Man on the Moon (song)
Encyclopedia
"Man on the Moon" is a song
by the American alternative rock
band R.E.M.
, released as the second single from its 1992 album Automatic for the People
. The song makes numerous references to the performer Andy Kaufman
, including his Elvis impersonation
and work with wrestlers Fred Blassie
and Jerry Lawler
. The song was released as a single
in 1992.
The title, video, and lyrics are a reference to the conspiracy theory that the American moon landing
was faked. There have also been rumors that Andy Kaufman faked his death. The lyrics make no direct reference to this or a connection between the two, but they do imply that Kaufman should not be seen as having "nothing up his sleeve."
The song gave its name to a 1999 film based on Kaufman's life, Man on the Moon, and was used in the film's soundtrack
.
, 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 both 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.
, Peter Buck
, Mike Mills
and Michael Stipe
except as noted.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by the American alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, released as the second single from its 1992 album Automatic for the People
Automatic for the People
Automatic for the People is the eighth album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1992 on Warner Bros. Records. While R.E.M...
. The song makes numerous references to the performer Andy Kaufman
Andy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...
, including his Elvis impersonation
Elvis impersonator
An Elvis impersonator is someone who impersonates or copies famed American musician Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators can work all over the world as entertainers, and such tribute acts are in great demand due to the unique iconic status of Elvis...
and work with wrestlers Fred Blassie
Fred Blassie
Frederick Kenneth Blassman , better known as "Classy" Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestling villain and manager born in St. Louis, Missouri. Renowned as "The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling" , Blassie was a master at antagonizing the crowd, and inspired legendary animosity...
and Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
. The song was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1992.
The title, video, and lyrics are a reference to the conspiracy theory that the American moon landing
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
was faked. There have also been rumors that Andy Kaufman faked his death. The lyrics make no direct reference to this or a connection between the two, but they do imply that Kaufman should not be seen as having "nothing up his sleeve."
The song gave its name to a 1999 film based on Kaufman's life, Man on the Moon, and was used in the film's soundtrack
Man on the Moon (soundtrack)
The soundtrack to the 1999 Miloš Forman film, Man on the Moon, was released on November 22, 1999 in the UK and November 23, 1999 in the US. It was issued on Warner Bros. Records, in conjunction with Jersey Records, a part of Danny DeVito's Jersey Group. Incidentally, in some countries, the film was...
.
Music video
The song's video, directed by Peter CarePeter Care
Peter Care is an English director of music videos, commercials and film. He has directed music videos for R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison and Depeche Mode, amongst others.- Biography :...
, was shot over three days in the desert, at Lancaster
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
in the Antelope Valley
Antelope Valley
The Antelope Valley in California, United States, is located in northern Los Angeles County and the southeastern portion of Kern County, California, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert...
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
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
, attired in a cowboy hat, walks along a desert road. He leaps onto a passing truck, driven by Bill Berry
Bill Berry
William "Bill" Thomas Berry is a retired American musician, multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. In addition to his drumming duties, Berry played many other instruments including guitar, bass guitar, and piano, both for songwriting and on R.E.M....
, and hitches a ride to a truck stop
Truck stop
A truck stop is a commercial facility predicated on providing fuel, parking, and often food and other services to motorists and truck drivers...
where Peter Buck
Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck , is an American rock guitarist who is best known for playing in and co-founding alternative rock band R.E.M....
is tending bar and Mike Mills
Mike Mills
Michael Edward "Mike" Mills is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock group R.E.M.. Though known primarily as a bass guitarist, backing vocalist, and pianist, his musical repertoire includes also keyboards, guitar, and percussion instruments...
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 both 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
Truck stop
A truck stop is a commercial facility predicated on providing fuel, parking, and often food and other services to motorists and truck drivers...
, various footage of Andy Kaufman
Andy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...
can be seen showing.
This video was ranked #41 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's The 100 Top Music Videos.
Track listing
All songs written by Bill BerryBill Berry
William "Bill" Thomas Berry is a retired American musician, multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. In addition to his drumming duties, Berry played many other instruments including guitar, bass guitar, and piano, both for songwriting and on R.E.M....
, Peter Buck
Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck , is an American rock guitarist who is best known for playing in and co-founding alternative rock band R.E.M....
, Mike Mills
Mike Mills
Michael Edward "Mike" Mills is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock group R.E.M.. Though known primarily as a bass guitarist, backing vocalist, and pianist, his musical repertoire includes also keyboards, guitar, and percussion instruments...
and Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
except as noted.
US 7", cassette and CD single
- "Man on the Moon" – 5:12
- "New Orleans Instrumental #2" – 3:48
UK "collector's edition" CD single
- "Man on the Moon" – 5:12
- "Fruity Organ" – 3:26
- "New Orleans Instrumental #2" – 3:48
- "Arms of Love" (Robyn HitchcockRobyn HitchcockRobyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
) – 3:35
DE 12" and CD maxi-single
- "Man on the Moon" (edit) – 4:39
- "Turn You Inside-OutTurn You Inside-Out"Turn You Inside-Out" is a song by American rock band R.E.M. from their sixth studio album Green. Like all tracks on the album, the track was written by group members Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry....
" – 4:15 - "Arms of Love" (Hitchcock) – 3:35
UK and DE 7" and cassette single
- "Man on the Moon" (edit) – 4:39
- "Turn You Inside-Out" – 4:15
Charts
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
39 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
4 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 17 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
18 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 30 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
4 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
2 |
Cover versions
- Tears For FearsTears for FearsTears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
during their period without Curt Smith (mid-90s) covered the song live a few times. - American indie artist Ferraby LionheartFerraby LionheartFerraby Lionheart is a Los Angeles, California based singer-songwriter-musician.Ferraby Lionheart was born in Los Angeles, but has lived in Nashville, Tennessee. He started recording songs on a 4-track recorder when he was 18. Through a mutual friend, Ferraby was noticed by...
recorded an acoustic cover of the song in 2007, which was part of a tribute album to Drive that was organized by StereogumStereogumStereogum was one of the first MP3 blogs. It was created by Scott Lapatine in January 2002 with a focus on independent and alternative music news, downloads, videos, and gossip. Stereogum has received several awards and citations, including the 2008 Plug Award for best music blog, Blender's...
. The album also contains a version by The Shout Out LoudsShout Out LoudsShout Out Louds are an indie rock band from Stockholm, Sweden.The group has toured with bands such as The Strokes, Kings of Leon, The Magic Numbers, The Rosebuds, The Essex Green, and Johnossi...
. It is available for free download over the Internet.
External links
- About the song at VH1
- Video at REMhq (index page 2 of 2, top left)
- Lyrics at REMhq