Stand (song)
Encyclopedia
"Stand" is a song by R.E.M.
released as the second single from the album Green in 1989. The song quickly rose up the charts, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming R.E.M.'s second top 10 hit in the United States
. The song reached #48 on the UK Singles Charts. The song reached #16 in Canada.
The lyrics speak of finding direction in one's life ("Think about direction / Wonder why you haven't before"), and of doing more than only contemplating change or wishing for it ("If wishes were trees / The trees would be falling").
Michael Stipe
has said of the song's origin that he and the other band members were discussing The Banana Splits, The Archies
, The Monkees
, and similar ’60s pop groups. “They threw these super bubblegummy
songs at me, and I said, ‘I’ll raise you and see you one.’ And I wrote the most inane lyrics that I could possibly write. Now, it was a very intentional thing to do that. I really like most of those songs, in fact.”
"Weird Al" Yankovic
parodied "Stand" for his 1989 album, UHF
, as "Spam".
"Stand" was used as the opening theme to the early 1990s Fox
comedy Get a Life
, starring Chris Elliott
.
The song was placed on R.E.M.'s Warner Bros. Records
"best of" album In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 in 2003.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
covered the song as a bonus track on their 2007 video game of the same name
.
The song is an example of "truck driver's gear change", as the last two rounds of the chorus
are each one whole step higher than the one previous.
, Buck
, Mills
and Stipe
except where indicated.
1st issue
7" Vinyl & Cassette single
12" Vinyl & 3" CD single
Notes:
The UK 3" cd single with the catalogue number W7577 CDX came in a leaf-shaped sleeve.
"The Eleventh Untitled Song" is an extended instrumental version of the closing (eleventh) unlisted (untitled) track from the album Green.
2nd issue – released later in 1989 with different cover art (a picture of the band on stage) in the UK instead of "Pop Song 89
."
Note: live track recorded in Orlando, Florida 30 April 1989
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 the album Green in 1989. The song quickly rose up the charts, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming R.E.M.'s second top 10 hit in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The song reached #48 on the UK Singles Charts. The song reached #16 in Canada.
The lyrics speak of finding direction in one's life ("Think about direction / Wonder why you haven't before"), and of doing more than only contemplating change or wishing for it ("If wishes were trees / The trees would be falling").
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...
has said of the song's origin that he and the other band members were discussing The Banana Splits, The Archies
The Archies
The Archies are a garage band founded by Archie Andrews, Reggie Mantle, and Jughead Jones, a group of adolescent fictional characters of the Archie universe, in the context of the animated TV series, The Archie Show...
, The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, and similar ’60s pop groups. “They threw these super bubblegummy
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
songs at me, and I said, ‘I’ll raise you and see you one.’ And I wrote the most inane lyrics that I could possibly write. Now, it was a very intentional thing to do that. I really like most of those songs, in fact.”
"Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
parodied "Stand" for his 1989 album, UHF
UHF - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff
UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff is the sixth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. The album featured many music cuts from the film as well as some of the commercials and other parody bits...
, as "Spam".
"Stand" was used as the opening theme to the early 1990s Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
comedy Get a Life
Get a Life (TV series)
Get a Life is a television sitcom that was broadcast in the United States on the Fox Network from September 23, 1990, to March 8, 1992. The show starred Chris Elliott as a 30-year-old paperboy named Chris Peterson. Peterson lived in an apartment above his parents' garage...
, starring Chris Elliott
Chris Elliott
Christopher Nash "Chris" Elliott is an American actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for his comedic sketches on Late Night with David Letterman, starring in the cult comedy series Get a Life and for his recurring role as Peter MacDougall on Everybody Loves Raymond...
.
The song was placed on R.E.M.'s Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
"best of" album In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 in 2003.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered the song as a bonus track on their 2007 video game of the same name
Alvin and the Chipmunks (video game)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is a video game based on the film of the same name. The game was released on December 4, 2007 and was the first release by short-lived video game company Brash Entertainment. It follows The Chipmunks as they play their way from small venues to massive crowds at Burning Munk...
.
The song is an example of "truck driver's gear change", as the last two rounds of the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
are each one whole step higher than the one previous.
Track listing
All songs written by 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....
, 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....
, 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 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 where indicated.
1st issue
7" Vinyl & Cassette single
- "Stand" – 3:10
- "Memphis Train Blues" – 1:38
12" Vinyl & 3" CD single
- "Stand" – 3:09
- "Memphis Train Blues" – 1:37
- "The Eleventh Untitled Song" – 3:56
Notes:
The UK 3" cd single with the catalogue number W7577 CDX came in a leaf-shaped sleeve.
"The Eleventh Untitled Song" is an extended instrumental version of the closing (eleventh) unlisted (untitled) track from the album Green.
2nd issue – released later in 1989 with different cover art (a picture of the band on stage) in the UK instead of "Pop Song 89
Pop Song 89
"Pop Song 89" was the third single released from R.E.M.'s sixth studio album Green. It peaked at #86 on the Hot 100, and in the UK "Stand" was re-released instead....
."
- "Stand" – 3:09
- "Pop Song 89" Acoustic – 2:56
- "Skin Tight" (Live Ohio PlayersOhio PlayersThe Ohio Players were an American funk and R&B band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their double #1 hit songs "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster".- Biography :...
cover, written by Jones, Pierce, Bonner, Middlebrooks) – 2:03
Note: live track recorded in Orlando, Florida 30 April 1989
Charts
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
16 |
| 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 ... |
48 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 6 |
| 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... |
1 |
| 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... |
1 |