My darling best friend Meredith had terminal cancer at 34 and had planned to have this played at her funeral. I had sat with her at home when she fell into a coma, and told her how much I loved her. We left that night, and got a call the next afternoon asking us to come as she had died, I was nearly hysterical. We got into the car and this was on the radio. I know it was her, telling me to not cry. I went and sat with her again, stroking her hair, holding her hand and talking to her. At many times in my life, this song has come on, and today she is visiting me again. Oh lord I miss her so much. 💔💔
I'm sorry for your loss, I've been through something similar with my mom. It's a long story to tell, but the day I lost her was both the worst day of my life and my strongest day as I made all of the medical decisions. Her name was Kim and she was my best friend, she was 56yo and I was 26yo at the time. 2018 was the worst year of my life, but I'm doing much better now. Your story brought tears to my eyes, RIP Mom and RIP to your friend Meredith 🙏❤
@@bighomiestevethemetalhead8131 Oh I am so sorry for the loss of your mum Kim. 56:is way too young, I turned 62 last week so to me your mum is a baby. Meredith left 2 little girls, one 12 and one 2, and is now a grandma. She would have loved it and I am sad that those kids are growing up without this hysterically funny, loyal, loving and strong spirited woman in their lives. I lost her in April 1997, and even when she was in the coma, I kept begging her to wake up.Her little girl came into the room and said mama to her and there was no response, and then I knew and just sobbed. She has been gone for a long time and I miss her every day still. She made me a treasure box and I have the letter she left for me after she died, saying how much she loved me and my family. She was adored by my family, even my grandparents came to her funeral and we speak of her a lot. She loved my mum and called her Ma, her own mother was awful. She was family to us all, that beautiful girl. My love to you, you are a similar age to my boy, and he and I are very close too. It would have been very hard for you that day, but I know whatever decisions you made were done with love. Xx from Australia
This is all about telling desperate, depressed people that it's okay, things will get better, do not give up, seek out your friend's, keep moving forward, and DO NOT GIVE UP! It's a powerful anti-suicide song, and it has saved many lives. Including mine.
One of the best anti-suicide songs ever. Literally has saved many lives. This was a big song and video in the early '90s. Also the video is very similar to the movie Falling Down. With Michael Douglass. Yall have to watch that movie! Came out around that same time. Check out more REM, they are one of the best alternative/Indie rock bands ('80s/'90s/'00s). Many great ones from them and different styles.
Not just one of the best anti suicide songs ever, it is one of the best songs of all time period. This song is iconic in every way, musically, lyrically, instrumentation, arrangement, you name it this song has it all.
I JUST now noticed the potted tree in the back of the pickup truck- anyone see Harold and Maude? They liberate a tree in the city and transplant it to the woods, transporting it in an El Camino. Tip of the hat to H&M? Maude eventually commits suicide, though not out of despair: just wanting to control the end of her life.
A terrible decision to put those words there back in the day. A thousand times worse now, in the days of lyric videos. Every time he sings, I'm reading the words that have appeared on the screen at the same time.
@@michaelasay8587 Michael, everyone has value. I know you may not see your value right now, but we all, especially you, have a contribution to make. Find what matters to you, and make that your mission. When you work on something, you will see the value you bring. Yes, as the song states, everyone hurts. But "Hurt" is a feeling that we can change. Keep talking with me, and we'll make that walk together.
@@michaelasay8587 I was born, and grew up, in a terribly abusive household and was also born with a physical disability. For many years, I felt hopeless, and worthless, and I didn't think my life could ever improve or even seem worth living. I honestly didn't think that I would survive to see my 30s. I'm in my 40s now, and life is so, so much better. Please don't give up.
@@justinatest9456 If you want to focus exclusively on the audio, find a lyric video or just close your eyes instead. The video is greater than the sum of its parts precisely *because* of the overlap between image, text, music and vocal.
The traffic jam is the perfect visual metaphor for being trapped in your darkest, saddest thoughts. I can't watch this video without my eyes tearing up. The anguish and emptiness on the elderly man's face, the here-and-gone shot of his wife, the corsage on the back seat......his whole universe summed up in just two words: she's gone. Ouch.
As a junior high school teacher, I try to squeeze this video in at some point in the year....you never know if it's gonna reach someone who's going through depression!
Bless you. My oldest is a teacher. My youngest lost his best friend to suicide at the age of 17. I went to his funeral. I couldn't take it. I kept asking why?
I can’t understand how someone doesn’t pick up that this song is about severe depression and hanging on instead of committing suicide? I guess if you’ve never experienced it before, you can’t fathom ending it all.
She has some capacity to absorb the emotional power of music, but she either can't articulate it or holds herself back when they do the post-clip discussion. He makes me want to slap his fucking face and tell him to feel the music instead of analysing it like it's a fucking accountant's balance sheet
Yes those were the thoughts of the people... and some of them are heartbreaking! She's gone! 17 years! If I had a gun! They will miss me when I am gone! ... Hold on... when you feel like you have hard enough of life... hold on ... you are not alone, hold on. This is powerful stuff. I guess not everyone gets it the first time.
My best friend's (we are practically family, our parents were good friends to) older brother took his own life right around the time this song came out. It still feels like a punch in the gut. At the time mental health and suicide weren't talked about in the same way they are today. This song was very impactful when it came out. This song has literally saved lives.
I love everything about this song - when I'm feeling down it lifts me, when I'm extra happy it is a song to live by... so basically you're not alone if you're suffering, as everyone does, it's a fact of life. Just keep going! I saw REM (live) at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2005 they were amazing.
The subtitles are the thoughts of each person stuck in traffic. The Spanish ones were because those people only spoke Spanish. When the subtitles were the lyrics, it's because the singer was on screen and they were his thoughts. The video is all of the different people "hurting" in different ways (grieving, physical pain, parents arguing), hence "everybody hurts". At the end, they all get out of their cars and walk away. The traffic jam is what was making them all dwell on their own pain, but walking away from the traffic allowed them to free their minds and thing about something different, and hopefully better. It is a song about depression and empathy and carrying on.
The subtitles are the thoughts of the person in focus, if the person happens to be a band member [they are strewn throughout the cars] the surface thoughts match the song, everyone else is thinking of their own problems.
This is the best R.E.M. song because from the beginning to the end of time, every person can relate to this at some point in life. I'm a little surprised B&L didn't connect with this immediately. I was moved the first time I saw this in my late teens. I never really thought about what others are also dealing with until I saw this. Seeing the range of possibilities that everyone around you could be thinking was eye-opening for me. Maybe they haven't been through enough to get it yet. I, personally, needed this reminder for my cynical mind to remember everyone is dealing with crap and just chill a bit. So, thanks for that dose of reality. Sending positive vibes to all, especially those going through the muck right now. 🤗
Brad is finally feeling more comfortable about listening to this music and analyzing it. I'm thinking back to how uncomfortable he was months ago ... lol
The message , Brad , is "don't kill yourself , hang on it'll pass " it's a pretty cool message if you ask me . Do you hear it now ? " Automatic for the People " was a ground breaking album for them , took 'em from relative obscurity to worldwide adoration . This album was so huge that it inspired other artists to write songs about Michael Stipe ( the singer )
My home boys from Athens Georgia.....they really are awesome. Great music catalogue and this is one of most favorite songs from 80s. They used this song in campaigns for suicide prevention.....love REM....Enjoy you two 🕊️💗
My dad has attempted suicide several times in his life & has come close...62 years old & he's still with us...keep holding on dad because everybody hurts sometimes 💪💪💚
I have never heard Michael stipes voice described as quirky or regular his voice was always considered distinctive and unique and inspired many singers and bands to form in the 80'S 90'S and beyond..... very powerful song this which has saved many many lives.
The fact that Lex didn't understand and feel the true meaning of this song is proof that she has lived a great uneventful life. And I'm happy for her, as she's one of the few her age that has. But trust me, like everyone, she's eventually going to have to deal with the loss of someone she loves and feel indescribable emotional and physical pain. And THEN she will immediately understand what this amazing song is about!!
R.E.M. is one of the best post Beatles groups. Michael Stipe is a first class singer/songwriter. They are a very diverse and eclectic band. Everything they ever recorded is noteworthy. A legendary band. "Automatic For The People", which includes this, is their masterpiece.
@@artamm777 I think Reckoning is their best album. Life's Rich Pageant is the second. Automatic is like a distant 5th for me, although still a great album for me.
@@saratemp790 I fell in love the song "King of Birds" and it will always remain my favorite REM song, thus why I consider Document my favorite. Your choices are valid though :)
And now tears rolling down my face. I can't believe you made it without crying. One of the saddest songs I've ever heard. And, yes, the words were the thoughts of the people in the cars. I think his voice sounds great here.
The text relates to whoever is on screen at the time. You'll note that the subs and lyrics match whenever Michael Stipe or other band members are on screen because that's their thoughts being expressed, but when the camera is on the occupants of other cars, it's *their* minds you're "reading" instead. I rarely listen to "Everybody Hurts" precisely because I want it to retain the same cathartic power it did when I was an angst-riddled 14-year-old discovering REM for the first time. As luck would have it, today has been very difficult so listening to it this evening was just what I needed. For the next best thing in this vein from the band, I recommend "Nightswimming" or "Man on the Moon" (all of which, funnily enough, came from the same album - "Automatic for the People", my desert island disc of choice if I could only take one original album).
Incredible song. I got to see REM before they had a contract in Athens. I knew they were gonna' blow up. This song meant everything to me as a twenty year old closeted guy.
I saw them in a club in LA touring their first EP, I was there to see the openers, Green on Red I think, I don’t even remember, I didn’t know who they were. Changed my entire life.
The Song was written with regard to the number of Teens committing Suicide, and the number of Suicides throughout the World, it was a message to hold on, everybody hurts, everybody cries sometimes, on average 132 people commit Suicide in the U.S. Daily, there is one Suicide every 12 Minutes in the U.S. these two havent got a clue about most things.
REM is from Athens, Georgia! All I can think of when I look at that video is that they’re stuck in Atlanta traffic! I live near Atlanta so I know the pain of being stuck in that mess! Lol! Okay, I realize the song is about the pain everyone experiences in life and getting through it all!❤❤
Same...Westside here! Unfortunately, I've been through both versions of pain, and they both are quite miserable at times. The song is a godsend though! At least for the emotional pain. 😉
"Why is this their best song"? First time anybody has ever needed to ask that question regarding this masterpiece. You should react to another song from Automatic For The People. Doesn't matter which one. You'll be in awe. Also, John Paul Jones from Zeppelin arranged the strings on this song and the whole record.
REM is one of my favorite bands ever. I got to meet Michael Stipe a couple of times back in the 90s when I lived in Athens, GA. He is a really nice guy, and very down-to-earth. Y'all should react to "Nightswimming."
I got to meet the band in the band in the ‘o’s when they were recording their second album. All of the guys are were down to earth so nice to be around.
It was a huge hit in Europe when I was 14… . I was so bored of it, cause i didn’t get it. 30 years later, while life happend I get it all and it makes me cry every time I listen to it… it also helps me keep my head up in my dark hours
Yeah, the subtitles were the thoughts of whoever was onscreen at the time, that’s why some of them were in Spanish, because the person onscreen spoke Spanish. Whenever the band members were on screen it would just show the songs lyrics
Love the nod to Unchained Melody - I've heard both songs hundreds of times and hadn't put 2 and 2 together like that but you're 100% spot on. Brilliant! Cheers.
This is a really deep song. The video is depicting people all stuck in their cars, separated from each other with their thoughts in the subtitles. At the end, they all get out and leave together. Its like they all decide collectively to stop dwelling on their pain (stuck in traffic) and just get up and start moving forward (with life) together. That is a very emotional part of the video for me. The song was written when the singer learned that suicide was the leading cause of death among teenagers at that time.
100% the video makes it so much more impactful. When i see it, i feel like i'm one of those people stuck in their car and i always get goosebumps when they all get up and walk. Powerful stuff!
When she first said it, I thought it was out in left field until I really thought about it. I wish I could make the associations she does. It's a gift that few have.
This used to come on the radio when I was getting ready for school and I was like, "Damn, Michael Stipe, homeroom starts in like 40 minutes, I do not have time to be in my feelings right now" and I would shed one or two manly tears and then back to the grind
Omg you guys crack me up so much. Well you should have heard their first EP when it came out like I did in college and it sounded like the the birds from like the late 60s or something but then it was sounded so new and modern and we all just loved it. I went out and bought it right away and I couldn't hardly under stand a word on the album. They had songs like wolves, lower. Gardening at night. Box cars out of town. But I didn't care because it just sounded so new and so cool and hypnotic. And then they came to my small town of Lawrence Kansas at the time which had a great music scene and I saw them two or three times and that is of course many years before this recording. But I love how you guys are going down this rabbit hole it's fascinating. Plus you crack me up so much.
Yeah, it was their thoughts. When it was the correct works it was on the band. That was their thoughts. Also, I think some of the people in the back seat weren’t really there. Hits me in the feels every time. Fun fact: This was filmed in San Antonio, Tx. I used to live close to this freeway.
True story. I was in my back yard years ago and I found a hornet's nest. I was wondering how to take it down when this song came up on my iPod. I decided to not mess with it. Haha.
REM is one of those bands that doesn't have a "genre", they bounce all over the place and have hits with all of them. Radio Free Europe, What's the Frequency Kenneth, Man on the Moon, Losing My Religion, Living Well is the Best Revenge, It's the End of the World and I Feel Fine, Driver 8... A lot of good songs.
This album, about all others, helped me get through my father’s death when I was 18. It helped me process emotions, and, I think, kept me from doing some pretty drastic crap. Thanks for doing this one ❤️
Great song! Thought Lex was gonna cry at the 5:30 mark because she looked to be holding something back. Who hasn't felt that way when this song came on at certain points in their lives.
In the liner notes of the album In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003, Buck writes that "the reason the lyrics are so atypically straightforward is because it was aimed at teenagers", and "I've never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but the idea that high school is a portal to hell seems pretty realistic to me. Incidentally, the song was used in the 1992 film of the same name that preceded the show. In 2005, Buck told the BBC If you're consciously writing for someone who hasn't been to college, or is pretty young, it might be nice to be very direct. In that regard, it's tended to work for people of a lot of ages. In 2022, Stipe told Rick Rubin that "Everybody Hurts" was inspired by Nazareth's cover of "Love Hurts Michael Stipe had originally intended for Patti Smith to be a second vocal on the track, but it did not work out.
Brad, if you like quirky 80's/90's bands.... Camper Van Beethoven! "Take The Skinheads Bowling", "Joe Stalin's Cadillac", "Good Guys And Bad Guys", "Eye Of Fatima Pt. 1", "Turquoise Jewelry", "Tania"...all great, strange, quirky, fun songs from the band that the term "Alternative" was first invented for.
Basically what they’re saying is.. if you feel suicidal, … you might feel better tomorrow… but you get it it.. yes, it’s fucked up today, this week this month, this year… but hey, get through it .. it will be better tomorrow or next month or next year.
They are just not capable of understanding. The words are right there on the screen and it still went right over their heads. I'm guessing that they completely forgot about this song about 2 minutes after finishing the video and will never think about it again.
I like how the message of the song is portrayed by the people leaving behind the despair in which they were mired and just deciding to start moving forward.
I sometimes laugh at some of your comments, but this time I really thought about it and realized how different the era you guys grew up in is from the one I did. You never really had MTV as a dominant force in popular music. I lived through the heyday - I was probably 8-10 years old when we got cable and MTV came into my life, and it became a major impact that lasted for the most formative years of my life. Music videos evolved, and became an art form. Artists (and labels) were constantly trying to come up with the next big thing, that resonated with fans visually as much as audibly. The video to this song is a pared-down movie simply showing the pain that everyone in it is going through. "Everybody hurts". The people in the cheap cars, the people in the expensive cars; the young, the old; the white, the black, the hispanic - everybody has something in their life that hurts them. It's the universal truth. And being stuck in a nasty traffic jam doesn't usually awaken the best in people. The subtitles are meant to be the inner thoughts of the people being shown at the moment. Occasionally, they would line that up with a lyric in the song, as an artistic choice. Love your reactions, and I'll try to remember in the future the different worlds we grew up in, so I don't react snarkily to some of your reactions - you guys are great at being honest and straightforward, and I love that about both of you!
John Michael Stipe (Decatur, Georgia, 4 de enero de 1960) es un músico, productor, actor y artista plástico estadounidense, conocido por haber sido el líder y vocalista del grupo de rock alternativo R.E.M. desde su formación en 1980 hasta su disolución en 2011.
The subtitles are inner-dialogue, yes, I figured Brad would pick up on that. But, when it goes to lyrics, isn’t it only when the camera is on Michael Stipe, (the singer for REM, who in the video is the guy wearing the hat.) I don’t even know what Lex means by “quirky” at this point, she’s used it to describe a lot, (most of which I would have never described that way 🤷🏻♀️) Anyway, I suppose Lex is in good company as that was probably their most popular song and was used in just about everything and anything that had a sad moment or scene-from films and TV to commercial, so much so it was eventually used to parody those kinds of sappy and artificially sad moments, (see the Mission Hill ep 8, “Andy vs. the Real World”.)
What's so hard to understand? The guy was on the edge, ready to jump off! The lyrics say "when you think you've had enough of this life, hang on", "don't throw your hand".
Suicide has been the biggest killer of my friends over the last thirty years depression and anxiety disorders and just broken spirits this song brings out tears every time
Yes, this is a song about depression and suicide. The video allows us to read the thoughts of people in a traffic jam intermixed with the lyrics of the song. The idea is that even though we may feel depressed and isolated, understanding and compassion can be had if we only ask for it.
REM had a few really good songs. Man on the Moon, Nightswimming, What's the frequency Kenneth. All different, unlike any other. This band had a very wide range. You guys should react to some more of their songs.
The subtitles are the song lyrics when they show members of the band. When it's other people, the subtitles show what the people involved might be thinking... their lines in the story.
This song really hit me hard when it came out and still does. I always put vastly more stock in melody than lyrics but sometimes a great melody coalesces with meaningful lyrics and genuinely soulful vocals and you get a masterpiece like this. I can barely watch it without getting "something" in my eye :)
My darling best friend Meredith had terminal cancer at 34 and had planned to have this played at her funeral. I had sat with her at home when she fell into a coma, and told her how much I loved her. We left that night, and got a call the next afternoon asking us to come as she had died, I was nearly hysterical. We got into the car and this was on the radio. I know it was her, telling me to not cry. I went and sat with her again, stroking her hair, holding her hand and talking to her. At many times in my life, this song has come on, and today she is visiting me again. Oh lord I miss her so much. 💔💔
Nice story. Meredith is more alive now. Thank you peace ✌️
What a beautiful thing to share. She was so grateful I am sure to have you there when it counts. Take peace ☮️ from that. Aloha
I'm sorry for your loss, I've been through something similar with my mom. It's a long story to tell, but the day I lost her was both the worst day of my life and my strongest day as I made all of the medical decisions.
Her name was Kim and she was my best friend, she was 56yo and I was 26yo at the time. 2018 was the worst year of my life, but I'm doing much better now.
Your story brought tears to my eyes, RIP Mom and RIP to your friend Meredith 🙏❤
@@bighomiestevethemetalhead8131 Oh I am so sorry for the loss of your mum Kim. 56:is way too young, I turned 62 last week so to me your mum is a baby. Meredith left 2 little girls, one 12 and one 2, and is now a grandma. She would have loved it and I am sad that those kids are growing up without this hysterically funny, loyal, loving and strong spirited woman in their lives. I lost her in April 1997, and even when she was in the coma, I kept begging her to wake up.Her little girl came into the room and said mama to her and there was no response, and then I knew and just sobbed. She has been gone for a long time and I miss her every day still. She made me a treasure box and I have the letter she left for me after she died, saying how much she loved me and my family. She was adored by my family, even my grandparents came to her funeral and we speak of her a lot. She loved my mum and called her Ma, her own mother was awful. She was family to us all, that beautiful girl. My love to you, you are a similar age to my boy, and he and I are very close too. It would have been very hard for you that day, but I know whatever decisions you made were done with love. Xx from Australia
love to you, my dear
This is all about telling desperate, depressed people that it's okay, things will get better, do not give up, seek out your friend's, keep moving forward, and DO NOT GIVE UP!
It's a powerful anti-suicide song, and it has saved many lives.
Including mine.
Sending hugs 🤗
❤️
*God Bless GOGPG. God Bless.*
❤️❤️
Glad you are here!
One of the best anti-suicide songs ever. Literally has saved many lives.
This was a big song and video in the early '90s. Also the video is very similar to the movie Falling Down. With Michael Douglass. Yall have to watch that movie! Came out around that same time.
Check out more REM, they are one of the best alternative/Indie rock bands ('80s/'90s/'00s). Many great ones from them and different styles.
Not just one of the best anti suicide songs ever, it is one of the best songs of all time period. This song is iconic in every way, musically, lyrically, instrumentation, arrangement, you name it this song has it all.
A permanent solution to a temporary problem.
I JUST now noticed the potted tree in the back of the pickup truck- anyone see Harold and Maude? They liberate a tree in the city and transplant it to the woods, transporting it in an El Camino. Tip of the hat to H&M?
Maude eventually commits suicide, though not out of despair: just wanting to control the end of her life.
@@monkeysuncle2816 Fantastic film. I remember seeing it late one night & just sitting for like 30-45 minutes after the movie, thinking.
That's great, but I feel worse listening to this, because if everyone hurts, it can't get better for us because no one doesn't hurt, I feel depressed
The message is everyone has pain that they are hiding. Those little sub titles on bottom are the thoughts of the people in the frame.
A terrible decision to put those words there back in the day. A thousand times worse now, in the days of lyric videos. Every time he sings, I'm reading the words that have appeared on the screen at the same time.
Im very suicidal in this terrible world....I don't think I could ever do it...but I can't keep going on like this either.
@@michaelasay8587 Michael, everyone has value. I know you may not see your value right now, but we all, especially you, have a contribution to make. Find what matters to you, and make that your mission. When you work on something, you will see the value you bring. Yes, as the song states, everyone hurts. But "Hurt" is a feeling that we can change. Keep talking with me, and we'll make that walk together.
@@michaelasay8587 I was born, and grew up, in a terribly abusive household and was also born with a physical disability. For many years, I felt hopeless, and worthless, and I didn't think my life could ever improve or even seem worth living. I honestly didn't think that I would survive to see my 30s. I'm in my 40s now, and life is so, so much better. Please don't give up.
@@justinatest9456 If you want to focus exclusively on the audio, find a lyric video or just close your eyes instead. The video is greater than the sum of its parts precisely *because* of the overlap between image, text, music and vocal.
The traffic jam is the perfect visual metaphor for being trapped in your darkest, saddest thoughts.
I can't watch this video without my eyes tearing up. The anguish and emptiness on the elderly man's face, the here-and-gone shot of his wife, the corsage on the back seat......his whole universe summed up in just two words: she's gone.
Ouch.
As a junior high school teacher, I try to squeeze this video in at some point in the year....you never know if it's gonna reach someone who's going through depression!
Thank you for teaching.
Kudos 👍
I'm 99.9% certain it has helped multiple students. Knowing some one cares and that you are not alone can go a long way.
Salute to teachers .
Bless you. My oldest is a teacher. My youngest lost his best friend to suicide at the age of 17. I went to his funeral. I couldn't take it. I kept asking why?
This song, it is said, has inspired desperately depressed people ... not to commit suicide.
Yes it is true.
Which is ironic because this song has always made me so incredibly sad and depressed. But I stll love it
David well music like this helps me...I'm not doing well in this terrible world.
@@michaelasay8587 hold on
Did REM say that ?
I can’t understand how someone doesn’t pick up that this song is about severe depression and hanging on instead of committing suicide? I guess if you’ve never experienced it before, you can’t fathom ending it all.
Your reaction FRUSTRATED me! Yes, a beautifully crafted piece of music, but this song is all about the message! And it is POWERFUL!
Well said..
Correct, flew right over their heads.
Yes me too,and a bit angry that he didn't feel the power of the message it brings me close to tears every time I hear it!!
@@davidgay5960 INFURIATING!
She has some capacity to absorb the emotional power of music, but she either can't articulate it or holds herself back when they do the post-clip discussion. He makes me want to slap his fucking face and tell him to feel the music instead of analysing it like it's a fucking accountant's balance sheet
Basically this is an anti suicide song. Things pass. Hold on, things get better.
Yes those were the thoughts of the people... and some of them are heartbreaking! She's gone! 17 years! If I had a gun! They will miss me when I am gone! ... Hold on... when you feel like you have hard enough of life... hold on ... you are not alone, hold on. This is powerful stuff. I guess not everyone gets it the first time.
I saw REM for the first time when I was 17. Now at 55 they are still my favorite band ever!
“Be Kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”
Everybody Hurts.
REM is my favorite group....and I am old, so their IRS years are what speak to me. Reckoning and Murmur changed my whole musical paradigm.
During the early 1990s, REM was one of the biggest bands in the world, along with U2.
R.E.M. ""The One I Love",, "Fall On Me",, "Cuyahoga",, "Radio Song",, "Near Wild Heaven" + Many Many More.
My best friend's (we are practically family, our parents were good friends to) older brother took his own life right around the time this song came out. It still feels like a punch in the gut. At the time mental health and suicide weren't talked about in the same way they are today. This song was very impactful when it came out. This song has literally saved lives.
I feel like because it is not so unusual for people to speak their pain, go to therapy etc this song hits different today than it did for us!
I love everything about this song - when I'm feeling down it lifts me, when I'm extra happy it is a song to live by... so basically you're not alone if you're suffering, as everyone does, it's a fact of life. Just keep going! I saw REM (live) at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2005 they were amazing.
I was at that festival too 😃. REM were brilliant, it's still one of the best gigs I've been to. I remember Faithless being amazing too.
Absolutely correct. I cry every time I listen to this. Sometimes through sadness sometimes through joy xx
The subtitles are the thoughts of each person stuck in traffic. The Spanish ones were because those people only spoke Spanish. When the subtitles were the lyrics, it's because the singer was on screen and they were his thoughts.
The video is all of the different people "hurting" in different ways (grieving, physical pain, parents arguing), hence "everybody hurts".
At the end, they all get out of their cars and walk away. The traffic jam is what was making them all dwell on their own pain, but walking away from the traffic allowed them to free their minds and thing about something different, and hopefully better.
It is a song about depression and empathy and carrying on.
The subtitles are the thoughts of the person in focus, if the person happens to be a band member [they are strewn throughout the cars] the surface thoughts match the song, everyone else is thinking of their own problems.
This is the best R.E.M. song because from the beginning to the end of time, every person can relate to this at some point in life. I'm a little surprised B&L didn't connect with this immediately. I was moved the first time I saw this in my late teens. I never really thought about what others are also dealing with until I saw this. Seeing the range of possibilities that everyone around you could be thinking was eye-opening for me.
Maybe they haven't been through enough to get it yet. I, personally, needed this reminder for my cynical mind to remember everyone is dealing with crap and just chill a bit. So, thanks for that dose of reality. Sending positive vibes to all, especially those going through the muck right now. 🤗
“What’s The Frequency Kenneth” couldn’t be more different, but no less brilliant. This could be your next R.E.M. reaction. 🙏🏻
I second that
Brad is finally feeling more comfortable about listening to this music and analyzing it. I'm thinking back to how uncomfortable he was months ago ... lol
this video was filmed in my hometown of San Antonio on I-10 just a few miles from where I live downtown. Lots of locals as extras in the video.
This song has literally saved lives
Yep
The message , Brad , is "don't kill yourself , hang on it'll pass " it's a pretty cool message if you ask me . Do you hear it now ?
" Automatic for the People " was a ground breaking album for them , took 'em from relative obscurity to worldwide adoration .
This album was so huge that it inspired other artists to write songs about Michael Stipe ( the singer )
Yeah it will pass, to more pain, life sucks
My home boys from Athens Georgia.....they really are awesome. Great music catalogue and this is one of most favorite songs from 80s. They used this song in campaigns for suicide prevention.....love REM....Enjoy you two 🕊️💗
This one actually came out in the early '90s. But, other than that, great comment! True.
@@joesmith8725 time back then really evades me 😁. The decades really intermingle 🤣🤣
@@bethshadid2087 Yes, it happens! I agree with you. lol Same here.
30 years on, and I am still moved by this one... I was a long-time R.E.M. fan, but I did not expect this one!
This song got me through my divorce. It will always have a special place in my heart.
My dad has attempted suicide several times in his life & has come close...62 years old & he's still with us...keep holding on dad because everybody hurts sometimes 💪💪💚
I have never heard Michael stipes voice described as quirky or regular his voice was always considered distinctive and unique and inspired many singers and bands to form in the 80'S 90'S and beyond..... very powerful song this which has saved many many lives.
I struggle to listen to this song, but I can't deny it's a masterpiece
The fact that Lex didn't understand and feel the true meaning of this song is proof that she has lived a great uneventful life. And I'm happy for her, as she's one of the few her age that has. But trust me, like everyone, she's eventually going to have to deal with the loss of someone she loves and feel indescribable emotional and physical pain. And THEN she will immediately understand what this amazing song is about!!
R.E.M. is one of the best post Beatles groups.
Michael Stipe is a first class singer/songwriter.
They are a very diverse and eclectic band.
Everything they ever recorded is noteworthy.
A legendary band.
"Automatic For The People", which includes this, is their masterpiece.
My fav of all time, love REM. They are up there with Pink Floyd!
I consider "Document" to be their best. Automatic is their second best.
Actually the best songwriter of the bunch was drummer Bill Berry. Because after he left the band sucked. So now we know who was the talent there.
@@artamm777 I think Reckoning is their best album. Life's Rich Pageant is the second. Automatic is like a distant 5th for me, although still a great album for me.
@@saratemp790 I fell in love the song "King of Birds" and it will always remain my favorite REM song, thus why I consider Document my favorite. Your choices are valid though :)
And now tears rolling down my face. I can't believe you made it without crying. One of the saddest songs I've ever heard. And, yes, the words were the thoughts of the people in the cars. I think his voice sounds great here.
The text relates to whoever is on screen at the time. You'll note that the subs and lyrics match whenever Michael Stipe or other band members are on screen because that's their thoughts being expressed, but when the camera is on the occupants of other cars, it's *their* minds you're "reading" instead.
I rarely listen to "Everybody Hurts" precisely because I want it to retain the same cathartic power it did when I was an angst-riddled 14-year-old discovering REM for the first time. As luck would have it, today has been very difficult so listening to it this evening was just what I needed.
For the next best thing in this vein from the band, I recommend "Nightswimming" or "Man on the Moon" (all of which, funnily enough, came from the same album - "Automatic for the People", my desert island disc of choice if I could only take one original album).
Incredible song. I got to see REM before they had a contract in Athens.
I knew they were gonna' blow up.
This song meant everything to me as a twenty year old closeted guy.
I saw them in a club in LA touring their first EP, I was there to see the openers, Green on Red I think, I don’t even remember, I didn’t know who they were. Changed my entire life.
Brad & Lex, you’ll love their "Shiny Happy People", "Stand" and "Radio Free Europe"!!
Nightswimming
All of the above, but not that order.
I think Lex has the most immediate, visceral reactions of any of the UA-cam reactors I've seen.
Only Brad hears a song about not being sad and says "I don't know what this is about". Sometimes this guy is really hard to help.
haha while lex sitting there smiling thru the whole song there both beyond help!
They both take fun songs seriously yet take serious songs not so serious
They just don’t get what the song is about
Has to be the worse reaction ever
The Song was written with regard to the number of Teens committing Suicide, and the number of Suicides throughout the World, it was a message to hold on, everybody hurts, everybody cries sometimes, on average 132 people commit Suicide in the U.S. Daily, there is one Suicide every 12 Minutes in the U.S. these two havent got a clue about most things.
REM is from Athens, Georgia! All I can think of when I look at that video is that they’re stuck in Atlanta traffic! I live near Atlanta so I know the pain of being stuck in that mess! Lol! Okay, I realize the song is about the pain everyone experiences in life and getting through it all!❤❤
Same...Westside here! Unfortunately, I've been through both versions of pain, and they both are quite miserable at times. The song is a godsend though! At least for the emotional pain. 😉
This song instantly makes me cry, but I absolutely love it 🖤
"Why is this their best song"? First time anybody has ever needed to ask that question regarding this masterpiece.
You should react to another song from Automatic For The People. Doesn't matter which one. You'll be in awe.
Also, John Paul Jones from Zeppelin arranged the strings on this song and the whole record.
Nightswimming would be my choice. Like Everybody Hurts, another truly great song!
Have you even heard their first 4 1/2 albums? Always ignored or brushed off as "college rock". Masterpieces all around, far better than this song.
@@marcmarc1967 The IRS years? Such incredible music. Absolutely brilliant.
REM is one of my favorite bands ever. I got to meet Michael Stipe a couple of times back in the 90s when I lived in Athens, GA. He is a really nice guy, and very down-to-earth. Y'all should react to "Nightswimming."
I got to meet the band in the band in the ‘o’s when they were recording their second album. All of the guys are were down to earth so nice to be around.
Oh wow I got chills and teared up when the music swells and "hold on" is repeated tossed the end.
It was a huge hit in Europe when I was 14… . I was so bored of it, cause i didn’t get it. 30 years later, while life happend I get it all and it makes me cry every time I listen to it… it also helps me keep my head up in my dark hours
Yeah, the subtitles were the thoughts of whoever was onscreen at the time, that’s why some of them were in Spanish, because the person onscreen spoke Spanish. Whenever the band members were on screen it would just show the songs lyrics
Listen to Shiny Happy People with REM and one of the girls from the B'52's. Great Song. Lots of fun.
The words on the screen is what the people in the video are thinking.
Love the nod to Unchained Melody - I've heard both songs hundreds of times and hadn't put 2 and 2 together like that but you're 100% spot on. Brilliant! Cheers.
This is a really deep song. The video is depicting people all stuck in their cars, separated from each other with their thoughts in the subtitles. At the end, they all get out and leave together. Its like they all decide collectively to stop dwelling on their pain (stuck in traffic) and just get up and start moving forward (with life) together. That is a very emotional part of the video for me. The song was written when the singer learned that suicide was the leading cause of death among teenagers at that time.
QUIRKY VOICE?
I would definitely say quite a distinctive voice.
In general feel, style and quirkiness, this USA band sounds very British to me.
When I first heard this song I just thought it dreary,when I saw it with the video my perception of it changed completely,sheer brilliance IMO
100% the video makes it so much more impactful. When i see it, i feel like i'm one of those people stuck in their car and i always get goosebumps when they all get up and walk. Powerful stuff!
I don't normally let videos influence whether or not I like a song,this was an exception,so powerful
Filmed on Interstate 10 near downtown San Antonio. And "Drive" is another good R.E.M. song.
WOW Lex, I never thought of this song as similar to Unchained Melody before, that is such a genius take!! :D
When she first said it, I thought it was out in left field until I really thought about it. I wish I could make the associations she does. It's a gift that few have.
😂😂😂
No it's not.
I've never thought about this song compared to Unchained Melody... but now that Lex pointed it out I can't unhear it!
This used to come on the radio when I was getting ready for school and I was like, "Damn, Michael Stipe, homeroom starts in like 40 minutes, I do not have time to be in my feelings right now" and I would shed one or two manly tears and then back to the grind
The U.S.A owes a great deal to R.E.M. as it was one of the few to bring substance to the pop era
I should mention that thing about getting out of your car in the middle of a jam might be a reference to Michael Douglas's character in Falling Down.
Omg you guys crack me up so much. Well you should have heard their first EP when it came out like I did in college and it sounded like the the birds from like the late 60s or something but then it was sounded so new and modern and we all just loved it. I went out and bought it right away and I couldn't hardly under stand a word on the album. They had songs like wolves, lower. Gardening at night. Box cars out of town. But I didn't care because it just sounded so new and so cool and hypnotic. And then they came to my small town of Lawrence Kansas at the time which had a great music scene and I saw them two or three times and that is of course many years before this recording. But I love how you guys are going down this rabbit hole it's fascinating. Plus you crack me up so much.
Just a couple years ago rediscovering the song and my faith in Christ literally SAVED MY LIFE. 🙏🏻✝️💯
Beautiful by REM, always liked this Song!
Yeah, it was their thoughts. When it was the correct works it was on the band. That was their thoughts. Also, I think some of the people in the back seat weren’t really there. Hits me in the feels every time. Fun fact: This was filmed in San Antonio, Tx. I used to live close to this freeway.
True story. I was in my back yard years ago and I found a hornet's nest. I was wondering how to take it down when this song came up on my iPod. I decided to not mess with it. Haha.
REM is one of those bands that doesn't have a "genre", they bounce all over the place and have hits with all of them. Radio Free Europe, What's the Frequency Kenneth, Man on the Moon, Losing My Religion, Living Well is the Best Revenge, It's the End of the World and I Feel Fine, Driver 8... A lot of good songs.
This album, about all others, helped me get through my father’s death when I was 18. It helped me process emotions, and, I think, kept me from doing some pretty drastic crap. Thanks for doing this one ❤️
Great song! Thought Lex was gonna cry at the 5:30 mark because she looked to be holding something back. Who hasn't felt that way when this song came on at certain points in their lives.
Are you kidding? The meaning of this song went right over her head.
In the liner notes of the album In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003, Buck writes that "the reason the lyrics are so atypically straightforward is because it was aimed at teenagers", and "I've never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but the idea that high school is a portal to hell seems pretty realistic to me. Incidentally, the song was used in the 1992 film of the same name that preceded the show.
In 2005, Buck told the BBC If you're consciously writing for someone who hasn't been to college, or is pretty young, it might be nice to be very direct. In that regard, it's tended to work for people of a lot of ages. In 2022, Stipe told Rick Rubin that "Everybody Hurts" was inspired by Nazareth's cover of "Love Hurts
Michael Stipe had originally intended for Patti Smith to be a second vocal on the track, but it did not work out.
Brad, if you like quirky 80's/90's bands.... Camper Van Beethoven! "Take The Skinheads Bowling", "Joe Stalin's Cadillac", "Good Guys And Bad Guys", "Eye Of Fatima Pt. 1", "Turquoise Jewelry", "Tania"...all great, strange, quirky, fun songs from the band that the term "Alternative" was first invented for.
Basically what they’re saying is.. if you feel suicidal, … you might feel better tomorrow… but you get it it.. yes, it’s fucked up today, this week this month, this year… but hey, get through it .. it will be better tomorrow or next month or next year.
Lol @ Brad “I’m in to way more weird stuff…”
I don't know how anyone can smile thru this song. It's so sad. And it's not a complicated song. Pretty straight forward.
They are just not capable of understanding. The words are right there on the screen and it still went right over their heads. I'm guessing that they completely forgot about this song about 2 minutes after finishing the video and will never think about it again.
It was definitely bizarre... never saw someone think a song about suicide was funny.
This is a song with a message of comfort.
Country Feedback is my favorite REM song. Definitely worth reacting to.
Lex is right...this is THE BEST R.E.M. song ever! It's brilliant.
I like how the message of the song is portrayed by the people leaving behind the despair in which they were mired and just deciding to start moving forward.
The song Drive is really good and also lyrically straightforward
Drive is a legitimate jam.
I sometimes laugh at some of your comments, but this time I really thought about it and realized how different the era you guys grew up in is from the one I did. You never really had MTV as a dominant force in popular music. I lived through the heyday - I was probably 8-10 years old when we got cable and MTV came into my life, and it became a major impact that lasted for the most formative years of my life. Music videos evolved, and became an art form. Artists (and labels) were constantly trying to come up with the next big thing, that resonated with fans visually as much as audibly.
The video to this song is a pared-down movie simply showing the pain that everyone in it is going through. "Everybody hurts". The people in the cheap cars, the people in the expensive cars; the young, the old; the white, the black, the hispanic - everybody has something in their life that hurts them. It's the universal truth. And being stuck in a nasty traffic jam doesn't usually awaken the best in people. The subtitles are meant to be the inner thoughts of the people being shown at the moment. Occasionally, they would line that up with a lyric in the song, as an artistic choice.
Love your reactions, and I'll try to remember in the future the different worlds we grew up in, so I don't react snarkily to some of your reactions - you guys are great at being honest and straightforward, and I love that about both of you!
No matter wha you choose, R.E.M. is special. Different and at the same time relatable.
John Michael Stipe (Decatur, Georgia, 4 de enero de 1960) es un músico, productor, actor y artista plástico estadounidense, conocido por haber sido el líder y vocalista del grupo de rock alternativo R.E.M. desde su formación en 1980 hasta su disolución en 2011.
The subtitles are inner-dialogue, yes, I figured Brad would pick up on that. But, when it goes to lyrics, isn’t it only when the camera is on Michael Stipe, (the singer for REM, who in the video is the guy wearing the hat.)
I don’t even know what Lex means by “quirky” at this point, she’s used it to describe a lot, (most of which I would have never described that way 🤷🏻♀️)
Anyway, I suppose Lex is in good company as that was probably their most popular song and was used in just about everything and anything that had a sad moment or scene-from films and TV to commercial, so much so it was eventually used to parody those kinds of sappy and artificially sad moments, (see the Mission Hill ep 8, “Andy vs. the Real World”.)
I cry every time...just hang on for a moment ...please hold on...You matter. You are loved.
8:18 😂😂😂😂😂
You hit the Jackpot there Brad. 😎
What's so hard to understand? The guy was on the edge, ready to jump off! The lyrics say "when you think you've had enough of this life, hang on", "don't throw your hand".
Beautiful and deep song about hope, not giving up.Things often look differently from one day to the other, and things change…
This song once helped save my life 💙 GOD Bless 🙏🙌👣 💪💞🏡 🕊️
Suicide has been the biggest killer of my friends over the last thirty years depression and anxiety disorders and just broken spirits this song brings out tears every time
Yes, this is a song about depression and suicide. The video allows us to read the thoughts of people in a traffic jam intermixed with the lyrics of the song. The idea is that even though we may feel depressed and isolated, understanding and compassion can be had if we only ask for it.
Such a great simple message. Just HOLD ON
REM had a few really good songs. Man on the Moon, Nightswimming, What's the frequency Kenneth. All different, unlike any other. This band had a very wide range. You guys should react to some more of their songs.
The song also draws inspiration from Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Waters...
Glad you are reacting to R.E.M. Haven't heard this in a while...love it!
Very touching tender song!
John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin did the orchestra arrangement on this song and the rest of the album.
The subtitles are the song lyrics when they show members of the band. When it's other people, the subtitles show what the people involved might be thinking... their lines in the story.
When things get tough, tough it out. (You two are a good example of this.)
'What's the Frequency, Kenneth?'
When I'm driving I pull over when I hear this song.❤
One of my absolute favorite songs, but it always leaves me weeping, every damned time. The tears just flow. So good.
This song really hit me hard when it came out and still does. I always put vastly more stock in melody than lyrics but sometimes a great melody coalesces with meaningful lyrics and genuinely soulful vocals and you get a masterpiece like this. I can barely watch it without getting "something" in my eye :)