Wikipedia

Man on the Moon (song)

For other uses, seeMan on the Moon (disambiguation) § Songs.

"Man on the Moon"is a song by Americanalternative rockbandR.E.M.,released in November 1992 as the second single from their eighth album,Automatic for the People(1992). The lyrics were written by lead singerMichael Stipe,and the music by drummerBill Berryand guitaristPeter Buck.The song was well received by critics and reached number 30 on the USBillboardHot 100,number 17 on the USCash BoxTop 100,number 18 on theUK Singles Chart,and number one in Iceland. It remains one of R.E.M.'s most popular songs[3][4]and was included on the compilationsIn Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003andPart Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011.

"Man on the Moon"
SinglebyR.E.M.
from the albumAutomatic for the People
B-side"New Orleans Instrumental No. 2"
ReleasedNovember 9, 1992(1992-11-09)
Genre
Length
  • 5:14
  • 4:39 (edit)
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
R.E.M.singles chronology
"Drive"
(1992) 		"Man on the Moon"
(1992) 		"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
(1993)
Music video
"Man on the Moon"onYouTube

"Man on the Moon" is a tribute to comedianAndy Kaufman,with numerous references to his career including hisElvis impersonation,wrestling, and the filmMy Breakfast with Blassie.The song's title and chorus refer toMoon landing conspiracy theories,as an oblique allusion to rumors that the moon landing was faked. The song gave its name toMiloš Forman's KaufmanbiopicMan on the Moon(1999), and features prominently in the film'ssoundtrack.

Composition

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"Man on the Moon" is a mid-tempo country-rock song following averse-chorus structurewith an addedpre-chorusand an instrumentalbridgefollowing the second and third choruses. The song has six lines in the first verse but only four in the second and third verses.[5]

An early instrumental demo of the song was known to the band as "C to D Slide".[6]Guitarist Peter Buck has explained how the music came together: "'Man on the Moon' was something that Bill [Berry] had, this one chord change that he came in with, which was C to D like the verse of the song, and he said: 'I don't know what to do with that.' I used to finish some of Bill's things... he would come up with the riffs, but I would be the finish guy for that. I sat down and came up with the chorus, the bridges, and so forth. I remember we showed it to Mike and Michael when they came in later; definitely we had the song finished. I think Bill played bass and I played guitar; we kept going around with it. I think we might have played some mandolin on it in the rehearsal studio."[citation needed]

Michael Stipe explained in an interview with Charlie Rose how the lyric was written independently of the music, which had no prior association with the song's eventual lyrical content regarding Kaufman. Stipe recounted the other R.E.M. members had written and performed the music of the song and recorded it along with the rest of theAutomatic for the Peoplealbum during studio sessions in Seattle. As of the final week of the recording sessions, Stipe was still struggling to write the lyric, and the others continued to plead with him to finish it. Stipe attempted to argue the track should be an instrumental, but his bandmates were insistent.[6]Stipe listened to the track on a walk around Seattle on hisWalkman cassette playerand was inspired to write aboutAndy Kaufman.[7]After Stipe went back to the studio to complete the vocal track, the track was mixed that night and sent out the following day to be mastered.[8]

Lyric

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The song's lyric does not tell a conventional story and instead forms a collection of cultural references, images and ideas. There are repeated mentions ofAndy Kaufman,including references to hisElvis impersonationand work with wrestlersFred Blassie[9]andJerry Lawler.The song also invokes the conspiracy theories surrounding theMoon landingandElvis Presley's deathas an indirect nod to the persistent rumors that Kaufmanfaked his own death.[3][10]Speaking in 2017 to theNME,Mike Mills explained that the perceived ambiguity of Kaufman's legacy, including questions of whether he was a comedian or aperformance artist,and whether his work was funny or irritating, was a way to frame other questions about life within the song:

He's the perfect ghost to lead you through this tour of questioning things. Did the moon landing really happen? Is Elvis really dead? He was kind of an ephemeral figure at that point so he was the perfect guy to tie all this stuff together as you journey through childhood and touchstones of life.[6]

Regarding the cryptic lyric, criticGreg Kotwrote that the song "presents a surreal vision of heaven."[11]According toAnn Powers,"Mentioning Kaufman in the same breath as Moses and Sir Isaac Newton, Stipe makes a game of human endeavor, insisting that it all ends in dust. 'Let's playTwister,let's playRisk,' Stipe jokes to the notables he's invoked. 'I'll see you in heaven if you make the list.' "[12]

The lyric to "Man on the Moon" also features a prominent refrain of "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah". Stipe explained that the repetition of "yeah" was intended to playfully upstageKurt Cobain's heavy use of the word.[7]

Release and reception

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"Man on the Moon" was released as the second single fromAutomatic for the Peopleon November 9, 1992,[13]reaching number 30 on theBillboardHot 100[14]and number 18 on theUK Singles Chart.[15]

The song was enthusiastically received by critics. Writing for theNew York Times,Ann Powerssaid it "shines with a wit that balances R.E.M.'s somber tendencies."[12]Stewart Mason went even further in his review forAllMusic,calling the song "near-perfect", "almost inarguably Stipe's pinnacle as a singer", and "one of R.E.M.'s most enduring achievements".[3]In his weekly UK chart commentary,James Mastertonfelt that it "may be typical R.E.M. but is not their most commercial ever. The wave of following they have at the moment though means they can do little wrong with this possibly following 'Drive' into the Top 10. "[16]Edwin Pouncey fromNMEcommented, "There are things hidden in 'Man on the Moon' that make you feel sad, lonely, nostalgic and warm. There is also the occasional surprise, as when Michael Stipe unexpectedly summons fourth the ghostly presence of a young girl to sing along with a few words from his song. He makes you look over your shoulder while, at the same time, urging you on to look deeper into his strange and personal world."[17]Parry Gettelman fromOrlando Sentinelwrote, "The gently catchy" Man on the Moon "sounds a bit more likeLifes Rich Pageant-era R.E.M. although the arrangement is more acoustic. Mills' high harmonies, all too rare on this album, add resonance, and as Michael Stipe sings aboutAndy Kaufman,theTwistergame andElvis,he lapses into a humorous, appealing Elvis-via-Bryan-Ferryimitation. Peter Buck's slide guitar underlines the hummable chorus. The melody sounds a whole lot like a lower-key remake of "Fall on Me",but that was such a great song, who's complaining?"[18]The song was listed at number 19 on theVillage Voice"Pazz & Jop"year-end critics' poll in 1993.[19]

Music video

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The song's accompanyingmusic video,directed byPeter Care,was shot over three days inLancaster, California,in October 1992. Care kept a journal of the unusually long planning, filming, and editing process, which was published byRaygunmagazine and reprinted in the R.E.M. fan club newsletter.[20]

The video depictsMichael Stipe,attired in a cowboy hat, walking along a desert road before leaping onto a passing truck (driven byBill Berry) and hitching a ride to atruck stop,wherePeter Buckis tending bar andMike Millsis shooting pool. Berry trades his truck seat for a bar stool, and along with a few of the other customers sings along during the choruses. Stipe eats an order ofFrench friesand then leaves and walks back into the desert. The video is punctuated with Moon-related images, including footage of theNASA Moon landings,anorreryin motion and a clip fromGeorges Méliès' 1902 filmA Trip to the Moon.Television footage of Kaufman wrestling and impersonating Elvis Presley is also shown.

This video, which uses the shorter version instead of the full album version, was ranked number 41 onRolling Stonemagazine's "The 100 Top Music Videos" and has been described as 'iconic' by theNME'sAndrew Trendell.[6]

Track listings

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All songs were written byBill Berry,Peter Buck,Mike MillsandMichael Stipeexcept as noted.

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[49] Platinum 30,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[50] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[51] Gold 400,000‡

‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^"10 Classic R.E.M. Tracks Revisited".Billboard.
  2. ^"In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003Review ".NME.September 12, 2005.RetrievedAugust 9,2016.
  3. ^abcMason, Stewart."Song review: Man on the Moon".AllMusic.RetrievedJanuary 29,2012.
  4. ^Greene, Andy (September 28, 2011)."Readers Poll: The 10 Best R.E.M. Songs".Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon June 17, 2017.RetrievedJune 28,2017.
  5. ^Kelly, Casey; Hodge, David (2011).The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Art of Songwriting.New York: Alpha Books.ISBN978-1-101-54337-5.
  6. ^abcd"REM talk to us about the classic 'Man On The Moon' to mark the single's 25th anniversary".NME. November 21, 2017.
  7. ^ab"R.E.M. Reflects On 25 Years Of 'Automatic For The People'".NPR. November 2, 2017.
  8. ^R.E.M. - Charlie Rose,retrievedMarch 16,2018
  9. ^Timmons, John."Today's ear X-tacy: R.E.M." Man On The Moon "".Louisville Public Media.RetrievedSeptember 24,2024.
  10. ^Staggs, Matt (September 17, 2014)."Memoir in a Melody: R.E.M.'s Ode to Andy Kaufman in 'Man On the Moon'".Signature.Penguin Random House.RetrievedJune 28,2017.
  11. ^Kot, Greg (October 4, 1992). "Killing 'Em Softly".Chicago Tribune.
  12. ^abPowers, Ann (October 11, 1992)."A Weary R.E.M. Seems Stuck in Midtempo".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 29,2012.
  13. ^"New Releases: Singles"(PDF).Music Week.November 7, 1992. p. 19.RetrievedJuly 17,2021.
  14. ^"R.E.M.: Billboard singles".AllMusic.RetrievedJanuary 29,2012.
  15. ^"Man on the Moon".Official Charts Company.RetrievedJanuary 29,2012.
  16. ^Masterton, James(November 30, 1992)."Week Ending December 5th 1992".Chart Watch UK.RetrievedSeptember 13,2021.
  17. ^Pouncey, Edwin (December 5, 1992)."Singles".NME.p. 17.RetrievedMarch 29,2023.
  18. ^Gettelman, Parry (October 9, 1992). "R.E.M.".Orlando Sentinel.
  19. ^"The 1993 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll".Robert Christgau.RetrievedJanuary 29,2012.
  20. ^Gray, Marcus (1997).It Crawled from the South: An R.E.M. Companion.Da Capo Press.ISBN0-306-80751-3.
  21. ^Man on the Moon(US 7-inch single vinyl disc).R.E.M.Warner Bros. Records.1993. 7-18642.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ^Man on the Moon(US cassette single sleeve). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1992. 2-18642.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ^Man on the Moon(US CD single liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1993. 4-18642.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ^Man on the Moon(UK CD1 liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1992. W0143CD.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ^Man on the Moon(UK CD2 liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1992. W0143CDX.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ^Man on the Moon(UK 7-inch single sleeve). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1992. W0143.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. ^Man on the Moon(UK cassette single sleeve). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1992. W0143C.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. ^"R.E.M. – Man on the Moon ".ARIA Top 50 Singles.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  29. ^"R.E.M. – Man on the Moon "(in German).Ö3 Austria Top 40.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  30. ^"R.E.M. – Man on the Moon "(in Dutch).Ultratop 50.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  31. ^"Top RPM Singles: Issue 1781."RPM.Library and Archives Canada.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  32. ^"Eurochart Hot 100 Singles"(PDF).Music & Media.Vol. 10, no. 2. January 9, 1993. p. 11.RetrievedJune 1,2020.Seelast weekcolumn.
  33. ^"R.E.M. – Man on the Moon "(in German).GfK Entertainment charts.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  34. ^"Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (5.–11. mars)".Dagblaðið Vísir(in Icelandic). March 4, 1993. p. 29.RetrievedOctober 7,2019.
  35. ^"The Irish Charts – Search Results – Man on the Moon ".Irish Singles Chart.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  36. ^"Tipparade-lijst van week 51, 1992"(in Dutch).Dutch Top 40.RetrievedApril 9,2023.
  37. ^"R.E.M. – Man on the Moon "(in Dutch).Single Top 100.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  38. ^"R.E.M. – Man on the Moon ".Top 40 Singles.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  39. ^"Official Singles Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  40. ^"R.E.M. Chart History (Hot 100)".Billboard.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  41. ^"R.E.M. Chart History (Adult Contemporary)".Billboard.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  42. ^"R.E.M. Chart History (Alternative Airplay)".Billboard.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  43. ^"R.E.M. Chart History (Mainstream Rock)".Billboard.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  44. ^"R.E.M. Chart History (Pop Songs)".Billboard.Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  45. ^Whitburn, Joel (2014).Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996.Sheridan Books, Inc.ISBN978-0-89820-209-0.
  46. ^"The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993".RPM.Library and Archives Canada.RetrievedOctober 7,2019.
  47. ^"Árslistinn 1993".Dagblaðið Vísir(in Icelandic). January 4, 1994. p. 16.RetrievedJune 1,2020.
  48. ^"Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1993"(in German).GfK Entertainment.RetrievedMay 11,2020.
  49. ^"New Zealand single certifications – REM – Man on the Moon".Radioscope.RetrievedDecember 30,2024.TypeMan on the Moonin the "Search:" field.
  50. ^"Spanish single certifications – R.E.M. – Man on the Moon".El portal de Música.Productores de Música de España.RetrievedJanuary 1,2025.
  51. ^"British single certifications – REM – Man on the Moon".British Phonographic Industry.RetrievedNovember 5,2024.
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