# What's the Best R.E.M. song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505 "2010-10-08T16:04:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/21 "2010-10-08T22:04:57Z")
Of those choices, it’s easily “Nightswimming”, with “Gardening at Night” and “So. Central Rain” very close on its heels. ---
**Author:** ![hopesperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@hopesperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hopesperson)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/22 "2010-10-08T22:12:49Z")
I went with So. Central Rain, though most of my favorites, new and old, are not on the list. The One I Love is a pretty darn good song, by the way – overplayed and misinterpreted in its time, but not a bad song by any stretch. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/23 "2010-10-08T22:20:41Z")
It’s a toss up between Electrolite and Nightswimming. I voted Nightswimming but on another evening would have picked Electrolite. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/24 "2010-10-08T22:23:02Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > For that matter, the '83 show was the best I saw them play. Was that 27 years ago? Ye gods. Show-off! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/25 "2010-10-08T22:40:20Z")
I tried to vote for “It’s The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” only because “The One I Love” wasn’t on the list. But the board wouldn’t let me. I think vB agrees with me. “The One I Love” it is. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/26 "2010-10-09T00:12:24Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > > [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > > > For that matter, the '83 show was the best I saw them play. Was that 27 years ago? Ye gods. > > Show-off! 😉 College town in the 80s, what can I say, they played every year! Of course, the public gets the groovy “Pixies at CBGBs” type stories while I leave off mentioning the 65 terrible bands I saw there. ---
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/27 "2010-10-09T07:59:17Z")
“Don’t go back to Rockville” would be the one country song my band would play, if I was in a band: “At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend I don’t care that you’re not here with me…It’s not as though I really need you. If you were here I’d only leave you.” Dark, honest lyrics in a pop song - great mix. Since Rockville isn’t on the list, I went with Driver 8. “The power lines have floaters so the airplanes won’t get snagged.” I love that line. Growing up in the South close to fields that were cropdusted, I saw those “floaters” everywhere but wasn’t completely sure of their purpose till I heard this song. Thanks for running these polls woodstockbirdybird. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/28 "2010-10-09T08:42:22Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Up to par and Katie bars > the kitchen sides but not me in Kitchen _door_, not kitchen sides. “Katie bar the door” is a southern phrase apparently. Michael Stipe explained that in an interview I read with him a million years ago. Oh, and I voted for “Gardening at Night”. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/29 "2010-10-09T08:50:00Z")
> [@me](#): > > Kitchen _door_, not kitchen sides. “Katie bar the door” is a southern phrase apparently. Michael Stipe explained that in an interview I read with him a million years ago. OK, ignore me. Just listened to it again and whatever Michael Stipe claims, there’s no way that word is “door”. It sounds more like “signs” than “sides” to me, though. ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/30 "2010-10-09T08:50:39Z")
“Imitation of Life” good poll, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/31 "2010-10-09T16:42:05Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > This name I’ve got got we all agree > Secret stop, stop it well-read > We could bind it in the cyst (scythe?) > We could gather throw a fit > > Up to par and Katie bars > the kitchen sides but not me in > Sitting trial for the big kill > Wasting time, sitting still The first 3 search results that allowed me to cut-and-paste are all completely, hilariously different: \*1.This name I got we all agreed Secrets don’t stop the worrying Wicked blinded in the seek Wicked gathered up in sin Occupy Arcadian, a Grecian sky, but not mean Sit and try for the big kill, waste of time sitting still 1. This name I got we all were green See could stop stop it will red We could bind it in the cyst We could gather, throw a fit Up to par, Katie buys a kitchen-size, but not me in Sit and try for the big key, a waste o’ time, sitting still 2. This name I got we all agreed. See could stop stop it will rid We could bind it in the cist. We could gather, throw a fit. Up to buy, Katie buys a kitchen size, but not Mae Ann Setting trap for love, making a waste a time, sitting still.\* Katie bar the door! But not Mae Ann! ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/32 "2010-10-10T22:32:37Z")
Huh. My vote (Wolves) is not popular. I guess it never got anything close to radio play, though. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/33 "2010-10-11T00:41:01Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I picked _Losing My Religion_, but their best is _Shiny Happy People_ You misspelled worst. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/34 "2010-10-11T02:42:18Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > > [@Markxxx](#): > > > > I picked _Losing My Religion_, but their best is _Shiny Happy People_ > > You misspelled worst. It’s not the best, but it did get the [Muppet treatment](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoc8_aJLpes). That’s gotta count for something. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/35 "2010-10-11T03:37:55Z")
I’m surprised at the number of votes cast for “End of the World…” - I’ve always thought of it as a novelty song, not one of their best. I voted for “Driver 8”. ---
**Author:** ![eno801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@eno801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eno801)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505/36 "2010-10-11T04:27:27Z")
Tounge was that even on there?? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-r-e-m-song/556505.md?page=1)