01:41:57,993
I don't have any.
I don't have any.

2494
01:41:57,995 --> 01:41:59,696
I don't think
Those guys do either.

2495
01:41:59,698 --> 01:42:03,667
- ♪ now-ow-ow ♪

2496
01:42:03,669 --> 01:42:09,041
- ♪ discover, discover ♪

2497
01:42:09,043 --> 01:42:11,444
♪ discover ♪

2498
01:42:11,446 --> 01:42:13,846
♪ discover ♪

2499
01:42:13,848 --> 01:42:19,853
♪ disco-o-o-ver ♪

2500
01:42:19,855 --> 01:42:27,798
♪ ♪

2501
01:42:30,233 --> 01:42:32,169
[song ends]

2502
01:42:34,373 --> 01:42:36,307
- wow.

2503
01:42:37,611 --> 01:42:40,547
[cheers and applause]

2504
01:42:43,618 --> 01:42:45,952
- if i had to go
On a lecture series of colleges

2505
01:42:45,954 --> 01:42:48,923
And talk to budding musicians,
You know, i would--

2506
01:42:48,925 --> 01:42:51,793
I would say that
The most important thing

2507
01:42:51,795 --> 01:42:55,564
Is not to listen to anyone
No matter what.

2508
01:42:55,566 --> 01:42:57,867
Don't listen to anything
They say, because they're wrong.

2509
01:42:57,869 --> 01:42:59,003
- who's they?

2510
01:42:59,005 --> 01:43:01,472
- they is anyone
Except yourself,

2511
01:43:01,474 --> 01:43:03,775
And perhaps if you're
In a band situation,

2512
01:43:03,777 --> 01:43:05,378
They is anyone
Except yourself

2513
01:43:05,380 --> 01:43:10,449
And the people you choose
To be in a group with.

2514
01:43:10,451 --> 01:43:16,457
That--you know, that to me
Is the essence...

2515
01:43:16,459 --> 01:43:20,561
Of creativity,
Not paying attention to--

2516
01:43:20,563 --> 01:43:22,164
Oh, i really hate
The way that sounded,

2517
01:43:22,166 --> 01:43:25,001
"the essence of creativity."
Bleh.

2518
01:43:25,003 --> 01:43:25,969
- we'll take that out.

2519
01:43:27,038 --> 01:43:30,041
<i>[r.E.M.'s shaking through]</i>

2520
01:43:30,043 --> 01:43:37,984
♪ ♪

2521
01:43:39,286 --> 01:43:45,292
- ♪ could it be
That one small voice ♪

2522
01:43:45,294 --> 01:43:47,896
♪ doesn't count ♪

2523
01:43:47,898 --> 01:43:51,701
♪ in the room ♪

2524
01:43:51,703 --> 01:43:57,641
♪ yellow like a geisha gown ♪

2525
01:43:57,643 --> 01:44:02,815
♪ denying all the way ♪

2526
01:44:02,817 --> 01:44:04,116
♪ ♪

2527
01:44:04,118 --> 01:44:10,123
♪ could this by three be ten ♪

2528
01:44:10,125 --> 01:44:16,131
♪ honor marches on ♪

2529
01:44:16,133 --> 01:44:22,106
♪ yellow like a geisha gown ♪

2530
01:44:22,108 --> 01:44:24,641
♪ denial ♪

2531
01:44:24,643 --> 01:44:28,646
♪ all the way ♪

2532
01:44:28,648 --> 01:44:34,654
♪ shaking through ♪

2533
01:44:34,656 --> 01:44:40,661
♪ opportune ♪

2534
01:44:40,663 --> 01:44:46,936
♪ shaking through ♪

2535
01:44:46,938 --> 01:44:53,811
♪ opportune ♪

2536
01:44:53,813 --> 01:45:01,821
♪ in my li-i-i-ife ♪

2537
01:45:01,823 --> 01:45:08,429
♪ i-i-i-fe ♪

2538
01:45:08,431 --> 01:45:14,336
♪ ears that are still ♪

2539
01:45:14,338 --> 01:45:18,708
♪ children of today on parade ♪