"Stand" is a song by the American

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...

, released as the second single from the album ''

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...

'' in 1989. The song peaked at number six on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming R.E.M.'s second top 10 hit in the United States, and topped both the

Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" ...

and

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...

charts. The song reached number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and number 16 in Canada. It was placed on R.E.M.'s

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

"best of" album '' In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003'' in 2003, as well as the 2011 compilation album '' Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage''. The song is an example of phrase modulation, as the last two rounds of the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

are each one

whole step In Western music theory, a major second (sometimes also called whole tone or a whole step) is a second spanning two semitones (). A second is a musical interval encompassing two adjacent staff positions (see Interval number for more deta ...

higher than the one previous. The song is meant to be a self-aware "tongue-in-cheek" 1960s-esque

bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, th ...

song, meant to resemble the music of

The Banana Splits ''The Banana Splits'' is an American children's television variety show produced by Hanna-Barbera, Hanna-Barbera Productions and featuring the Banana Splits, a fictional rock band composed of four costumed animal characters in red helmets with ...

The Archies The Archies are an American fictional rock band featured in media produced by, and related to, Archie Comics. They are best remembered for their appearance in the animated TV series '' The Archie Show''. In the context of the series, the band ...

and

The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

. "Stand" was used as the theme song for the 1990–1992

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

sitcom '' Get a Life'', starring

Chris Elliott Christopher Nash Elliott (born May 31, 1960) is an American actor, comedian and writer known for his surreal sense of humor. He was a regular performer on ''Late Night with David Letterman'' while working as a writer there (1983–1988), created ...

. It was parodied by

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing Comedy music, comedy songs that often Parody music, parody specific songs by contempo ...

as the song "Spam" on the album ''

UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff ''UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff'' is the sixth studio album and soundtrack album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on July 18, 1989. The album is the final of Yankovic's to be produced by ...

''. While the song was originally published by Night Garden Music, with administration by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), it is now administered by Universal Tunes (SESAC). Friend of the band, Georgina Falzarano, inspired some of the lyrical content of the song. "It was based on a conversation with Georgina about directions, which way is north, which way is south, and so on, and Georgina's response was, 'I have a really bad time with directions but I know my house faces south,'" said Norm Spencley, Falzarano's partner of 24 years.

Meaning

Singer

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe was born in Metro Atlanta in January 1960. Due to his father's militar ...

has said of the song's meaning, "It's about making decisions and actually living your life rather than letting it happen." Stipe has said of the song's origin that he and the other band members were discussing

, and similar 1960s 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 insane 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." Guitarist

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.; he played the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his caree ...

described "Stand" as "without a doubt, ..the stupidest song we've ever written. That's not necessarily a bad thing though", comparing the song to "

Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a Standard (music), stand ...

" by the Kingsmen in terms of "stupid" lyrical content.

Critical reception

Betty Page from ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...

'' commented, "Ah, this

— a god amongst men, apparently (along with

Michael Hutchence Michael Kelland John Hutchence (22 January 1960 – 22 November 1997) was an Australian singer and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lead singer and lyricist of the rock band INXS from 1977 until his death in 1997. The band sold over 50 ...

, of course). What a curiously endearing accent the boy has. This is one of the REMers' more commercial gems — quirky but with an appealing guitar noise and a very nice tune to boot. This would make me want to go and listen to the LP, which I suppose is the idea. Stipe, you have Presence with a capital P." The song was called "A splendid pop song...simultaneously stupid and profound. Stipe writes about the need for orientation in one's life, as if based on a series of steps for an unknown, invented, dance."

Track listing

All songs written by

Berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...

, Buck, Mills and Stipe 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 ''

''. 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." #"Stand" – 3:09 #"Pop Song 89" (Acoustic) – 2:56 #"Skin Tight" (Live

Ohio Players Ohio Players are an American funk band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "Fire" and " Love Rollercoaster", and for their erotic album covers that featured nude or nearly nude women. Many of the women were models f ...

cover, written by Jones, Pierce, Bonner, Middlebrooks) – 2:03 Note: live track recorded in Orlando, Florida 30 April 1989

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stand 1989 singles R.E.M. songs Songs written by Bill Berry Songs written by Peter Buck Songs written by Mike Mills Songs written by Michael Stipe Warner Records singles 1988 songs Song recordings produced by Scott Litt Song recordings produced by Michael Stipe Song recordings produced by Mike Mills Song recordings produced by Peter Buck Song recordings produced by Bill Berry Comedy television theme songs Bubblegum pop songs