REM - Swan Swan H

[StudioScarecrow]

this song creeps me out... makes me think of a ghost of a confederate soldier doomed to wander gettysburg forever...

in a good way though :)

[lyonslaforet]

Am I the only one to notice that the very beginning is very similar to Working-Class Hero by John Lennon?

[rbraxley]

Is that the S.S. Chapel on Milledge?

[Willburys]

i miss REM .More than 20 Years authentic deeply Songs with really good musicians

[screaminalleycat]

I saw them do this live in '89. It remains one of the best live performances of a song I have ever seen. Breathtakingly beautiful.

[tipdrinker]

love this song. bye bye REM :-(

[StinkiwinkiPoo]

is that the original or a cover?

[StinkiwinkiPoo]

i dont really understand this song but i like the sound

[tipdrinker]

@StinkiwinkiPoo supposedly its about slavery

[metallicatt316]

Peter looks so sexy!

[kidcopernicus]

This is not the music video for this song, Einstein, it's part of a film called Athens, GA Inside/Out.

[robotdeathderby]

man, watching this video makes me want to move back down south. athens, savannah, chaleston SC, asheville NC, colombia SC.... i've been in NYC for a while now and i just dont get it. the south rules.

[CxBuRkeY2]

God...he was such a baby! I was then too...



[juliadotcom715]

Two people can suck Michael Stipe's probably awesome cock.

[longlegged]

@juliadotcom715 I've sucked it and awesome it is indeed !

[Hypocatastasis]

@juliadotcom715 your comment just MADE MY DAY

[SuperNevile]

For a brief moment thought we were launching into "Working Class Hero", though this is a great REM track. Would be be interested in the 'civil war' context as I'm from blighty. Is this a civil war song and what is swan swan hummingbird?

[bluescrowe]

excellent.... those were great days! much like rem, my life has also had success and plenty of misses as well. guess thats what makes life great!

ty for posting.

-crowe

[moecmo]

such a great song.....

[FNTM3rd]

this is from the movie: Athens, GA: Inside/Out. NOT an 'actual' video

[REMCUREBOY]

Michael is so gorgeous in that quick shot of him at the very beginning of this clip. And I love his hair color under that beret.

[AlienshateU]

Stipe at the height of his powers...

[nickadge]

Excellent song about the Civil War! A lot of symbolism in the words, but the message comes across clear for anyone who's been in war!

[Bizqit16]

I don't think it gets much better than this. Great melody, great lyrics and a great voice. What more could you ask for.

[thutton67]

What a melody.

[simmer308]

SWAN SWAN H..ALTERNATIVE..

[silvercreek89]

One of my favorite bands....until they started overdoing the mandolin on ALL their songs....I still have this album on vinyl...bought it when I was 15...

[johnny10301968]

When was this video done? What year that is.

[Extraneus3771]

'86

[Tonyclayden]

@johnny10301968---- MTV special- an hour documentary 1990 or '91?

[kidcopernicus]

This isn't the "official" video for this song. This is from the film, Athens Georgia, Inside/Out. Check it out if you dig Flat Duo Jets, Pylon, the B-52s, and the B-B-Q Killers.

[yiommi]

Happy birthday Michael!!! I LOVE YOU

[bfdhvcnvvbjdn]

REM's finest moment - pure musical genius

[zxhamstring]

Love this tune off this tune, LP, REM produces superb stuff !

[MarthaMyDear64]

One of my favourite Songs, Just Love it!

[ITZxDIANAxD]

Haha my frandd and i were listening to this in the car andthen its juss like....Please turn this gay shit off1

[bfall66]

@ITZxDIANAxD - What's a frandd?

In your profile you mention that WeeWorld is your hobby. Well, you have a lot of nerve calling anything "gay".

A 21-year old who is into WeeWorld. That is mega gay!

[ITZxDIANAxD]

@bfall66 first off, people LIE about there age. 2, HER MOM SAID TO TURN IT OFF!! SHES MORE A METAL PERSON dude. 3 frandd= friend. what are you, 5??? 4 I NEVER SAID IT WAS GAY!! Infact, i kinda like it

[SeNdOnG311]

nice! i didn't thought i would see this video again ^_^

[huxylady]

One of my favourite REM songs, thank you!

[halley0608]

I remember seeing this movie in the theatre in the 80's and the only thing I never forgot is this song. So beautiful!

[SuzumiyaHaruhi0]

AYA HIRANO

[scottr371970]

This is from the movie "Athens Georgia inside Out "

If you have netflix it is avaialable to watch instantly

[polygoktigon]

i agree. my dad went to uga from 1980-1985 so i got it for him for his birthday a few years ago and he remembered a lot of those bands. it is such a good film.

[machacar]

Yes. It is Nice. Great song

[njacd]

Great song & video.

Anyone know where this was filmed? I would guess somewhere in Athens, GA but where specifically...

[remfan]

Simple, yet wonderful song.  Thanks for posting this!

[puacino]

I love REM!

[BillysEvilCuzan]

did REM write this song or is it accually an old Civil War song? just wondering and yes GREAT FREEKIN VDEO!

[ParkerMonster]

yeah, they wrote the song, and when they play it they say: this is a American history lesson!

[BillysEvilCuzan]

thanks for the lesson

[MarthaMyDear64]

awesome! I didnt know that!

[Cohedros]

They wrote it

[smallchico]

I must have watched this video 12 times today I just love it!

[screaminalleycat]

I agree! This is one song that I can just let repeat. I saw them do this in '89 and just stood there mesmerized by how brilliant it was live. I loved it before that, but after, it became breathtaking.

[nicolexxxd]

REM is the best.

[MarthaMyDear64]

Awesome, simply awesome....I love it

[listenupbitchyouraho]

fuck why cant i write like this! aaahhh!

[KerreyTheBitterSugar]

I read Michael sang this live with Natalie Merchant, does someone have footage of such performance?

[PVCVIDEOLA]

It was another song on the 10K maniacs album methinks.

[smashingmind]

I think that was "Photograph".

Nice song! :)

[pudinthehood]

THEY'RE SO YOUNG!!! :D

[BeginXtheXBegin]

When was this filmed?

[poispinnerdotcom]

Sometime during the mid-80s. This recording was released as part of the 'Athens, Ga. Inside/Out' soundtrack in 1987 (which you can probably find on eBay)... FYI - this video is also on the DVD called, "When the Light is Mine: R.E.M. The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987." This is a must have DVD for any R.E.M. fan (and, man, the clothes the band wears during the interviews are alone worth the price of the DVD :)

[BeginXtheXBegin]

Lol. Yeah, I bought "When the Light is Mine." It's great. I'm still looking for "Inside/Out"

[poispinnerdotcom]

Sometime during the mid-80s. This recording was released as part of the 'Athens, Ga. Inside/Out' soundtrack in 1987 (which you can probably find on eBay)... FYI - this video is also on the DVD called, "When the Light is Mine: R.E.M. The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987." This is a must have DVD for any R.E.M. fan (and, man, the clothes the band wears during the interviews are alone worth the price of the DVD :)

[haddingtonbb41]

heather if you didnt buy accelerate i suggest you do! Monster has a few great songs but accelerate has 11 awesome songs.

[heather4him]

Yes, I liked REM much more from this their glorious past with Bill as part of the band...starting with Monster, I just didn't feel that the songs were consistently awesome--once in awhile, sure, but not more than that! And Stipe kinda stopped his uptilt-voice-cracking (if you can name it better, please do!).

[donutcookiepie]

One of my fave REM songs....

[scottr371970]

They haven't been the same since Bill left the band.He was the heart of the band.They always claimed that they would break up if anyone of them wanted to quit.Well that didn't happen and they sold their souls.

They were a top 5 band of the 80's along with the Police,U2,The replacements and the Smiths.

[computerblue84]

yo scott:

i couldnt agree more with your top five 80s bands. mine would be:

REM

Joy Division

The Replacements

The Clash

The Smiths

[jjiimmyytthheejjiimm]

Actually, from what I heard, Bill told them he'd only leave if they agreed to carry on without him. They didn't want him to go and it sounds like they didn't really want to go on without him, but he kind of made them. I agree their music hasn't been the same without him, but cut the dudes some slack.

[omddeb]

How great is that?? They are so cool when they are just playing, laid back, in their own world.....awesomeness, indeed. Love Bill sitting on the back of the chair with that one little drum. Sure do miss that guy. Great song, great vid.

[JonathanLit]

i am so sick of hearing people complain that REM is not as good as they used to be. It seems to me they "fell off" after you guys got out of college, no matter what year that was. Well guess what? REM rocks and has always rocked. I am a huge fan an i will admit that not every album is amazing but a vast majority are. If you think they suck now go out and listen to Accelerate. You will see they definitely still have it. They were so great to see live too. Best albums-Automatic & New Adventures.

[JNugent74]

I disagree that Automatic for the People and New Adventures are the best albums. Come on man, what about Document, Green, and Life's Rich Pageant?

[sickpoola]

@JNugent74 L.R.P. is the best!!!!

[herrmanthegermann]

I have all the albums, and i went to the monster tour in 95. The early irs stuff is far better than warner bros. Going to manchester in aug watching them.looking forwards to this.

[jimfarrowlove]

Gosh dang, I love this early REM stuff, why does it seem they are so lousy now? I saw them in concert in 1995 and it was such a boring concert.

[buska100]

My favourite REM song-by far!

Great post,thanks

[badseed86]

wisdom, nostalgia and calm anger

[TheGargantuanSock]

Lifes Rich Pageant was just an incredible album. So, so good, their best from the IRS years in my opinion. I've got every REM album and it has to be in my top three.

[molloyx]

Nonsense lyrics or not they were a reliable source of real pleasure until GREEN, which was terrible and has been followed by more of the same. A good thing the early catalogue is so ####### excellent.

[Meurs1215]

This is the band 809283902 imitators want to be...even now.

[imeltwyou]

you hit the nail on the head... if only some of them would admit it

[herrmanthegermann]

Yes,it seems so. Great track classic rem this one.

[boybandmassacre]

amazing post..REM when they were "REM"..love it..

[iamtallerthanher]

old school rem =)

[bblunck]

A personal favourite - top 20 on the ultimate R.E.M. list...

[wilhelmraabe]

they are my true fab four. zum niederknien und nicht mehr aufstehen, to put it in my humble german words.

[remgrbeyond0982]

beautiful song. love it!!!

[tubularheel]

86....damn i miss that time so much. was 20 years old and living life in the cool south.

[opaulo30]

lifes rich pageant was awesome

rwminds me of skinny dippin' in the crick

or playing hooky and goin' fishkin'

[edlyons]

Vide Wm Faulkner, Absolam, Absolam!

[thedupper]

Larry? MIK? Frip? Gubba? Mr. Da Brooooow?  Let me know if you're there.

[PannaNikt91]

amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lillyby]

Thank you a thousand times over for uploading this song! I have been listening to it since forever, and now, some vision! REM in the day, it just doesn't get better. Truly, when it was ok to express your real self through music. When Michael Stipe remained ambiguous about his sexuality and that was cool. When bands didn't need semi-naked girating teens in their videos to sell their song. When music retained its integrity. Thank you for bringing back so many memories!

[skoczzy]

lillyby, amen to that.

[JNugent74]

Actually, remember the vid for Pop Song 89, off of Green? There semi naked gyrating people in that... just saying.

[LantaGem]

@JNugent74 Sorry for the late reply, but FYI, R.E.M. put semi-naked gyrating dancers into the video for Pop Song 89 as an ironic 'dig' at the shallow pop-music scene of the time. It was their subtle way of saying: "is this what a band has to do to sell millions of records?"

When some music shows threatened to ban the vid unless the girls' bare breasts were covered up, Stipe insisted HIS nips be hidden by black bars too - in the interests of gender equality! :D

[haysiefantasie]

@lillyby i totally agree with your comments esp about sexuality-he never posed around with fake girlfriends in their vids-respect for him whatever your own sexuality is-total respect-his sexual attrativeness shone through without being manipulated-love the guy x

[waynecash2002]

Long live Athens GA Inside/Out. Coolest video ever to come out of Athens GA.

We used to party balls in Athens back in the late 80's

[alystyn]

I love this song, off of my favorite album, by my favorite band.

[friedegg3000]

lifes rich pageant ftw.

[mainvain606]

i love R.E.M

[ErieParties]

I have been into rem for a long time

I have never seen this video in till today

[SventhHeaven]

same here

[GiddyWithLife]

By the way, the clip is from 'Athens, GA - Inside/Out'; the 1987 documentary about the Athens music scene.

[GiddyWithLife]

These guys are amazing. Man I should have lived in Athens during the '80s.

[Staszu13]

What can i say, it's John Gotti's fave group.

[Ruda59]

Beautiful lyrics...typical Stipe images. "...night wings, her hair chains here's your wooden greenback sing..." Gotta love it!

[philtheswan]

WOW!! great track

[a1950hotrodcat]

One of the best tours REM ever did - the '86 Pageantry Tour....this song was incredible live.

[almadora]

very, very nice. such peaceful fury. o, georgia, o my intelligent boys.