REM - Finest Worksong

[DBowie125]

Goddamn, this song rocks. I especially love the way he says 'engaged' and 'your finest hour'.

[SuperRod88]

Happy Birthday Bill Berry (July 31)

[codern]

this is just pure fucking cool.

[onyachamp]

why oh why when hard work is portrayed in video is it viewed as involving hitting shit with a sledge or shovelling crap into something(usually coke into a loco or furnace) cue the brow wipe,face strain and puffed cheeks. beer advert here we come. seems like the marketing types are aiming for the broadest spectrum.

[sxlfkta]

What I should have written is thus --- America's finest hours were between the early 30's till the very early 90's! For that was when we all rose to the pinnacle of our GREATNESS!

[sxlfkta]

If you ask me America's finest hours were between the early 30's, through WW2, all the way up until Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon back in 1969 then through to the early 90's when Communism over in Russia finally collapsed! That's when we reached the very pinnacle of our glory, potential & collective determination to set things straight & make life better for millions, while producing & manifesting many GREAT & AMAZING achievements! Can we recapture such glory & brilliance? Time will tell!

[ultramegaunknown]

I miss this R.E.M.

The I.R.S.-era R.E.M.

I try to give their later stuff a chance, but I just don't feel much when I listen to their major-label material.

Their old stuff was unpredictable, edgy, and timeless. Love it!!!

[beselbic]

Stellar cut.

[toddrandall4898]

@TheRudyGutierrez It does sound like Eddie Vedder. 

[fortehlulz9999]

@toddrandall4898 No, Eddie Veder sounds like Micheal Stipe. Eddie Vedder was still recovering from the LSD his mother dropped while he was in utero when REM recorded this.

[BejnXander]

brilliant song, but it sounds a lot like Turn You Inside-Out. I know it's just apophenia but...

[seanie40]

Yeah agree...

[darkarrow3]

A great song. Respect to R.E.M. and all other rock n' roll bands.

[MrDarknightdriver]

why do you listen to them then?Dickhead get a life

[dclaghorn]

So, what do you REALLY think?

[mmeister7]

@royie2 Roy's living under a bridge nowadays guys leave him alone.

[mudwater1991]

i back u up on that one darthsketch. very true, well written !! ;)

[cladegaard]

Thank God that you are such an idiot that your opinion does not matter.

[sxlfkta]

On this more positive note---when I hear that awesome term/phrase "Finest Hour" these vivid & awe-inspiring images are instantly conjured up. Like FDR trying to reassure & rally most of America back during the dark days of the Great Depression, or especially Winston Churchill giving his magnificent & mesmerizing speeches back during the summer of 1940, very dark days for Great Britain, or much of America coming together to put this man on the moon in 1969, or me right now typing these words!

[hospitalbedpan1]

who the hell cares about stupid marriage? Get over it. There are people starving and dying all over the world, yet all we hear from the conservative crowd is marriage, fetus, gun control, war, free trade.

How about putting human needs above that crap?

[msundreamer]

Define Human needs... You don't get it... all you want is to do what you want without consequence. Maybe if some of the values he is mentioning below were respected the disease and decadence causing us so much pain wouldn't be so bad. What do you know about starvation and needs? What life have you lived?

[andnoeggs]

AGNOSTIC ,BUT... ONE WORD BROTHA AMEN

[llamasarus]

who cares what their political views are. I don't the same ones they do but face it, all rock bands are liberal for the most part. exept ted nugent.

[2382224]

I don't care what or who he likes as long

as they keep playing

[astralentity]

We're not anti-gay, we just tend to belive in the traditional meaning of marriage.

If anything, we're tolerant of everyone because Christ taught to accept everyone regardless of differences.

I may get sick over what these people say, but I don't go around taking away their free speech rights.

[PaperP1ate]

well that's just you and I know they're not all the same, just like not all gays are like Perez Hilton... but I know many conservatives on message boards who literally hate gay people and believe AIDS was created as punishment by God for them. With those type of nuts, any reason why Michael Stipe would want to associate with them considering he's gay himself?

[astralentity]

I couldn't figure out for the life of me why anyone would've wanted to associate with one of the dumbest candidates we ever had for president. This is why I believe some high profile entertainers such as Michael Stipe should stay out of politics all together and save their talent for people who listen to and buy their music.

[darthsketch]

See...what you have to realize the most vocal of any group is it's zealots and fanatics. The vast majority of Christians and conservatives simply aren't like that, just as the vast majority of liberals and gays aren't like Chris Crocker or Michael Moore =P

[astralentity]

I like his music, but now I feel going to any of his concerts would be like going to one with dum dum from Pearl Jam--- I'd be the only conservative there, and would get sick the minute they roll out with their liberal shit. These people should really stay out of politics and keep pumping out things that people like....

[PaperP1ate]

Why should Michael Stipe be a conservative considering he's a gay man and conservatives generally tend to be on the anti-gay side?

[darthsketch]

He doesn't have to be, and I'm sure astralentity respect's his political beliefs. The thing is...it's annoying when musicians bring up politics outside of their songwriting. It's one thing to write a song that espouses your political leanings. It's entirely another to go out of your way to preach to your audience after every song why you think the world is a mess or who is causing the biggest mess on capital hill. People pay to hear music when they buy tickets to a concert, not propaganda =P

[thisischavez]

That's a well thought out comment. Not well typed (LOL) but well said, none the less. I agree with it.

[XxIronSpiderxX]

God, are they even trying? REM makes this stuff seem easy. I don't think it's physically possible for them to create anything that ISN'T a classic.

[DC950]

25 years ago, sure. Today?  Not so much.

[emmtampa]

This is fucking great!!!!

[usmcfutball]

Thee two most profoundly unique entities in the known Universe are: 1) Megan Fox's body and 2) the enduring sound of an electric guitar when it's lucky enough to be played on an REM album.

This song is war; from within.

[Magvvon]

its sound exactly like "turn you inside out"

[Billygoes25]

Back in the days of tapes, I wore out Document and Murmur because I played them so much...probably the best show live I ever saw (Green tour)...

[FOD9]

Document is probably the best album ive ever owned. It gets right under your skin and changes you.

[TheCanadianTiger94]

R.E.M. in thier prime 87-96. Accelerate was a cool album but it doesn't touch anything from Document. This, Out Of Time and Automatic for the People are my fav R.E.M. albums. Monster NAIHF and Green are all underated. Cheers

[muddingwithjeeps]

This is the one that really made me buy that greatest hits cd. The I.R.S years 82-87.

[ialsoRAPEemos]

Their IRS stuff is the best

Check out "Wolves, Lower"

Great song

[KerreyTheBitterSugar]

perfect opener for REM concerts!

[mftepera]

This is the first REM album I ever owned. Pretty damn cool one, too...

[molloyx]

Reminds me of how much they mattered then [ and how little they matter now].

[BirdofSaxony]

Wow, I just realized how much Turn You Inside-Out sounds like this.

[mntlPurple]

Easily one of the best R.E.M songs ever

[holisticguy]

ya their love of the abstract is one of many reasons why they're cool

[haddingtonbb41]

berry is great but their best work is post berry, up reveal and accelerate are their three best albums

[affable83]

Great song. "Document" is one of R.E.M.'s very best albums.

[ffm20zaheri]

sounds like JUST BECAUSE by Janes addiction and HOW SOON IS NOW by the band whose name i doesnt remember now

[trevthesparky]

that would be the smiths then

[bonoedgehewson]

Seriously... Jane's Addiction? Is Morrisey the name of band to your question?

[darkness6767]

they lost something great in bill berry.

[musicbrain5]

Yeah did they ever. But I'm still glad that they decided to continue even without him. Apparently that's what Berry wanted them to do :)

And this song is just so underrated. It's one of their best, if not the best, songs in their whole catalogue imho.

[ffm20zaheri]

i dont agree with you because i am not a fan but after listening to their last studio album i decided to buy it cause its awesome

all songs are awesome except HOUSTON :-)

[molloyx]

One of the last great things they put together before GREEN; the rest should have been silence.

[PilotTP150]

One of REM's Finest(pun intended). I rate Document and U2's Joshua Tree as 2 of the greatest albums EVER...... and for both bands(in my mind) the end of a great career for both. Everything after has been noise.

[lisababy85]

I love this song, dusal expresion!

[lizardale]

I listen to the finest worksong...the greatest ever written.

[mjgp2000]

Que som... isso sim é que é música, não essas merdas de hoje!!!

[midtownmissybrown]

"better best to rearrange-

what we want and what we need

has been confused"

ain't it the truth.

[paulryo]

Probably REM's most under rated track. This is awesome!

[mudwater1991]

@paulryo agree, this is one of my favourites from r.e.m.

[Mahatma618]

@paulryo Agree.Think it's one of their absolute best.Easily in the top 5 by them:)

[mftepera]

my favorite as well. Cool guitar riffs.

[cloughie1978]

The guitars on this song just work. Give me goosebumps.

[mftepera]

me 2. well said. This song is their anthem...

[Maikschoene67]

REM are the Best

[kookoo78]

YEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! Finally found this song!!! Never knew the name but I use to hear it on Dave FM. I'm so happy *sigh*

[vilecompulsions]

Document was their last good album.

[mftepera]

Document was their best album. Automatic was good, too, man...

[brajtnerinjo]

The harmonics near the end are very u2-like, like on I will follow

[boltonvegas]

u cheecky ass people rem has been my fav to grab back on .;.......and im 40+ thx''''''''''i luv them

[thehibtones]

it's a shame 40+ year olds use such poor virtual grammar, you're right though, great band.

[fuzziebear555]

Violent! Great video tho, with an even better supporting song.

[jamiejamie01010]

Good stuff...

[ballsoffury6969]

REM rules! my favorite era is from document-monster, but its all great.

[Lampsteen67]

Life's Rich Pagent can't be topped for me.

[iamtallerthanher]

mine are murmur and new adventures in hi-fi

[milfjeannie]

great song- great in concert! love this band; they never get old and they are going to go down as one of the best.....we'll see it !

[d0g69s]

I remember them from their college circut days and when they refused to appear, at least fully, in their videos. That gave them a mysterious appeal then, since Stipe's lyrics can be so mysterious and nebulous too. It was a great formula. Then they signed onto Warner from I.R.S. records, and that ended the mystic and ushered in the 'commercial' REM. I like this old stuff more, but some of the new stuff is really good too.

[Props2u]

Great band in their day. They would still be considered great today but some shiny happy people kinda blew it for them.

[p717]

Actually, I think Bill leaving blew it for them

[Sheldon66]

Bill blew it for them?? That's a crock of shit! I think Bill was a bit more concerned for his health and what's wrong with that?? He is now happy sitting on a tractor and farming. Good on Bill! The rest of the boys are getting along well and I feel fine.

[iamtallerthanher]

ur pun is awful

[RoadStoneStudiosINC]

Be honest, Sheldon66, something happened after "New Adventures In Hi-Fi", yeah there were some good songs ('The Great Beyond,' 'Daysleeper,' 'Imitation Of Life') but "Up" and "Reveal" weren't exactly their best selling records. It might have been also because Scott Litt stopped producing after Berry left as well. Anyway, they're on their way back up now, "Accelerate" will be awesome.

[Sheldon66]

Sure something happened, they just started experimenting with their sound. Look at "Monster"...that really was very different than their other stuff. Yes, for "Up" they brought out the drum machine and had some weird songs but it was different that what they have ever done. And people did like it. I did. Now I wouldn't say that it was great, but I did appreciate it. Long live Bill Berry riding on his tractor!!!!!!

[greendaymaniac]

great, Great, GREAT band! love REM

[bonoedgehewson]

This is one of my very favorite songs, it has a big/open feeling to it... I can open up to this song. I love REM - Rapid Eye Movement at it's best.

[stk1970]

Irony? Aren't you American?

[stk1970]

Er no. Dennis Leary has a shit compass musically perhaps, but he was spot on there - Shiny Happy People is bloody awful. I doubt if you'd find REM would be happy playing it live post 1993. Dreary...

[IlliniJake]

This is AWESOME. Too bad they sold out. "Shiny Happy People" anyone?

[egarner07]

who said r.e.m. couldn't kick-ass? dennis leary could not carry peter buck's g- string !

[paulryo]

SHIT HOT TUNE!!!

[kelseyDANIELLE90210]

Perhaps the greatest American band ever!

[tianxfx87]

I AGREE

[thecure95]

Love this song!

[Sheldon66]

REM opened their Calgary concert with Finest Worksong. Was it ever fricking amazing!!!! We new it was coming though cause Mark asked one of the sound guys just off to the right of the stage. Nonetheless, Michael blew us all away.

[almadora]

it reminds me, oddly enough, of that frantic weekend i fled from georgia and stayed with xine...i was so damn young. sigh.

[scorpion1275]

Micheal Stipe is a genius

[BadPresident]

I saw REM perform Finest Worksong live at Hirsch Coliseum in Shreveport, LA during the Green Tour. I thought the place would come apart. Michael Stipe's voice was incredible.