Begin the Begin
| "Begin the Begin" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by R.E.M. from the album Lifes Rich Pageant | ||||
| Released | 28 July 1986July 28, 1986 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, hard rock[1] | |||
| Length | 3:28 | |||
| Label | I.R.S. | |||
| Writer(s) | Berry Buck Mills Stipe | |||
| Producer(s) | Don Gehman | |||
| Lifes Rich Pageant track listing | ||||
| ||||
"Begin the Begin" is the first song on R.E.M.'s fourth album, Lifes Rich Pageant. Lead singer Michael Stipe has called it "a song of personal, political activism."[2] Though never released as a single, it appeared frequently in the band's live performances as a song early in the set. It was even used as an opening song in the live performances at their inductions into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame[3] and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[4] The song was also included as the first track on their 2006 compilation And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987.
As the opening track on Lifes Rich Pageant, the song heralded a new clarity in Stipe's vocals.[5] Written on acoustic guitars in Stipe's home, the original version of the song was a minute longer, with five different choruses, lacking melody and a bridge.[6] Replete with references to Americana and revolution, the title is a pun on Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine".[6]
References
- ↑ http://www.popmatters.com/feature/66852-it-starts-with-an-earthquake-rems-monster/
- ↑ Hogan, Peter, The Complete Guide to the Music of REM, page 109. Omnibus Press, 1995. ISBN 0-7119-4901-8
- ↑ "R.E.M. inducted into Music Hall of Fame". USAToday.com. September 17, 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
- ↑ Cohen, Jonathan (March 13, 2007). "R.E.M., Van Halen Lead Rock Hall's '07 Class". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
- ↑ Hogan, page 32.
- 1 2 Hogan, page 33.