"Crush with Eyeliner" is a song by American rock band

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed 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 first alternati ...

, released as the fourth single from their ninth studio album, '' Monster'' (1994). Sonic Youth's

Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American musician best known as a member of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. Mo ...

provides background vocals.

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 alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Pos ...

claims the song was inspired by the band New York Dolls, who, in his opinion, "knew how to exaggerate a song, to make it sound really sleazy and over the top." This was also one of the first songs that surfaced from Stipe after the

writer's block Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Mike Rose found that this creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or th ...

that hounded him after the death of his friend, actor

River Phoenix River Jude Phoenix (; August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993) was an American actor, musician and activist. Phoenix grew up in an itinerant family, as the older brother of Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Liberty Phoenix, and Summer Phoenix. He ...

. Released in the United Kingdom on January 23, 1995, the song reached number 23 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The song was issued in other territories later in the year, peaking at number four in Iceland, number 28 in Canada, and number 13 on the US '' Billboard''

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

. The single's

video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syst ...

, directed by Spike Jonze, shows a group of Japanese youths dancing and miming to the track at a party, while the band are shown briefly, looking on. It is available on the music video compilation ''Parallel''.

Critical reception

Paul Evans from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' felt that "Crush with Eyeliner" "flirts" with

the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

' "

Hello, I Love You "Hello, I Love You" is a song recorded by American rock band the Doors for their 1968 album '' Waiting for the Sun''. Elektra Records released it as a single that same year, which topped the charts in the U.S. and Canada. Although the Doors are ...

Track listings

All songs were written by Bill Berry,

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 also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his ca ...

Mike Mills Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., h ...

, and

. US CD and 12-inch single, UK and Australian CD single # "Crush with Eyeliner" – 4:39 # " Fall on Me" (live) – 3:23 # "Me in Honey" (live) – 4:18 # "

Finest Worksong "Finest Worksong" is the third and final single released from R.E.M.'s fifth studio album ''Document''. It peaked at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1988, at the time the group's highest-charting single in the UK. The single version ...

" (live) – 4:10 UK cassette and limited-edition 7-inch single # "Crush with Eyeliner" – 4:39 # "Crush with Eyeliner" (instrumental) – 4:39 * All live tracks were recorded at the

40 Watt Club The 40 Watt Club is a music venue in Athens, Georgia. Along with CBGB, the Whisky a Go Go, and selected others, it was instrumental in launching American punk rock and new wave music. The 40 Watt Club was the primary performance space for numero ...

, Athens, Georgia, on November 19, 1992. The performance, a benefit for Greenpeace, was recorded on a solar-powered mobile studio.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crush With Eyeliner R.E.M. songs 1994 songs 1995 singles Garage rock songs Glam metal songs Glam rock songs Music videos directed by Spike Jonze Song recordings produced by Bill Berry Song recordings produced by Peter Buck Song recordings produced by Michael Stipe Song recordings produced by Mike Mills Song recordings produced by Scott Litt Songs about music Songs written by Bill Berry Songs written by Michael Stipe Songs written by Mike Mills Songs written by Peter Buck Warner Records singles pt:Crush with Eyeliner