Bruce Springsteen w. John Fogerty - Fortunate Son - Madison Square Garde...

Fortunate Son
Creedence Clearwater Revival

Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Ooh, they're red, white and blue
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief"
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no
Yeah, yeah
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when…


Fortunate Son




"Fortunate Son" is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival released on their fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys in 1969. It was released as a single, together with "Down on the Corner", in September 1969. This song reached #14 on the United States charts on 22 November 1969, the week before Billboard changed its methodology on double-sided hits. The tracks combined to climb to #9 the next week, on the way to peaking at #3 three more weeks later, on 20 December 1969. It won the RIAA Gold Disc award in December 1970. Pitchfork Media placed it at number 17 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s". Rolling Stone placed it at #99 on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list. In 2014, the song was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Origin

The song is a counterculture era anti-war anthem, criticizing militant patriotic behavior and those who support the use of military force without having to "pay the costs" themselves (either financially or by serving in a wartime military). The song, released during the Vietnam War, is not explicit in its criticism of that war in particular, but the clear attacks on the elite classes (the families that give birth to "fortunate sons") of United States and their withdrawal from the costs of nationalistic imperialism are easy to contextualize to that conflict. The song was inspired by the wedding of David Eisenhower, the grandson of President Dwight David Eisenhower, to Julie Nixon, the daughter of President Richard Nixon, in 1968. The song's author and singer, John Fogerty, told Rolling Stone:

Julie Nixon was hanging around with David Eisenhower, and you just had the feeling that none of these people were going to be involved with the war. In 1968, the majority of the country thought morale was great among the troops, and eighty percent of them were in favor of the war. But to some of us who were watching closely, we just knew we were headed for trouble.

Fogerty has since gone on to explain more about the initial origin of the song, while on the television show The Voice:

The thoughts behind this song - it was a lot of anger. So it was the Vietnam War going on... Now I was drafted and they're making me fight, and no one has actually defined why. So this was all boiling inside of me and I sat down on the edge of my bed and out came "It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son!" You know, it took about 20 minutes to write the song.

Interpretive legacy

The song has been widely used to protest military actions as well as elitism in a broader sense in Western society, particularly in the United States; as an added consequence of its popularity, it has even been used in completely unrelated situations, such as to advertise blue jeans.

It attracted criticism when Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, and Zac Brown performed the song together at the November 2014 Concert for Valor in Washington D.C.. Fogerty, a military veteran, defended their song choice.


Cover versions[

The song has since been recorded or notably performed by Bob Seger, La Renga, Gordon Downie and the Country of Miracles, Brandi Carlile, Pearl Jam, U2, Sleater-Kinney, Corrosion of Conformity, Death Cab for Cutie, Cat Power, The Dropkick Murphys, 38 Special, Circle Jerks, Jeff B.R.I.C.K. & The Mortiboys, Minutemen, Kid Rock, W.A.S.P., Todd Snider and Patty Griffin, Bruce Springsteen, Santana featuring Scott Stapp, The Ghost Inside and Aloe Blacc. The Screaming Jets recorded a cover of "Fortunate Son" and released it as a B-side to their 1996 single, "Sacrifice". Wyclef Jean's cover of the song was played over the beginning and ending credits of The Manchurian Candidate (2004). Sleater-Kinney also performed a cover of the song, which they dedicated to George W. Bush, during the WedRock benefit concert on April 28, 2004. Fogerty recorded a version of the song with Foo Fighters for his 2013 album Wrote a Song for Everyone(Forced Entry).[ October 12, 2015, Dustin Monk and James Dupré covered the song with songwriters on The Voice (U.S. season 9), Australian-American rock band The Dead Daisies covered the song on their 2016 album Make Some Noise. The song was also covered for the Bioshock Infinite game soundtrack and can be heard during gameplay. On November 13th, 2016, on The X Factor (Australia season 8). contestant 'Davey Woder', covered the song.

Video games

The song is used in the introduction sequence of the game Battlefield Vietnam where it is among a list of in-game playable tracks. The song was also used during the E3 announcement trailer for Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam and is also the main menu song for the game and plays mid-game in vehicle radios. "Fortunate Son" was also included in the game Call of Duty: Black Ops at the start of the level S.O.G. Its use is an anachronism, as the level S.O.G. takes place during the Battle of Khe Sanh, a year before the song is released. In Homefront, the song is played during the chapter "Golden Gate". A cover of the song was released as DLC for Rock Band in 2007. The first appearance of the song came out before real instruments were integrated. The original version was made available to download on March 1, 2011, for use in Rock Band 3 PRO mode which takes advantage of the use of a real guitar / bass guitar, along with standard MIDI-compatible electronic drum kits in addition to vocals.[15][16] The master recording by CCR was made available as well in 2010. The song is also playable on basic controllers in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.

The song is briefly played as both its original recording and a solo a cappella rendition, sung by Jessy Carolina, in BioShock Infinite.[17] As the game is set in 1912, the presence of the song, which is sung by a slave as a spiritual, indicates that time travel is at work in the plot. This is later confirmed when players discover a "tear" in space and time; the Creedence Clearwater Revival version of the song can be heard playing through this tear.

The song is featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto V on the in-game radio station Los Santos Rock Radio, though the song is only available for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC versions of the game. An instrumental version of the song is also played as background music in Indianapolis 500 Legends. The song is also featured on the soundtrack for MLB The Show: 09 on PS3.

The song is featured in the 2016 video games Mafia III, where its use is an anachronism, as the game takes place a year before the song was released, as well as Watch Dogs 2.
Movies and TV[edit]

"Fortunate Son" is featured in the film Forrest Gump, and is the introduction song in the scene where Forrest and Bubba are shown flying in a U.S. Army UH-1C Huey Helicopter, to the combat zone, in South Vietnam, c. 1968, in the Vietnam War. Most recently, "Fortunate Son," performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival, is featured in the film Little White Lies, called the French Big Chill, in part for its use of American rock classics.

The song also appeared in the film Live Free or Die Hard.

The song also appeared in the film War Dogs.

A cover version of the song performed by Wyclef Jean appears on the soundtrack of the 2004 version of the film The Manchurian Candidate and is the opening track of the closing credits.

This song is covered by the band Jeffster! from the spycom Chuck on season 3 episode 9 "Chuck Versus the Beard".

The original CCR version plays over the closing credits in the 2012 film Battleship.

American Dad! episode In Country...Club featured the song when Stan brings his son to a Vietnam War reenactment. The song however was not credited.

The song was included on the soundtrack album for the 2016 film Suicide Squad.

Commercials

A highly edited version was used in a Wrangler commercial because John Fogerty "long ago signed away legal control of his old recordings to Creedence's record label, Fantasy Records."[11][21] In this case, the advertiser eventually stopped using the song, as Fogerty related in a later interview:


Yes, the people that owned Fantasy Records also owned all my early songs, and they would do all kinds of stuff I really hated in a commercial way with my songs. ... Then one day somebody from the L.A. Times actually bothered to call me up and ask me how I felt, and I finally had a chance to talk about it. And I said I'm very much against my song being used to sell pants. ... So my position got stated very well in the newspaper, and lo and behold, Wrangler to their credit said, "Wow, even though we made our agreement with the publisher, the owner of the song, we can see now that John Fogerty really hates the idea", so they stopped doing it.[22]

The Boss Calls Out Donny T for what he is Bruce Springsteen Calls Donald Trump a 'Moron' "The republic is under siege by a moron," Springsteen says in excerpts from upcoming Rolling Stone feature. "It's a tragedy for our democracy

Bruce Springsteen Calls Donald Trump a 'Moron'"The republic is under siege by a moron," Springsteen says in excerpts from upcoming Rolling Stone feature. "It's a Tragedy for our Democracy"

Bruce Springsteen on Donald Trump: "The republic is under siege by a moron." Credit: Ida Mae Astute/ABC/Getty, Roberto Panucci/Corbis/Getty

Bruce Springsteen spent the summer playing stadiums with the E Street Band and preparing to release his autobiography, Born To Run, while largely staying clear of this year's presidential campaigns. In an excerpt from an extensive interview that will appear in the next issue of Rolling Stone, Springsteen shares his thoughts on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, while addressing his own absence from the trail.

 
What do you make of the Trump phenomenon?Well, you know, the republic is under siege by a moron, basically. The whole thing is tragic. Without overstating it, it's a tragedy for our democracy. When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do. Once you let those genies out of the bottle, they don't go back in so easy, if they go back in at all. The ideas he's moving to the mainstream are all very dangerous ideas – white nationalism and the alt-right movement. The outrageous things that he's done – not immediately disavowing David Duke? These are things that are obviously beyond the pale for any previous political candidate. It would sink your candidacy immediately.
I believe that there's a price being paid for not addressing the real cost of the deindustrialization and globalization that has occurred in the United States for the past 35, 40 years and how it’s deeply affected people's lives and deeply hurt people to where they want someone who says they have a solution. And Trump's thing is simple answers to very complex problems. Fallacious answers to very complex problems. And that can be very appealing.
You haven't chosen to do anything with the campaign this year. Have you lost faith in whatever power you might have to affect these things?I don't know.  I think you have a limited amount of impact as an entertainer, performer or musician. I feel what I’ve done was certainly worth doing. And I did it at the time because I felt the country was in crisis, which it certainly is right now. I don’t know if we’ve been approached or not to do anything at the moment. If so, I would take it into consideration and see where it goes. 
No, I haven't really lost faith in what I consider to be the small amount of impact that somebody in rock music might be able to have. I don't think people go to musicians for their political points of view. I think your political point of view is circumstances and then how you were nurtured and brought up. But it's worth giving a shot when it's the only thing you have.
Is there a lack of enthusiasm for Hillary on your own part?No. I like Hillary. I think she would be a very, very good president.

Bruce Springsteen -Dream Baby Dream

DREAM BABY DREAM 

Album version

---

Dream baby dream
Dream baby dream
Dream baby dream
Come on and dream baby dream
Come on and dream baby dream

We gotta keep the light burning
Come on, we gotta keep the light burning
Come on, we gotta keep the light burning
Come on, we gotta keep the light burning
Come on and dream baby dream

We gotta keep the fire burning
Come on, we gotta keep the fire burning
Come on, we gotta keep the fire burning
Come on and dream baby dream

Come open up your heart
Come on and open up your heart
Come on and open up your heart
Come on dream on, dream baby dream

Come on and open up your heart
Come on and open up your hearts
Come on and open up your hearts
Come on dream on, dream baby dream

Come on, we gotta keep on dreaming
Come on, we gotta keep on dreaming
Come on, we gotta keep on dreaming
Come on dream on, dream baby dream

Come on darling and dry your eyes
Come on baby and dry your eyes
Come on baby and dry your eyes
Come on dream on, dream baby dream

Yeah I just wanna see you smile
Now I just wanna see you smile
Yeah I just wanna see you smile
Come on dream on, dream baby dream

Come on and open up your hearts
Come on and open up your hearts
Come on and open up your hearts
Come on dream on, dream baby dream

Yeah I just wanna see you smile
And I just wanna see you smile
Yeah I just wanna see you smile
Come on dream on, dream baby dream

Yeah I just wanna see you smile
Yeah I just wanna see you smile
Yeah I just wanna see you smile
Come on dream on, dream baby dream

Come on and open up your heart
Come on and open up your heart
Come on and open up your heart
Come on dream on, dream baby dream

Come on dream on, dream on baby
Come on dream on, dream on baby
Come on dream on, dream on baby
Come on dream on, dream baby dream

Ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah

---

Info

DREAM BABY DREAM is a 1979 song by the pop group Suicide. 

Bruce Springsteen released DREAM BABY DREAM on his 2014 album High Hopes. The above lyrics are for Springsteen's album version of DREAM BABY DREAM as released onHigh Hopes.

Springsteen's Version

During the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour, Springsteen played his modified version of Suicide's DREAM BABY DREAM on the pump organ with synthesizer in the background played by his keyboard technician Alan "Fitz" Fitzgerald. At the end of the song, he just stands up, focuses the mantra directly at the crowd before him, "I just wanna see you smile", and then walks off the stage while singing the last line, with the synthesizer still playing and the lights dimming.

Springsteen told Mojo: "It's a mantra and it works because the night is filled with so much narrative and detail and then at the end there's just those few phrases repeated and they are the essence of everything else I'm saying and doing in the course of the evening. The night opens and opens and then, at the end, when you think it can't open any more it does and it's completely embracing. It's yeah, I guess... I have an eye for a lot of detail and this is a lesson in, uh, 'What is a song?' It's so purely musical, that's what's beautiful about it, it's so simple and so purely musical."

Alan Vega's Comments

Alan Vega attended Springsteen's 20 Jul 2005 show in Bridgeport, CT. "I'm still high from that show. Now I can die. Not only he's playing 'Dream Baby Dream,' but it's the big encore song, the last song of the show," Alan Vega told Backstreets magazine in an interview. "A lot of bands have done my stuff, Suicide stuff [...] Thank god, finally somebody did their version of it. He interpreted my song, he did it his way, and such a great way that I'm going to have to sing it that way, or not sing it at all anymore!" In the interview, Vega talked about Springsteen's version of DREAM BABY DREAM, the Bridgeport show, how he first met Springsteen, the Nebraska album, and much more... At the end of the interview, when asked what's his favorite Springsteen song, Vega answered "'Dream Baby Dream.' On my death bed, that's the last thing I'm going to listen to. I'll play it at my funeral." The full interview can be found in the Winter 2005/2006 (#83/84) issue of Backstreets magazine.

A recording of the 20 Jul 2005 performance of DREAM BABY DREAM was made available for streaming on Blast First (Petite)'s MySpace page. The recording is apparently from an audience source.

Springsteen And Suicide

"I've liked Suicide for a long time," Springsteen told Mojo in an October 2005 interview. "I met the guys late in the '70s in New York City, when we were in the studio at the same time. You know, if Elvis came back from the dead I think he would sound like Alan Vaga. He gets a lot of emotional purity. I came across 'Dream Baby Dream' again because Michael Stipe included it on a compilation and I thought maybe I could do it."

In a December 1984 interview for Rolling Stone, Springsteen told Kurt Loder that Suicide was among the bands he was listening to lately. "They had that two-piece synthesizer-voice thing. They had one of the most amazing songs I ever heard." He added that "Frankie Teardrop" was one of the most amazing records he ever heard.

In a December 2013 interview for Rolling Stone, Springsteen told Andy Greene: "They are underground masters, to me. Just one of the greatest. Alan Vega, one of the greatest. They should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in my opinion. They are just amazing. I loved them, and they had an influence on Nebraska in a roundabout way."

Studio Recording

Springsteen recorded DREAM BABY DREAM in studio in 2013 and included it on his 2014 album High Hopes. The album version is very similar to the 2005 live version but features additional instruments (including Tom Morello on guitar) and choral voices towards the end. In a December 2013 interview for Rolling Stone, Ron Aniello told Andy Greene that Springsteen played him DREAM BABY DREAM and said it was an experience more than anything at the end of his Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour shows. "It took a lot to get that experience on a record for him. We had to do that song probably 10 times – different versions of it – until he was satisfied it was the right version."

The album version of DREAM BAY DREAM was produced by Ron Aniello with Bruce Springsteen. The performing musicians line-up on the track is:

• Bruce Springsteen (vocal, harmonium, piano, mandolin, synth, acoustic guitar)
• Roy Bittan (piano)
• Tom Morello (guitar)
• Ron Aniello (percussion, loops, synths, bass, guitar)
• Barry Daniellian (horns)
• Clark Gayton (horns)
• Stan Harrison (horns)
• Ed Manion (horns)
• Curt Ramm (horns)
• Rob Mathes (New York Chamber Consort – string arrangement and conductor)
• Lisa Kim (New York Chamber Consort – concertmaster, violin)
• Quan Ge (New York Chamber Consort – violin)
• Hyunju Lee (New York Chamber Consort – violin)
• Jessica Lee (New York Chamber Consort – violin)
• Ann Lehman (New York Chamber Consort – violin)
• Joanna Mauer (New York Chamber Consort – violin)
• Suzanne Ornstein (New York Chamber Consort – violin)
• Annaliesa Place (New York Chamber Consort – violin)
• David Southorn (New York Chamber Consort – violin)
• Jeanine Wynton (New York Chamber Consort – violin)
• Sharon Yamada (New York Chamber Consort – violin)
• Maurycy Banaszek (New York Chamber Consort – viola)
• Desiree Elsevier (New York Chamber Consort – viola)
• Shmuel Katz (New York Chamber Consort – viola)
• Robert Rinehart (New York Chamber Consort – viola)
• Maria Kitsopoulos (New York Chamber Consort – cello)
• Alan Stepansky (New York Chamber Consort – cello)
• Ru Pei Yeh (New York Chamber Consort – cello)

Music Video

On 10 Oct 2013, Springsteen posted a personal thank you note to his fans on his official website. A video was simultaneously posted on his website and his YouTube channelcommemorating the 18-month/133-date long Wrecking Ball Tour which concluded the previous month. The video features highlights from the tour edited by Thom Zimny and is set to the new 2013 studio recording of DREAM BABY DREAM mixed by Bob Clearmountain.

According to Zimny, work on the video began before the Wrecking Ball Tour ended. He initially cut footage for the video using the live 28 Oct 2005 version of DREAM BABY DREAM, but shortly thereafter he received a copy of the new studio version which, as he later explained, took the editing of the video to another place.

Seasick Steve appears in the video; he was watching Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's 28 May 2012 show in Landgraaf, The Netherlands, during Pinkpop Festival. The American blues musician was on that day's bill which was headlined by Springsteen and the band.

High Hopes

High Hopes is Bruce Springsteen's eighteenth studio album. It was officially released on 14 Jan 2014 on Columbia Records. It consists of 12 tracks and clocks at 56:24. Four songs were previously released in different versions (two of which are covers), two more were previously performed live but never released, and the remaining six are new to fans (one of which is a cover). "This is music I always felt needed to be released," Springsteen wrote in the album's liner notes.

In a December 2013 interview for Rolling Stone, Springsteen told Andy Greene that he has always written and recorded significantly more songs than can fit on to whatever album he's creating at the moment. "I have a lot of this music on a computer," he said. "I bring it out on the road to amuse myself. Very often, if I have nothing to do late at night I'll bring it up and look at different bodies of music." The songs that began catching Springsteen's attention were largely recorded after he reunited with the E Street Band in 1999. "The songs were relatively current and had a similar sound picture," he said. "I was interested in putting this material together in some form because it sounded like it all fit together... You have to imagine that when I'm home or done with a tour I go into a studio and I'm surrounded by paintings that I've sorta half-finished. There might be something wrong with this one and I didn't have time to finish this one. When I go into my studio, I'm surrounded by all my music that I haven't released. I wait to see what's going to speak to me." But then they cut a few sessions in 2013 while on tour. "I said, 'Well, these sound good,'" Springsteen told Rolling Stone. "These things blend together. Suddenly, it began to feel very fresh and fit together quite well."

Work on the album started in late 2012 when Springsteen called producer Ron Aniello asking him to work on some demos that he was thinking about releasing. "I remember that Bruce called me on my birthday, so it was December 9th, 2012", Aniello told Andy Greene in a December 2013 interview for Rolling Stone. "He said to me, 'I have some songs. I want to get together.'" According to Aniello, these were old demos that Springsteen had done with Toby Scott and that had been around for a while. Springsteen told him that he wanted to get these songs in shape and see what comes out of that. Aniello was not able to sit with Springsteen to sort it all out because Springsteen was away most of the time touring with the E Street Band. "It all happened in a very unusual manner," Aniello told Rolling Stone. "There was a lot of conversations in Europe and I did some of the recording via iChat when the band was in Australia."

In a January 2014 interview for Rolling Stone, Tom Morello told Andy Greene that he wasn't aware that there was ever talk of a new studio album when they sent him a couple of songs to add guitar on. He did that in his home studio and shortly after he was recording in studio with Max Weinberg and Ron Aniello. "But these studio sessions just kept occurring without any formal notion of what we were doing," Morello recounted. "My assumption was just that 'Bruce is always recording music.' So it was fantastic that I was asked to be a part of it. I was psyched." In March 2013 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band performed ten shows in Australia as part of the Wrecking Ball Tour. Steven Van Zandt was off filming his television series Lillyhammer and was replaced by Morello for that leg of the tour. Morello suggested to add HIGH HOPES to the live set. They worked it up during the rehearsals prior to the Australian shows and Morello then "proceeded to burn the house down with it," as Springsteen said. They then re-cut the song along with JUST LIKE FIRE WOULD at Studios 301, Australia's largest studio complex. "Tom and his guitar became my muse, pushing the rest of this project to another level," Springsteen said. He told Rolling Stone's David Fricke, "We've never had a recording session during a tour in our lives. We did a couple of things that I wanted to put down. So that was very exciting. And being with Tommy was exciting. The band – Steven, Nils, all those guys – continues to be a source of inspiration for me." Morello told Rolling Stone that he didn't get the notion that this was "coalescing into what was going to be a major release" until they were in Australia.

No less than sixteen recording studios were used in the making of High Hopes: Thrill Hill Recording (Springsteen's home studio in Colts Neck, NJ), Stone Hill Studio (Springsteen's new home studio in Colts Neck, NJ), Very Loud House (in Los Angeles, CA), Renegade Studio (in New York City, NY), Veritas Studio (in Los Angeles, CA), Southern Tracks (Atlanta, GA), East West Studios (in Los Angeles, CA), NRG Studios (in Los Angeles, CA), Village Studios (in Los Angeles, CA), Studios 301 (in Byron Bay and Sydney, Australia), Record Plant (in Los Angeles, CA), Electric Lady Studios (in New York City, NY), Avatar Studios (in New York City, NY), Sear Sound (in New York City, NY), and Berkeley Street Studio (in Santa Monica, CA).

Ron Aniello revealed that at least 20 tracks were recorded for the album. Among the tracks that didn't make the album cut were COLD SPOT, HEY BLUE EYES, AMERICAN BEAUTY, and MARY MARY.

The album was produced by Bruce Springsteen, Brendan O'Brien, and Ron Aniello. It features all E Street Band members, including the late Clarence Clemons and the late Danny Federici on several songs of what Springsteen calls "some of our best unreleased material from the past decade." The album also features an ensemble of guest artists, including Tom Morello who's featured prominently on the album, appearing on eight tracks.

Bruce Springsteen -- High Hopes

High Hopes is available in three configurations: standard CD edition, limited edition, and double-disc LP. The limited edition consists of the standard audio CD and includes a bonus live DVD of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band performing the entire Born In The U.S.A. album on 30 Jun 2013 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, England, during the Wrecking Ball Tour. The double-disc LP is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and includes a CD version of the album.

High Hopes was officially announced on 25 Nov 2013 and the release date was set for 14 Jan 2014, but on 28 Dec 2013 it became available for purchase as individual tracks in MP3 format through Amazon.com's mobile application. Although Amazon quickly removed the files, presumably recognizing its mistake, the album had already made its way onto file-sharing websites.

The album topped the charts in 20 countries, including the United States and the UK. It was Springsteen's eleventh #1 album in the US, placing him third all-time for most #1 albums only behind The Beatles and Jay-Z. It was his tenth #1 in the UK, putting him joint fifth all-time and level with The Rolling Stones and U2.

Bruce Springsteen - Tougher Than the Rest

"Tougher Than The Rest"

Well it's Saturday night
You're all dressed up in blue
I been watching you awhile
Maybe you been watching me too
So somebody ran out
Left somebody's heart in a mess
Well if you're looking for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest

Some girls they want a handsome Dan
Or some good-lookin' Joe, on their arm
Some girls like a sweet-talkin' Romeo
Well 'round here baby
I learned you get what you can get
So if you're rough enough for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest

The road is dark
And it's a thin thin line
But I want you to know I'll walk it for you any time
Maybe your other boyfriends
Couldn't pass the test
Well if you're rough and ready for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest

Well it ain't no secret
I've been around a time or two
Well I don't know baby maybe you've been around too
Well there's another dance


All you gotta do is say yes
And if you're rough and ready for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest
If you're rough enough for love
Baby I'm tougher than the rest

"Tougher Than the Rest" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1987 Tunnel of Love album. It was released as a single in some countries, following "Brilliant Disguise" and the title track, but was not released as a single in the United States. It reached as high as #3 on the Swiss charts, and also reached the Top 20 in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Austria.

History

Like much of the Tunnel of Love album, "Tougher Than the Rest" was recorded in Springsteen's home studio, called Thrill Hill East, between January and May 1987 with several members of the E Street Band. On this song, Springsteen played several instruments and is backed by Danny Federici on organ and Max Weinberg on percussion. Although it was originally written as arockabilly song, the final version has a slower and more methodical rhythm.

On the Tunnel of Love album, "Tougher Than the Rest" is the second song, following the acoustic "Ain't Got You", and introduces the sound that will permeate the remainder of the album. The synthesizer sound is layered and melodic and the drum sound is moody, heavy and menacing.Springsteen's vocal is also menacing and boastful as he sings the simple but elegant lyrics detailing his infatuation.

At least one of the singer and the woman he is singing to appear to be on the rebound from prior relationships.] The singer recognizes that he is not a "handsome Dan" or a "sweet talking Romeo" and admits that he has "been around a time or two". He is not bothered with the possibility that the woman may have "been around too." Although the singer knows how messy and rough love can be, he claims that he is ready for it, but insists that the woman must also be equally tough and willing to take chances. The song is in some ways reminiscent of Springsteen's earlier song "Thunder Road", in which the singer wants to take the woman away, even though he tells her that "you ain't a beauty but hey you're alright". But unlike the earlier song, in this song the singer's goals are more realistic — rather than looking to run away with the woman, here he just wants to ask the woman to dance. In the context of this song the phrase, 'There's another dance, all you have to do is say yes,' is an allusion to taking a chance and falling in love. This is echoed in the song 'Girls in their Summer Clothes' which includes the line 'Love's a fools' dance, I ain't got no sense, but I've still got my feet.'

The music video features live concert footage interspersed with vignettes of couples made at venues on his "Tunnel of Love Express" tour. The video includes both gay and lesbian pairs interspersed with heterosexual couples as representatives of the artist's fans. Springsteen included this explicitly homosexual imagery with neither fanfare nor exploitation. Like several other music videos from the Tunnel of Love album, including "Brilliant Disguise", "Tunnel of Love" and "One Step Up", the video for "Tougher Than The Rest" was directed by Meiert Avis. The video was later released on the VHS and DVD Video Anthology / 1978-88.

Live performance history

"Tougher Than the Rest" has been reasonably popular in live performances. Next to Brilliant Disguise and the title track, this song is third and only other song from the album to receive several appearances live. From the Tunnel of Love Express Tour (where it typically opened the second set) that supported the initial release of the album through July 2005, the song received 98 live performances in concert. A live version of the song, recorded on April 27, 1988 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was released on the EP Chimes of Freedom. 

That version runs 6:39.

Cover versions[

Emmylou Harris recorded the most successful cover version of this song. A cover by Chris LeDoux peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1995.[14] Other cover versions have been recorded by Title Tracks, Everything But the Girl, Greg Hawks, The Mendoza Line, Darren Hayes, Travis Tritt, Shawn Colvin, and Camera Obscura.] Cher performed the song during her 1990 Heart of Stone Tour and it is included in her Live at the Mirage DVD of that tour. We Are Augustines also covered the song, on their iTunes Session album.

Bruce Springsteen - Tougher Than the Rest

"Tougher Than The Rest"

Well it's Saturday night
You're all dressed up in blue
I been watching you awhile
Maybe you been watching me too
So somebody ran out
Left somebody's heart in a mess
Well if you're looking for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest

Some girls they want a handsome Dan
Or some good-lookin' Joe, on their arm
Some girls like a sweet-talkin' Romeo
Well 'round here baby
I learned you get what you can get
So if you're rough enough for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest

The road is dark
And it's a thin thin line
But I want you to know I'll walk it for you any time
Maybe your other boyfriends
Couldn't pass the test
Well if you're rough and ready for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest

Well it ain't no secret
I've been around a time or two
Well I don't know baby maybe you've been around too
Well there's another dance


All you gotta do is say yes
And if you're rough and ready for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest
If you're rough enough for love
Baby I'm tougher than the rest

"Tougher Than the Rest" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1987 Tunnel of Love album. It was released as a single in some countries, following "Brilliant Disguise" and the title track, but was not released as a single in the United States. It reached as high as #3 on the Swiss charts, and also reached the Top 20 in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Austria.

History

Like much of the Tunnel of Love album, "Tougher Than the Rest" was recorded in Springsteen's home studio, called Thrill Hill East, between January and May 1987 with several members of the E Street Band. On this song, Springsteen played several instruments and is backed by Danny Federici on organ and Max Weinberg on percussion. Although it was originally written as arockabilly song, the final version has a slower and more methodical rhythm.

On the Tunnel of Love album, "Tougher Than the Rest" is the second song, following the acoustic "Ain't Got You", and introduces the sound that will permeate the remainder of the album. The synthesizer sound is layered and melodic and the drum sound is moody, heavy and menacing.Springsteen's vocal is also menacing and boastful as he sings the simple but elegant lyrics detailing his infatuation.

At least one of the singer and the woman he is singing to appear to be on the rebound from prior relationships.] The singer recognizes that he is not a "handsome Dan" or a "sweet talking Romeo" and admits that he has "been around a time or two". He is not bothered with the possibility that the woman may have "been around too." Although the singer knows how messy and rough love can be, he claims that he is ready for it, but insists that the woman must also be equally tough and willing to take chances. The song is in some ways reminiscent of Springsteen's earlier song "Thunder Road", in which the singer wants to take the woman away, even though he tells her that "you ain't a beauty but hey you're alright". But unlike the earlier song, in this song the singer's goals are more realistic — rather than looking to run away with the woman, here he just wants to ask the woman to dance. In the context of this song the phrase, 'There's another dance, all you have to do is say yes,' is an allusion to taking a chance and falling in love. This is echoed in the song 'Girls in their Summer Clothes' which includes the line 'Love's a fools' dance, I ain't got no sense, but I've still got my feet.'

The music video features live concert footage interspersed with vignettes of couples made at venues on his "Tunnel of Love Express" tour. The video includes both gay and lesbian pairs interspersed with heterosexual couples as representatives of the artist's fans. Springsteen included this explicitly homosexual imagery with neither fanfare nor exploitation. Like several other music videos from the Tunnel of Love album, including "Brilliant Disguise", "Tunnel of Love" and "One Step Up", the video for "Tougher Than The Rest" was directed by Meiert Avis. The video was later released on the VHS and DVD Video Anthology / 1978-88.

Live performance history

"Tougher Than the Rest" has been reasonably popular in live performances. Next to Brilliant Disguise and the title track, this song is third and only other song from the album to receive several appearances live. From the Tunnel of Love Express Tour (where it typically opened the second set) that supported the initial release of the album through July 2005, the song received 98 live performances in concert. A live version of the song, recorded on April 27, 1988 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was released on the EP Chimes of Freedom. 

That version runs 6:39.

Cover versions[

Emmylou Harris recorded the most successful cover version of this song. A cover by Chris LeDoux peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1995.[14] Other cover versions have been recorded by Title Tracks, Everything But the Girl, Greg Hawks, The Mendoza Line, Darren Hayes, Travis Tritt, Shawn Colvin, and Camera Obscura.] Cher performed the song during her 1990 Heart of Stone Tour and it is included in her Live at the Mirage DVD of that tour. We Are Augustines also covered the song, on their iTunes Session album.

R.E.M. w/ Bruce Springsteen - Man on the Moon (Wash. DC '04)

R.E.M's Michael Stipe and Bruce Springsteen performing together at a Vote for change Concert

Vote for Change Tour

Tour by MoveOn.org
The tour poster, which shared characteristics with Captain America's shield.
Location	United States
Start date	September 27, 2004
End date	October 13, 2004
Legs	1
Number of shows	40
Bruce Springsteen tour chronology The Rising Tour (2002–2003) Vote for Change (2004) Devils & Dust Tour (2005) Dixie Chicks tour chronology Top of the World Tour (2003) Vote for Change (2004) Accidents & Accusations Tour (2006) Pearl Jam tour chronology Riot Act Tour (2003) Vote for Change (2004) 2005 North American/Latin American Tour (2005)

The Vote for Change tour was a politically motivated American popular music concert tour that took place in October 2004.The tour was presented by MoveOn.org to benefit America Coming Together. The tour was held in swing states and was designed to encourage people to register and vote. Though the tour and the organization were officially non-partisan, many of the performers urged people to vote against then President George W. Bush and for John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election campaign. Bush would defeat Kerry in November 2004.

Itinerary

Every region had a specific night during which the concerts would be held in that region. When concerts were held in the same city, they were at different venues.

Results

The tour was generally successful in attracting audiences, generating media attention and raising approximately $10 million for America Coming Together.

In terms of the tour's effect on the election, none of the states that featured shows on the tour went differently from predicted in pre-election polls. Four of the eight ended up voting in favor of Kerry (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) while the other four went to Bush (Missouri, Iowa, Florida, and Ohio). The states that had the heaviest tour presence (five or six shows) also split evenly. The result in Ohio was the most critical, as it decided the election in Bush's favor (despite six shows there).

The shows

The Springsteen and E Street Band performances were compressed to two hours in length due to the multi-act nature of the concerts.Especially at the beginning of his sets, Springsteen accomplished this by stripping down the songs, removing elongated outros and false endings from the likes of "Born in the U.S.A." and "Badlands". In doing so, the style of the Vote for Change shows foreshadowed the next E Street outing, the 2007 Magic Tour, when Springsteen adopted a similar approach.

"Man On The Moon"


Mott the Hoople and the game of Life yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Andy Kaufman in the wrestling match yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Monopoly, Twenty one, checkers, and chess yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mister Fred Blassie in a breakfast mess yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Let's play Twister, let's play Risk yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'll see you heaven if you make the list yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Now, Andy did you hear about this one?
Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Andy are you goofing on Elvis? Hey, baby
Are we losing touch?

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

Moses went walking with the staff of wood yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Newton got beaned by the apple good yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Egypt was troubled by the horrible asp yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mister Charles Darwin had the gall to ask yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Now, Andy did you hear about this one?
Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Andy are you goofing on Elvis? Hey, baby
Are you having fun?

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

Here's a little agit for the never-believer yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Here's a little ghost for the offering yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Here's a truck stop instead of Saint Peter's yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mister Andy Kaufman's gone wrestling yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Now, Andy did you hear about this one?
Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Andy are you goofing on Elvis? Hey, baby
Are we losing touch?

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

Man on the Moon was inspired by the late comedian Andy Kaufman. When he was a teenager, R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe saw Kaufman on Saturday Night Live, and has cited him as a huge influence ever since. See a photo and learn more about Andy Kaufman in Song Images.

Things mentioned in this song: Mott the Hoople, Life, Monopoly, Twister, Risk, checkers, chess, twenty-one, wrestler Fred Blassie, Elvis Presley, Moses, Sir Isaac Newton, and Charles Darwin.
Kaufman was known for his Elvis-impersonations, which he once performed on Saturday Night Live. Stipe tries one of his own on the line, "Hey, baby are we losing touch?"

This was used as the title for a 1999 movie about Andy Kaufman, starring Jim Carrey. R.E.M. did the soundtrack, which included this.

Andy Kaufman was never married. He met his long time girlfriend Lynn at a restaurant while shooting a short independent film. The movie told a different story of how they met. (thanks, Jessy - Pittsfield, MA)

The lyric, "Mr. Fred Blassie and the breakfast mess" refers to Kaufman's movie My Breakfast With Blassie. This was the movie that Kaufman was filming when he met his girlfriend. (thanks, Patrick - Tallapoosa, GA)

On an edition of the British TV show Top Of The Pops 2, Michael Stipe claimed that when writing this song, it was a tribute to Kurt Cobain's lyrics and writing, and that the repeated "yeah yeah yeah yeah" at the end of most lines is actually his attempt at putting more "yeahs" in a song than Cobain did. Stipe claimed Cobain was the master at making them fit, and he wanted to out-do him. (thanks, Liam - London, England)

R.E.M. performed this with Eddie Vedder when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

After R.E.M. called it quits in 2011, Michael Stipe said that this would be the song he would most miss performing, particularly "watching the effect of that opening bass line on a sea of people at the end of a show," he told Rolling Stone. "That is an easy song to sing. It's hard to sing a bad note in it," he added.

In the liner notes for Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011, Peter Buck recalled how the music for this song came together: "'Man on the Moon' was something that Bill [Berry] had this one chord change that he came in with, which was C to D like the verse of the song, and he said, 'I don't know what to do with that.' I used to finish some of Bill's things ... he would come up with the riffs, but I would be the finish guy for that. I sat down and came up with the chorus, the bridges, and so forth. I remember we showed it to Mike and Michael when they came in later; definitely we had the song finished. I think Bill played bass and I played guitar; we kept going around with it. I think we might have played some mandolin on it in the rehearsal studio."

Peter Care directed the music video on location near the Antelope Valley area of California. Stipe, wearing a cowboy hat, hitches a ride with Bill Berry to a truck stop. Once there, they meet Care tending bar while Mike Mills plays pool, and the cast of customers joins in singing the song's chorus. The late Andy Kaufman even makes an appearance on the truck stop's television set as the video ends.

Another Take on the Meaning of this Song
For iimagery, I see a design borrowed from visual art: "iconography" - here, it is a study of pop images, myth images, true history images, and religious images. Collectively: a personal iconography by Stipe about himself and the broader themes via Kaufman. Stipe borrows a lot from visual arts up and down the REM catalog. For proof, look no further than my verse 3 comments. 

For Themes, I agree with any who said: belief v disbelief, star v fan, dogma v inquiry, life/afterlife.

As background, Stipe introduced the song on one tour, and his intro got recorded live, as (roughly) "this next song is about a journey, one we are all going to take, we had to pick one person to go with us; we picked in my opinion the greatest comedian of the 20th century". I *think* it is in Roadmovie (Monster tour). So that seems to be the single seed that grew up into this amazing tree.

verse 1: personal, pop imagery - 

Mott the Hoople and Andy each dealt very differently in perceptions. Ian Hunter broached the star/fan boundary in his stage swagger - glam, but rough and not intending any of-the-era ambiguity (Simon Frith: the ballad of Mott, 1991). Mott kept it real and the fans identified. Andy? He incited his fans. He needed the wall between star/audience, the wider the better!!! Maybe Stipe identifies with both? Maybe he even does things a bit like each would, in the song? 
The games list, to me, reinforces a universal need for suspending disbelief, and also a time when we accept rules as a given. By Line 5 the speaker shifts to dialogue with someone off camera (" let's play... Let's play..."). Line 6 "See you in heaven if you make the list", "You" may be universal, but I also kinda think its aimed at Andy, in part because "Making the list" is entertainment lingo that Andy would know, but I had to research. It means being an official invitee to a private party. So, immediately there is a clear satire on the rules for getting into heaven (with the church- as institution- being the rule maker).

Verse 2: myth and historical imagery- 
Moses/staff Newton/apple, are types of myth. The first is dogmatic, the second is a popular - and false-- historical tale. Per "It crawled from the South" (1997), the "asp" image was stolen from a film reviewer's pun about Liz Taylor's "behind" as Cleopatra. So here, Stipe has nonsense 'up his sleeve'. Line 4 aligns with scientific inquiry opposite of dogma (historical note: Darwin never openly rejected his faith, but he was not at all devout either.)

Verse 3, (someone asked earlier & I saw no reply) - pop art and religious imagery

" Here's a little agit...". Agit is probably Agit Prop, a form of visual art which uses agitation and propaganda techniques for its message (e.g., Soviet poster campaigns under Lenin). Aso, I believe the line ends in "nether-believer"(not " never believer"). I think it is fair to see Stipe dropping a hint about what is to come next, and for whom.

"Here's a little ghost for the offering". I can think of 2 possible meanings. 1) A board game called Little Ghost, origin 1960, basically a Caspar knock-off, aimed at children. I am on the fence because it is not as well-known as the other games. 2) it is pure wordplay: reworking " giving up the ghost". Giving is like giving for an offering, but, here he is giving the idea of what a ghost is. Why is the ghost "little" ? Maybe just to mirror the line above. Maybe it figuratively means "not a lot". So, it subverts church institutional orthodox "giving". I like how #2 mirrors Verse 1, line 6. But it could be another inside joje we dont get, or something else.

"Truck stop/St. Peter's" I love the guy who said it questions why everyday things can't be religious as well. Agree! I only add that the contrast echoes the idea from "the list" (what is less exclusive than a truck stop?).
"Mr. Andy Kaufman's gone wrestling (wrestling bears)". The parenthetical is vague. I dont think Andy claimed he could, or ever did, wrestle a real bear. But ... I hear from the interweb that " bear" is alternative orientation slang that one might conclude quite aptly fits many pro wrestler body-types, especially of that era. Thats way better than what I was gonna speculate. 

Michael Stipe certainly confuses and makes mystery of the song as much as much is he intrigues, although my perspective is I feel it is really quite simple. For example the lyrics, 'Mr. Charles Darwin had the gall to ask... yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah'. These 'yeahs' after historical mentions of figures mainly in Western Culture are not just Stipes' urge to outdo Cobain. The 'yeahs' with their lower dynamic (volume) and speech-like non-commitment indicate 'irony', of people looking at Newton, Darwin, and Cleopatra with no research and going oh whatever I don't believe that even though there is sufficient evidence to prove otherwise. It is I suspect possibly about people's willing to go by popular media and non-credible internet sites instead of the painstaking novel, the scientific theory paper, the most credible historian, and out of this the ridiculous time-wasting debates that ensue. This culture has some of the most dishonest, lying, ungenerous, sensationalist media around, and why? 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...... the song is about the blurring of fact and fiction but in the context of people, as well as me, for who can believe almost anything on their TV screens or papers (or bible) it's ridiculing us, for our tenacity to be easily persuaded, especially so by emotional force. And that's the other clever notion of this song, it is serious but it is also jokey with the Andy Kaufman talk demonstrating for a figure such as Kaufman to ridicule people's willing to immediately lose their brains to watch Elvis (yes great performer but in another light) and be emotionally controlled, to watch a wrestler, etc then even believing Kaufman faked his death, an obvious rumour which, well, doesn't seem be true. The songs American campfire feel around the beautiful pine trees is possibly ridiculing the whole of Western Culture. 

The Chorus 'If you believe, there is nothing up my sleeve, then nothing is cool' is quite evident of Stipe playing with the listener in irony to show that some listeners may try to see if there is something up his sleeve but when their isn't it is boring to them, so they reinvent 9/11, moon landings, people's deaths (Hendrix) because their lives are that plagued by boring daytime routines, TV controlled imagination and no spirituality that they have to resort to this so then they can feel good or have something interesting. 
The campfire is the ultimate irony (of which it could also be a bar, room, whatever, a meeting, whatever) as the acoustic guitar might display, the impassioned performer trying to persuade and win the hearts of the few there, by being egotistically tender, hypercritical, overconfident, and yet people believe! They take it seriously! This song according to Ann Powers is also joking about human endeavours by placing them alongside boardgames, 'Twister... Risk.' Powers may be intending to show that what is the point of these life long endeavours when people don't care or more accurately don't care to believe it. It also may demonstrate humans sense of "self-importance", who will find us, are we the greatest, in clear complete ignorance of their brother species. In essence they should really just have one, not try t 'classify' everything and be joyous, work hard and do it for the meaning of itself: fulfillment. In other words, look at many perspectives, explore.

The Chorus line 'If you believe, They put a man on the moon, Man on the Moon' seems to indicate with the passionate, emotional tone of delivery that they (band) know it is so because the evidence is irrefutable, I mean I won't go mad but this is billions of dollars to NASA with countless research for the moon landing (in short what is the point of faking that?), if people only went to their website for climate change... AS well. Stipe's tone is urgent, 'you know this? They put a man on the moon, isn't that amazing?!' Julia Gillard was Australia's first female prime minister, and she had the courage and warrior-like strength to take all the scared (because they are scared they will lose tradition, lose their strength because they are actually very weak, etc), misogynistic bulls--t dished out to her. Including to have some incredible policy decisions in three years (which shows how pointless and destructive politics are when you focus solely on appearance, gender and personality instead of ethos and policies), isn't that amazing? 
The lyrics are satirising people's gullibility to believe anything, any of the adverts that proclaim you need them when you don't that don't give you anything, cults, religion, you name it. Of course here you can criticise me but I hope you do because it is the only way I and you will learn not to be gullible and 'face the music', face the facts and learn with humility and self-ridicule.

Chorus- to me the 'if' conditionals and double negatives explain themselves: The first 2 lines arent necessarily one question. One is fragment, one not. Cool.

"Man on the Moon"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Automatic for the People
B-side	"New Orleans Instrumental No. 2"
Released	November 21, 1992
Format	CD single, 7" single, 12" single,Cassette
Recorded	1992
Genre	Country rock folk rock
Length	5:15 (Album Version) 4:39 (Edit)
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer(s)	Scott Litt & R.E.M.
R.E.M. singles chronology
"Drive" (1992) "Man on the Moon" (1992) "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" (1993)

"Man on the Moon" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the second single from their 1992 album Automatic for the People. The lyrics were written by lead singer Michael Stipe, and the music by drummer Bill Berry and guitarist Peter Buck, and credited to the whole band as usual. The song was well received by critics and peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100and number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. It remains one of R.E.M.'s most popular songs^[2][3] and was included on the compilations In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 and Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011.

Lyrically, the song is a tribute to the comedian and performer Andy Kaufman with numerous references to his career including his Elvis impersonation, wrestling, and the film My Breakfast with Blassie. The song's title and chorus refer to the moon landing conspiracy theories as an oblique allusion to rumors that Kaufman's death in 1984 was faked. The song gave its name to Miloš Forman's film based on Kaufman's life, and was featured prominently in the film's official soundtrack.

Composition and lyrics

"Man on the Moon" is a mid-tempo country-rock song following a verse-chorus structure with an added pre-chorus and an instrumental bridge following the second and third choruses. The song is somewhat unusual in that the verses are unequal in length, with six lines in the first verse but only four in the second and third verses.

Guitarist Peter Buck explained how the music came together: "'Man on the Moon' was something that Bill [Berry] had, this one chord change that he came in with, which was C to D like the verse of the song, and he said: 'I don't know what to do with that.' I used to finish some of Bill's things... he would come up with the riffs, but I would be the finish guy for that. I sat down and came up with the chorus, the bridges, and so forth. I remember we showed it to Mike and Michael when they came in later; definitely we had the song finished. I think Bill played bass and I played guitar; we kept going around with it. I think we might have played some mandolin on it in the rehearsal studio."

The song's lyrics are an homage to the performer Andy Kaufman, including references to his Elvis impersonation and work with wrestlers Fred Blassie and Jerry Lawler. Some critics find the song also invokes the conspiracy theories surrounding the moon landing and Elvis Presley as an indirect nod to the persistent rumors that Kaufman faked his own death. Other lyrical references include boardgames, notable people, andMott the Hoople (both the title of a novel and a rock group which took its name from the novel). Regarding the cryptic lyrics, critic Greg Kot wrote that the song "presents a surreal vision of heaven." According to Ann Powers, "Mentioning Kaufman in the same breath as Moses and Sir Isaac Newton, Stipe makes a game of human endeavor, insisting that it all ends in dust. 'Let's play Twister, let's play Risk,' Stipe jokes to the notables he's invoked. 'I'll see you in heaven if you make the list.'"

Michael Stipe explained in an interview with Charlie Rose how the lyrics were written independently of the music, which had no prior association with the song's eventual lyrical content regarding Andy Kaufman. Stipe recounted that the rest of the members of R.E.M. had written and performed the music of the song and recorded it along with the rest of the Automatic for the People album during studio sessions in Seattle. As of the final day of the recording sessions, Stipe had not yet written lyrics to the song and the other band members continued to plead with him to try complete the song, despite his writer's block. Stipe listened to the track on a walk around Seattle and was inspired to write a song about the performances of Andy Kaufman. After Stipe went back to the studio to complete the vocal track, the master was mixed that night and sent out the following day to be mastered.

Release and reception

"Man on the Moon" was released as the second single from Automatic for the People on November 21, 1992, reaching number 30 on theBillboard Hot 100 and number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was enthusiastically received by critics. Writing for the New York Times, Ann Powers said it "shines with a wit that balances R.E.M.'s somber tendencies." Stewart Mason went even further in his review for Allmusic, calling the song "near-perfect", "almost inarguably Stipe's pinnacle as a singer", and "one of R.E.M.'s most enduring achievements". The song was listed at number 19 on the Village Voice "Pazz & Jop" year-end critics' poll in 1993.

Music video

The song's video, directed by Peter Care, was shot over three days in the desert, at Lancaster in the Antelope Valley area of California, in October 1992. Care kept a journal of the unusually long planning, filming, and editing process, which was published by Raygun magazine and reprinted in the R.E.M. fan club newsletter. It gave a clear idea of the amount of work, money, and attention-to-detail involved.

In the video, Michael Stipe, attired in a cowboy hat, walks along a desert road. He leaps onto a passing truck, driven by Bill Berry, and hitches a ride to a truck stop where Peter Buck is tending bar and Mike Mills is shooting pool. Berry trades his truck seat for a bar stool, and along with a few of the other customers (in the shooting, they used actors and non-actors), sings along during the choruses. After finishing his order of fries, Stipe leaves and walks off into the dusk. In the background on a small television set in the truck stop, various footage of Andy Kaufman can be seen showing.

This video was ranked #41 on Rolling Stone magazine's The 100 Top Music Videos.

Track listing

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe except as noted.

US 7", cassette and CD single

1. "Man on the Moon" – 5:12
2. "New Orleans Instrumental #2" – 3:48

UK "collector's edition" CD single[edit]

1. "Man on the Moon" – 5:12
2. "Fruity Organ" – 3:26
3. "New Orleans Instrumental #2" – 3:48
4. "Arms of Love" (Robyn Hitchcock) – 3:35

DE 12" and CD maxi-single[edit]

1. "Man on the Moon" (edit) – 4:39
2. "Turn You Inside-Out" – 4:15
3. "Arms of Love" (Hitchcock) – 3:35

UK and DE 7" and cassette single[edit]

1. "Man on the Moon" (edit) – 4:39
2. "Turn You Inside-Out" – 4:15

Charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	39
Canadian Hot 100	4
Irish Singles Chart	17
UK Singles Chart	18
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	30
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	2
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	4

Cover versions

• Tears For Fears during their period without Curt Smith (mid-90s) covered the song live a few times.
• American indie artist Ferraby Lionheart recorded an acoustic cover of the song in 2007, which was part of a tribute album to Drive that was organized by Stereogum. The album also contains a version by The Shout Out Louds. It is available for free download over the Internet.^[14]
• Commemorating the one year anniversary of the death of Eric the Midget (real name Eric Shaun Lynch), the song was redone with references to him.

R.E.M.
R.E.M. in concert in Padova, Italy, in July 2003. From left to right: Mike Mills,  Michael Stipe, touring drummer Bill Rieflin, and Peter Buck
Background information
Also known as	Hornets Attack Victor Mature,Bingo Hand Job,It Crawled from the South
Origin	Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock college rock jangle pop
Years active	1980–2011
Labels	Hib-Tone I.R.S. Warner Bros. Capitol New West Rhino Concord Bicycle Music
Associated acts	10,000 Maniacs Automatic Baby The Baseball Project Hindu Love Gods The Minus 5 Tuatara Tired Pony
Website	remhq.com
Past members	Bill Berry Peter Buck Mike Mills Michael Stipe

R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by lead singer Michael Stipe, lead guitarist Peter Buck, bassist/backing vocalist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. were noted for Buck's ringing, arpeggiatedguitar style, Stipe's particular vocal quality, and Mills' melodic basslines and backing vocals. R.E.M. released their first single, "Radio Free Europe", in 1981 on the independent record labelHib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first release onI.R.S. Records. In 1983, the group released its critically acclaimed debut album, Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with the single "The One I Love". The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide.

By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to experience broad mainstream success, R.E.M. was viewed by subsequent acts such as Nirvana and Pavement as a pioneer of the genre. The band then released its two most commercially successful albums, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound and catapulted it to international fame. R.E.M.'s 1994 release, Monster, was a return to a more rock-oriented sound, but still continued its run of success. The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by the three band members.

In 1996, R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported US$80 million, at the time the most expensive recording contract in history. Its 1996 release, New Adventures in Hi-Fi, though critically acclaimed, fared worse commercially than expected. The following year, Bill Berry left the band, while Stipe, Buck, and Mills continued the group as a trio. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success, despite having sold more than 85 million records worldwide and becoming one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time. In 2007, the band was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame, in their first year of eligibility. R.E.M. disbanded amicably in September 2011, announcing the split on its website.