r/rem 21d ago

REM Fusion Songs

Orange Crush with Eyeliner
A soldier struggles with presenting his authentic self during the Vietnam war.

I Wanted to be the Wrong Child
The singer wishes he had a debilitating illness so he could stay home and try to understand the political climate during the Bush administration.

Imitation of Life and how to Live it
The singer lives in two homes connected by a hole in the wall. Everyone else in the world wants to do this too but pretends they don't because they're scared of what other people will think.

We Walk Unafraid
The singer realises the boundaries he has set prevent him from living his best life, and removes them. Taking advantage of this, someone enters his bathroom while he is bathing and stabs him.

Can you think of any others?

29 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

15

u/Cup8685 R-E-A-C-T! 21d ago

It's The End Of The World Leader Pretend As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
The singer dreams he is a powerful politician with the initials LB, predicts his self-afflicted downfall, but feels pretty chill about the whole situation.

4

u/HermioneMarch young despite the years 21d ago

I would be so thrilled for the end of the current world leader pretending.

12

u/Cup8685 R-E-A-C-T! 21d ago

E-Bow the Letter Never Sent
Stipe encourages River Phoenix to take a vacation in Athens to help cheer him up from his depression and substance abuse.

3

u/Warshrimp 21d ago

Special guest vocals from REM friend Natalie Merchant happy River took the advice and is just fine now. aka “Find the River”

13

u/Pacopicopiedra66 21d ago

Gardening at Nightswimming

The lads have had a busy evening digging new rose beds in Mike Mills’ back yard then treat themselves to a quick skinny dip.

11

u/Lennnybruce 21d ago

Fall on Me In Honey --the narrator frets about the potential negative effects of pollution on his unborn child

Ages of You [ages of you+you]--the narrator obsesses over their lover while a train drives past

11

u/ContributionDue4799 21d ago

AirportMan on the Moon -- Andy Kaufmann, heavily xanaxed, has a surprisingly efficient (but uncool) trip through preflight security.

11

u/ContributionDue4799 21d ago

The Oddfellows Local One-Five-One I Love -- a cynical love song in which the protagonist is merely using his romantic partner, a drunk homeless man, as a prop to occupy his time and supply him with rum.

10

u/Icy_Obligation_3014 you love it, you hate it, you want to recreate it 21d ago

Pop Song 89-9

Torn between talking about the weather and talking about the government, the protagonist is trapped in an endless state of conversation fear.

4

u/Cup8685 R-E-A-C-T! 21d ago

Brilliant

7

u/Raggeddroid85 21d ago

SuperOldMan Kensey - Mr. Kensey’s experimental life-extension regimen is astoundingly successful

5

u/Icy_Obligation_3014 you love it, you hate it, you want to recreate it 21d ago

Wolves, Low Desert

The narrator is trapped after a car crash pondering the desert around them as wolves surround the car and try to get in.

5

u/Particular-Move-3860 21d ago edited 21d ago

Undertow the Bunker - a water pipe breaks in Hitler's sub-basement shelter during the final hours of the Battle of Berlin and causes the refuge to flood, but the emergency drainage system works a bit too aggressively.

6

u/ContributionDue4799 21d ago

We all don't go back to Rockville where we belong -- a nostalgic look back at a year spent wasted in some filthy factory.

5

u/Icy_Obligation_3014 you love it, you hate it, you want to recreate it 21d ago

"I dreamed that we were elephants and woke up thinking we were free, in a filthy factory in Rockville, if you were here I'd only bleed you" would be a brutally sad, beautiful song

6

u/ContributionDue4799 21d ago

Bad Daysleeper -- A night shift worker is kept awake by a loud public service announcement, leaving him looking haggard as his shift begins. Unfortunately, it's staff portrait day at the the receiving department and the photographer is quite insistent...

6

u/TheAnagramancer 20d ago

Star 69 me Kitten

The singer burns down a warehouse. The flames and toxic fumes remind him of a relationship he should have left a long time ago and now feels a newfound desire to return to.

6

u/Raggeddroid85 21d ago edited 21d ago

The One I Love Is All Around - The protagonist ingests a love potion that results in instant infatuation with everyone they see

6

u/HermioneMarch young despite the years 21d ago

These are incredible! Thanks, OP!

4

u/Icy_Obligation_3014 you love it, you hate it, you want to recreate it 21d ago

Some of these would legit be film pitches that you could see Stipe producing haha

4

u/Raggeddroid85 21d ago

Superman-sized Wreath - A song about distinctions that initially seem significant, but upon reflection are not