"Driver 8"is the second single from American musical groupR.E.M.'s third album,Fables of the Reconstruction,released in September 1985. The song peaked at number 22 on the U.S.BillboardMainstream Rock Trackschart.
| "Driver 8" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| SinglebyR.E.M. | ||||
| from the albumFables of the Reconstruction | ||||
| B-side | "Crazy" | |||
| Released | September 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:18 | |||
| Label | I.R.S. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Joe Boyd | |||
| R.E.M.singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song refers to the Southern Crescent, a passenger train that was operated by theSouthern Railroaduntil 1979, and continues today (with fewer stops) as theAmtrakCrescent.The music video showsChessie Systemtrains running aroundClifton Forge, Virginia.[citation needed]
GuitaristPeter Buckadmitted in the liner notes for the band's 2003 compilation albumIn Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003that the verse chords for the song "Imitation of Life"were unintentionally taken from the verse chords of" Driver 8. "
In aRolling Stoneinterview in 2009, Stipe said about his vocals: "It's like breathing – I don't think about it when I sing it. I was listening to these live tapes and thought it was a beautiful song with incredible imagery. I listen to our old albums and think, 'OK, this is where that went wrong, this is a way to improve that.' And 'Wow, that's really good. You're not the hoax you think you are.'"[4]A harmonica was played in a mimicking fashion to sound like a train whistle.[4]
Reception
editCash Boxsaid it is "a modulating country-folk rocker which features a thoughtful chorus hook and a soaring bridge."[1]
In 2024, in an interview withMike Mills,Rick Beatodescribed the song as "mournful". Mills agreed: "Melancholic, yeah. It's about trains, and trains are already wistful and mournful and melancholic. E minor is a great sadkey."[5]
Cover versions
edit- Driver 8 was covered byHootie and the Blowfishin 2000 on their covers-only albumScattered, Smothered and Coveredafter the band performed a live version of the song with R.E.M. on the UK'sTFI Fridayin October 1998.
- Dennis "Cannonball" Caplinger's bluegrass instrumental cover appears on 2001'sPickin' on R.E.M.: The Bluegrass Tribute.
- Death Cab for Cutieplayed the song on their 2006 UK tour for the albumPlans,although they have not released an official recording of it.
- Old 97'scovered it on their covers-only EPMimeographreleased on July 6, 2010.
- Canadian rock bandThe Watchmencovered the song at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on September 24, 2011, shortly after news of R.E.M.'s breakup was made public. Their version was released on the download-only live albumRadar Redux.[6]
- Indie rockbandThe Walkmencovered the song as a part ofThe A.V. Club's A.V. Undercover series in August 2010.
- Santa Cruz Bicyclesproduced a mountain bike model called Driver 8. It was first released in 2009.[7]
- Love Canon covered the song on their 2018 album Cover Story.
- Jason Isbellreleased a cover to his YouTube channel[8]in September 2021, and is included in the albumGeorgia Blue.
- Toad the Wet Sprocketreleased a cover to streaming and on their YouTube channel[9]on August 5th 2024. This versions also featuresRobin Wilsonfrom theGin BlossomsandMatt ScannellfromVertical Horizon.
Track listing
editAll songs written byBill Berry,Peter Buck,Mike MillsandMichael Stipeunless otherwise indicated.
7 ": IRS / IRS-52678 (US)
edit- "Driver 8" – 3:24
- "Crazy" (Pylon) – 3:05
Charts
edit| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USMainstream Rock(Billboard)[10] | 22 |
References
edit- ^abc"Single Releases"(PDF).Cash Box.September 14, 1985. p. 11.Retrieved2022-08-01.
- ^Caramanica, Jon (June 21, 2008)."R.E.M.: The Histories and Commentaries".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 5,2021.
- ^"R.E.M.: Fables of the Reconstruction [Deluxe Edition] Album Review".Pitchfork. 2010-07-14.Retrieved2022-03-03.
Buck was still working within his jangle-pop style-- "Driver 8" is basically the ultimate archetype of this aesthetic
- ^ab"Driver 8 by R.E.M."Song Facts.Retrieved3 May2016.
- ^Rick Beato (2024-06-14).Mike Mills: The Story Of R.E.M.Retrieved2024-11-27– via YouTube.
- ^"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 2018-12-26.Retrieved2018-12-19.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^Andrew Dodd."Santa Cruz Driver 8".BikeRadar.Retrieved3 May2016.
- ^"Driver 8".YouTube.13 September 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21.Retrieved22 September2021.
- ^Toad the Wet Sprocket (2024-08-05).Driver 8: Toad the Wet Sprocket feat. Robin Wilson (Gin Blossoms) & Matt Scannell (Vertical Horizon).Retrieved2024-08-11– via YouTube.
- ^"R.E.M. Chart History (Mainstream Rock)".Billboard.Retrieved April 25, 2023.