REM - Welcome to the Occupation

[HudaFacowya]

SEE: Y Occupy - nailed it!

[codeneverlies]

Wow, was this a premonition of OWS?

[REMCUREBOY]

Michael Moore is coming to Chicago for our occupation, I plan to go and blast this song!!!!!

[inkblackRose]

OCCUPY!

[permanentbliss1]

Occupy it babee!

[Shaden0040]

Want to hear this song on the radio? Request it from your local radio station and dedicate it to the Occupy wall Street protestors!

[REMCUREBOY]

@Shaden0040 It just hit me today how much this song is a sign of the current times!!!!

[gabeyoung12345]

I love how there is that one little thumbs down, that person just wants to be different.

[Shaden0040]

Check out the song "American Tale" by Carbon Leaf. you will like if you love REM.

[Shaden0040]

This is now the theme song for the Occupy Wall Street by the 99%. Please, post it to all your social networks please and occupy Wall Street, Occupy our World. Take all of it back from the 1%.

[whkrause]

What our masters used to do to Latin America they now do to the USA. Occupy Wall Street.

[seldomseen68]

OccupyWallstreet!



[bondagebreaker7]

marxist revolution - blood shed until everyone is dead

[bitterblue8]

Go New York!!!! :D

[KOSMICKEN09]

r.i.p. R.E.M.-man what a great song. those jangly guitars blow me away.

[PelvisPoop]

Most of Michael Stipe holding a top-hat in front of a considerably rundown trailer.

[codern]

kick ass song

[doloroso7]

@bigtrukdon

Spiro Agnew and Gerald Ford were Nixon's VP's. KISSINGER was Secretary of State and was born in Germany, which means he could never have been VP by law. You must have been a Carter fan.

[PadraikKasier]

@doloroso7; I lol'd. Nice.

[SNight322]

@doloroso7 Who do you think had more power/influence in Nixon's WH? Kissinger or either Ford or Agnew?

[doloroso7]

@SNight322 I would say Kissinger had just as much power and influence as any SecState or NSA in any administration, but that he was much more effective. Kissinger may have gotten into the headlines more because his foreign policy (which may have been why bigtrukdon perceived Kissinger as VP) was so important and effective at the time such as a peace agreement with North Vietnam (getting us the hell out of Vietnam) and Nixon's monumental development of relations with China.

[bigtrukdon]

This captured that time for me. The screw the USA part II Reagan/Bush era (Nixon/Kissenger was part I). After the Bush/Cheney screw the USA part III there was no need for a part IV, just stick a fork in it.

[DeeSting27]

Awesome song!! Hang your freedom higher. Freedom reigns supreme!

[apemanstreetwalker]

forgot how good this album was...thanks!

[codern]

1 idiot

[IntoTheHeartOfMusic]

One of the greatest songs of all time. I can listen to this track for hours.

[usmcfutball]

REM had some of thee finest "album tracks" in the history of Caucasians.

Look it up. ;)

[kirksbrega11]

This song is about economic exploitation. Capitol cartelism. And yes the downfall of this country. The North American Union highway is still being planned . We have a European,African and Asian union. Texas voted against the highway, so that leaves Arizona or New Mexico. The NWO is pushing us into one world government whether we want it or not. Those who resist will be jailed in the government's FEMA camps and exterminated or reprogrammed.

[gillart]

Not much of a band without Bill.

[codern]

what a fucking amazing song...amazing band!

[petesn]

They really were just fuckin great...I can still see how I lost my heart to them for years.

[Shaden0040]

This song is now more relevant today than it was when it was first sung. Now check out Carbon Leaf's song American Tale and see how they fit together.

[louvregroove]

I love this song so much. This song actually seems to have two main melodies both sung by by Stipe. I believe this song deals with Reagan's miltary involvement in Nicaragua with the Contra's "Fire on the hemisphere below" i.e. Central and South America

[louvregroove]

I love this song so much.

[Gemmers24]

I can't get enough of this song!

[TiBigBill]

Real Great Song !

[uclrichard]

the bassline is incredible - so is the backing vocal. take a bow - mr mills.

[VacantHQ]

@uclrichard Actually, I think the backing vocal in this case is by Stipe. That melody appears to be the original one before they changed it to the higher part.

[wahnamhong]

together with kohoutek the best songs rem

[thutchison68]

I always associated this song with class struggle. Exploitation of the working class.

[theboyquigley]

Think thats "copper steel and cattle", rather than proper, not to be anal

[ivorbigonee]

class and dignified. Music i love.

Great to sing along with.

[njacd]

Can anyone shed some light on how he got such a pure guitar tone?

I don't know much about guitars, but I just adore the tone he has on this song.

Is it just the guitar that gives this tone or maybe the way it was mic'd in the studio?

Is he using his famed Rickenbacker or what?

[Niebelungenlied]

MONUMENTALE.

[BabyBerlin]

Still a timely song. Love, love, love ...

From the primitive and wild uneducated, to the primitive and loyal educated, to the primitive and wild congress ... so, so, true.

"Sugar cane and coffee cup - proper steel and cattle."

Perfect song. Perfect R.E.M. -- poetic, political and damn fantastic music. Makes me dance every time.

[pitchfork1972]

One of my favorites....great song from "87

[louvregroove]

Yes....my favorite REM song too. Really evokes a lot feelings and memories. I think this song deals with when the USA was fiddling around in Central America during the Reagan years.

[DanBell47]

My favorite Rapid Eye Movement song!!!!

[kezepema]

@DanBell47 Agree. The all time best of Rem imo.

[lizpan1]

One of my favorite R.E.M. songs. The lyrics are amazing. Wish it received radio airplay--it would have exploded some minds!

[beaverjac]

@lizpan1 Radio back then could barely handle "The One I Love" and "...End of the World". You think they could have handled this song? lol

[wowbobwow37]

This is in my top ten all time REM songs!!

[aviyahu01]

very easily, still to this day, by far, my favorite r.e.m. song. oh yes-my favorite!

[brawlxvids]

Vegas, no offence, but you are a bitch, no trees = no air, no air = lot's of dead people

[TheTollundWoman]

you got that right!

[vegasdavevegas]

get a grip tollund. people are much more important than trees. you dont care when a lion takes down a wildebeast. it is the natural order of things for inferior cultures/socieities to disappear. get with the program

[TheTollundWoman]

"inferior cultures and societies"

The Mayas invented the number 0 without which modern mathematics wouldn't exist. The Iraqis invented Algebra, the Irish preserved the writings of Ancient Greece and Rome when the rest of Europe was illiterate. The Chinese invented gunpowder and the printing press. All these peoples/nations were eventually conquered and colonized by a foreign power. Yet without their contributions to civilization where would the conquerors themselves have been???

[TheTollundWoman]

During the middle ages Europe was a third world country, run by religious fundamentalists, but France, Spain and England didn't 'disappear', did they?

[TheTollundWoman]

"Get with the program." I don't have a "program" I am not a political party with a set ideology

[stevewarrior1]

Stupid bitch.

[TheTollundWoman]

"sugar cane and coffee cup/an annotated history/ the forest for the fire." This song sums up the last 500 years of world history- unbelievable cruelty for the sake of economic profit. Colonialism at its very worst. And of course, the resistance being ruthlessly crushed- "Here we stand and here we fight/all your fallen heroes/held and died and skinned alive." Napalm, America in Vietnam, the French in Algeria... This song contains more truth than all my godforsaken textbooks combined.

[J99ETC]

Fantastic song...man I love this band...rock gods.

[HateFor21]

This is just an amazing song. 5/5

[KOSMICKEN09]

who cares what the song is about lol....it's great cause it has that classic sound, peter buck's 12-string guitar. it was always my fave song off of 'document'.

[Noeladishi]

Who on earth thought rem were right wing!!?? Jis Louis

[fluterbrd1]

I am in love with this song. so true, so brilliant! It's one of those songs you have to take a second look at, and really listen to the lyrics to really appreciate. It is easily my favorite song right now.

[ThomasHardmanJr]

they perfectly predicted the selling out of North America to the "latino" invasion, and did it 10 years before anyone else saw it coming.

[Bartleby1701]

Jesus, yer an idiot. REM weren't right wing, jerk. They were quite critical of US foreign policy in Latin America (for all of you who forgot the wondrous foreign policy of Ronnie Raygun - it wasn't only GW, people) and wrote a number of songs about it - this being one of them. They saw it as part of the larger conquest since 1492. This song, Green Grow the Rushes, and another one I can't think of right now are kind of a trilogy on the subject. Get a clue 'Thomas'.

[williamskidfears]

I believe you're referring to "The Flowers Of Guatemala" off of Life's Rich Pagent.

[toromemo97]

What occupation is he talking about?

[daLom]

i think he is talking about greed and compliancy in the economics ...

this song pretty much reminds me of daysleeper (of course by release date it should remind you the other way around :)

[ozzieLAFD34]

This song was written in the 80's so it was way before Iraq and 9/11 so any comparison to either event is blowing smoke. Mike Mills, Bill Berry, Peter Buck , and Michael Stipe were all way ahead of there time. I believe they were trying to express through music there belief that western civilization as we once knew it is dying. Flash to today. They were right on the money. Freedom isn't free. So Fuck anybody that isn't willing to pick up a gun and fight for it. Including the new US Government.

[portstewartsam]

its about the imposition of western culture on a land shaped by the original inhabitants' culture

[omid11]

nwo

[Liv4Adoni]

i'd have to say "Document" is their best album they have ever made.

(next to "Eponymous")

[DanBell47]

GOOD FUCKIN' SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AwkwardFire]

My favorite REM song of all... and there are quite a few good ones. I'm very glad I got to see them live, and they played this!

[bamadawgsc]

But then again we stupid Americans don't lament anything because we don't think we are ever wrong about anything!

[deskdayle]

too true yanks are thick screw you yanks we never wanted to go to iraq to kill the stupid fucking packy bastards over there.

englishman

[VAThrasher]

while i am totally against the war in iraq, i must say that i find your comment disgusting. by calling all yanks 'thick' and then following up with a lovely 'fucking packy bastards', you have not only shown your clear knowledge of the situation but your eloquence. Clearly the US isn't the only nation with idiots

[deskdayle]

there are too many packys on this planet and all they do is take take oh yes take. what have they ever given anybody other than a reason to go to war with them bush had the right idea what was it oh yes war with the iraqi bastards. 1 more thing if the americans arent so thick then why do they alway kill brits in what do you yanks call it oh yes 'friendly fire' there no such fucking thing all that there is is murder you yankee cock sucker

[FFSINEEDANAME]

I'm a 'packy' and I am living in England. And there is nothing you can do about it expect vote for the BNP in a deluded hope that they will somehow act out their neo-nazi fantasies. All you want is someone to blame for all your own shortcomings so you look for people that are a different colour to you.

It's like you have been neutered.

If it is any consolation to you my life is going swimmingly.

[absolind]

Lolz at deskdayle calling them packys, you're so fucking tarded that u can't spell it properly its Paki's if you want the correct version you racist ignorant dickhead

[benenock]

Every country has the same proportion of idiots. Pretty much everyone

[omid11]

I our not dumb you is dumb!

[bamadawgsc]

A great lament about the terrible Reagan years....we need a new lament now concerning the Bush regime! Classic!

[usmcfutball]

This song exists for the sole reason of providing a platform for the flourish from 1:38 to 1:40. Vintage REM. The greatest band ever not hailing from Great Britain. End of story.

No! I said..."end of story".  :)

[thehibtones]

Great album except for fireplace...this one's my favorite.

[misszooniverse]

Many of the songs on this album are rather haunting. Ah, the IRS years.

One of my favourites.

[IhateGary]

One of the most neglected REM songs. Thanks for posting. Not a big REM fan, but this is truly a beautiful and sadly true song.

[dethspud]

Great song. Excellent album.

Spud's been listening to it more and more recently. Particularily this one and "Exhuming McCarthy" fer some odd reason.

Be Well.

[lisababy85]

this is my favorite by REM

[uclrichard]

it is one of my favourites (there's quite a choice...) i put it up there with 'camera', 'good advices', 'disturbance at the heron house', 'daysleeper'...

you are right, of course, this song is an absolute bloody, fucking MASTERPIECE...

richard - from south england.

[usmcfutball]

It always gratified me that a band from Athens (used to be in the Confederacy) Georgia had such a loyal following in England. Well done mate! My fav songs are off of Life's Rich Pageant. Good, useful anger/angst on that album. Cheers! (Go Liverpool)

[lisababy85]

Yup yup, Rem is the best!!!!!

[nunzioforpresident]

one of my favourite rem song...5*

[AldaREM]

Just looove this song!! Great, great beginning and magic sound from Mill's bass, which very much contributes to its excellence

[fosterch]

This song might always be relevant, sadly.

[Chr0nict0wn]

It's such an awesome song because it can be used against both Republicans and Democrats. That's one thing I love about alot of R.E.M. political song. While you know they're anti-right wing... sometimes they can be interpreted by the listener as anti-left wing. My favorite R.E.M. album by the way.

[fosterch]

It's an age old story, I agree. It's not just Republicans and Demcrats, it's the corrupting influence of power. Off soapbox.

[1loot6]

Thank you for the music REM. They can always make us feel 16 again. This one is their best.

[ariskar]

great

[bckissinger]

awesome, thanks for posting