This song is about Andy Kaufman, a “comedian”, who starred on the sitcom Taxi, and did a GREAT, Elvis Presley impression. The movie about Andy’s life, was called “Man On The Moon”.
The song "Man on the Moon" by R.E.M. is a tribute to the comedian Andy Kaufman, who was known for his eccentric and often surreal performances. The title of the song refers to Kaufman's fascination with the idea of extraterrestrial life and his belief that humans had landed on the moon.
We did land on the moon several times, as did the soviets. The sheer amount of imperical evidence youd have to ignore to believe otherwise would make you literally delusional
Okay, you did the song now it is time to do the movie "Man on the Moon" RIP Andy Kaufman. Thank you very much! Kaufman got to meet Elvis backstage after a show with him imitating the King of Rock. When the unsuspecting Elvis came backstage, Kaufman saw his opportunity. He leaped out of the cabinet and surprised the singing legend. Kaufman then handed Presley a copy of a play that he’d written about the King of Rock and Roll. And what did Presley have to say about Kaufman? He simply said: "You’ve got a weird mind, kid".
Andy Kaufman tribute song…he was before your time so don’t blame you for not knowing him. Famous actor and comedian from the show Taxi. Really unique, and life was a game for him. Loved professional wrestling and became a “bad guy” by only wrestling women on shows. Pissed off fans at his comedy shows by literally only reading The Great Gatsby to the page by page. He just loved getting a rise out of people, positive or negative. Came down with cancer and died…he played so many tricks on people in his career that many people thought it was a stunt and didn’t believe it. Jim Carrey starred as him in the movie “Man on the Moon”, named after the song in 1999.
His gags were always on the audience and those who understood him found him hilarious. Those that didn't get it found him exasperating but that was part of his greatness. He was a comedic genius.
I grew up in the 60s and 70s so of course that's the music that is ingrained in my soul. R.E.M. was one of the first bands from another era that made it's way into my heart and soul. Give "Nightswimming" from R.E.M. a listen. The recklessness will wash you away.
This song brings me close to tears, making me remember Andy Kaufman, his passing and all the creativity that was lost along with him. He really took stand up to an art form. He did a lot of his comedy using his "foreign man" voice, the one he used for Latka on "Taxi." Each bit ended with that childish accent saying "Thank you very much." The "goofin' on Elvis" line refers to an appearance on an early Saturday Night Live, where he was doing bad stand up using the foreign man voice and child like persona. He did impressions of his relatives and came off as pretty lame, then said, "I would like to do an impression of the Elvis Presley," turned up his collar and did the best Elvis impression I'd ever heard then reverted to the foreign man voice once again to say "Thank you very much." The line that says "tell me are you caught in the punch" refers to a famous appearance on the David Letterman Show. He had been making a mockery of professional wrestling (mostly by having matches against attractive young women) and a professional wrestler named Jerry Lawler was on the same episode of the Letterman Show and had a few words for Kaufman, which escalated into Lawler punching his lights out and walking off stage. It was later revealed that the whole thing was planned by Kaufman to shock the audience, but many people who saw the episode believe the punch was real, even if it was planned. Truly one of a kind.
Everyone has already mentioned Andy Kauffman. You never knew if Andy was serious or putting you on. He was more of a performance artist than a traditional comedian. At one point he said that he was really trying to not be liked. His final days were so sad. As a kid I was enthralled by him. As an adult I have such respect for him. REM smashed this so hard. From this song we then get the movie Man On The Moon about Andy. Love this so much.
This song is about and a tribute to Andy Kaufman. There is a fantastic bio pic called "Man on the Moon" featuring Jim Carrey as Andy you should check out on your movie channel. Once you have seen the movie, listen to the song again and it will make so much more sense.
No. Not really. Its not about Andy only. Its about belief and myths-After Andy died there were rumours for decades it was just another Andy prank! And Elvis is still believed to be alive by some people-so he is cited in the song. Just as others dont believe man went to the moon-hence the title. And the "yeah yeah yeah yeah"s are a very Stipe-ean thing where he jokingly wanted to write a song with more "yeahs" in it than his mate, Kurt Cobain, who had used lots in their recent songs..... So its a mix of all that. Not just about Andy.
@@elcorado83No, it isn't just about Andy. But it mostly is. Including when they mention Elvis. Almost every time they do, the video footage is of Andy doing Elvis. Which Elvis also had said, that his favorite impersonation of him was done by Andy Kaufman.
“Andy” is the comedian Andy Kauffman. He was an actor/ comedian in the 70’s &80’s known for his bizarre humor, oddball characters and genius wit. When he passed away much to early from cancer people wondered if it was just another bizarre joke of Andy’s. There is a movie about his life starring Jim Carey called Man in the Moon.
For those old enough… this song will bring a tear. Andy Kaufman was such an innovative artist. Genius. This song would be a natural segue into the movie “Man On The Moon” about Andy’s life, career, &, untimely death. RIP Andy Kaufman. Thanks.
Always different, musically exquisite, lyrically alluring. That's R.E.M. What's mindboggling is that they kept pretty much this level for about 30 years.
3:06 thank y'all for reminding me how much I love, REM. This is one of the best songs I've not heard it in about five or so years, but can still sing word for word Another great song by them is "it's the end of the world as we know it". Much love 🙏💙🙏💙
I'd like to hear earlier REM (for reaction): --- like Carnival of Sorts, or things from Murmur: Pilgrimage, Talk About The Passion, Moral Kiosk, Sitting Still ...
Gotta go back in time. “Fall on Me” “So. central Rain” “Rockville” “All the way to Reno” Some of my favorites. The list goes on forever with this great band.
REM has a huge catalog of great music 😊 "Night swimming" and "Pop Song 89" " Radio free Europe" and So Central rain( sorry) are some of my favs. "Stand" and "Drive" are good too 🐱
REM is just such a phenomenal classic band with such a huge discography. This song was written as a tribute to the late Andy Kaufman and the feature song on the movie soundtrack with the same title, but the album "Automatic for the People" also includes this track among other really good ones. "Drive" and "Sidewinder sleeps tonight" are also really good tunes from this collection, but their all-time oldies are my favorites, like "Driver 8", "So. Central Rain", "Radio Free Europe", "Talk about the Passion", and "Fall on Me".
Andy Kaufman once did a show where he did his laundry and read a newspaper while he was waiting...completely ignored the audience...Brilliant... Also my favorite REM song is Orange Crush
As others have said, this is about arguably one of the greatest comedic minds. Andy Kaufman was pure genius in that NOBODY knew the REAL Andy Kaufman, he was CONSTANTLY playing a character, even when it was supposedly "him being himself". This song digs into that dichotomy, questioning everything you take as accepted fact or popular belief...even Andy (who did have an AWESOME Elvis impersonation). Edit to add: google "Andy Kaufman sings Mighty Mouse". That was his first appearance on Saturday Night Live.
They have such an expansive and diverse catalog it's amazing. "Low" and "Belong" are two that seem simple, but they're so intense. "Finest Worksong" is one of my favorite of their older songs. "Sweetness Follows" is one of their most beautiful songs, and I think Amber would probably really appreciate it. Oh - and they did some work with Kate Pierson of the B52s. "Shiny Happy People" was the most well known but MY favorite with her is by far "Me In Honey." It's SO good.
"Man on the Moon" is a tribute to comedian Andy Kaufman, with numerous references to his career including his Elvis impersonation, wrestling, and the film My Breakfast with Blassie. The song's title and chorus refer to Moon landing conspiracy theories, as an oblique allusion to rumors that Kaufman's death in 1984 was faked. The song gave its name to Miloš Forman's Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon (1999), and features prominently in the film's soundtrack. Watch that movie on your other channel and then react on this channel to the lead song from the movie by R.E.M called "The Great Beyond" and see if you can guess what that's about ;)
At the very end they show Andy Kaufman’s Mighty Mouse skit on the bar TV… so hilarious. Even as a kid I lost it completely. “Here I come to save the day!!”
500000!!!!! Woohoo, congrats!!!!!!! I love everything REM did, so there's that. This song I LOVED to sing along to, harmonize to the yea yea yea yea. As other said, tribute to Andy Kaufman, a very strange out there comedian that some hated and thought was obnoxious and others thought was artistically brilliant. I gave you my suggestions in your last REM song :) This was my favorite band from 1989 until they stopped playing.
Amber & Jay, here are some other good R.E.M. songs to react to: "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville", "Driver 8", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?", "Star 69".
I always thought this song was sung from the point of view of Michael Stipe's childhood. Talking to his friends about which games they should play, talking about watching wrestlers on TV, the history you learn as a kid. And Andy Kaufman, the most out there comedian/actor in the 80s who did Elvis impersonations and also did weird wrestling bits. This lines like, "Andy are you locked in the punch." I think he puts Andy up in the same ranks as all those famous historical figures he references.
As mentioned earlier, the song is about comedian Andy Kaufman. If you ever saw a video clip of a wrestler slapping the crap out of another wrestler on the David Letterman show, Andy was the one who was slapped by the King Jerry Lawler. Most never knew it was set up by those two, they told no one on show. It came out in the movie about Andy's life. He was also the very first bit shown on Saturday Night Live, a guy sang only the chorus of "Mighty Mouse"...HILARIOUS
Andy Kaufman was such an infamous prankster that when he was sick with cancer many didn't believe it, thinking it was another one of his pranks. Truly a fascinating individual.
Love this song; such a beautiful tribute to the brilliant comedian Andy Kaufman, who did Elvis and wrestling bits and really made people think as well as laugh. The movie by the same name, Man On The Moon, is about Kaufman's life and death and is absolutely worth checking out. He's someone worth remembering (or getting to know for the first time). Jim Carrey played him in the movie, and did an amazing, faithful job to the real comedian. I really hope y'all react to the movie too one day.😊💙♥
Happy Saturday, Jay and Amber As you been told by most commentors, this is the title song /title track for the 1999 film (that you SHOULD take the time to watch) "Man on the Moon" starring [your favorite "Ace Ventura" / "The Truman Show" actor] Jim Carey. The movie is about the real-life comedian Andy Kaufman and what happen to him. This is why you keep hearing "Andy have you heard...?", "Andy are you...", and "Andy did you hear about this one?". If you watch the movie, you will understand ALL the references of the lyrics. AK had a tragic and interesting life. It is a MUST-see and highly underrated film. You can also watch some YT vids about AK standup act and other performances if you don't have time to watch the movie.
I love REM and both of these songs. Strangely Man on the Moon is their personal favourite and Shiny Happy People, their least. Also love Kate Pierson''s voice
REM really changed things up in the early 1990's. You'll be surprised and impressed by "What's the Frequency Kenneth". It's still go their signature 80's alternative jangly guitar sound but really takes on the flavours of the 90's alternative rock scene. Other great tracks from that 1994 record 'Monster' include; "Bang and Blame", "Crush with Eyeliner" and "Strange Currencies"
Love them!! Their music got me through some very tough times. I would recommend: Country Feedback Nightswimming E-bow The Letter What's The Frequency, Kenneth? The Great Beyond Drive Lotus Radio Free Europe (their very first single) Thanks for doing one of my all time favorite bands 💐
"Man on the Moon" is in reference to Andy Kaufman. A comedian who died of cancer in 84 and a man indeed ahead of his time. He was a performance artist that his gags were always on the audience. He was truly one of a kind and a comedy genius. Elvis reportedly said Andy was his favorite impersonator and Jim Carrie played Andy Kaufman in the biopic "Man on the Moon" about Andy and the name of the movie was in reference to this song. Jim Carrey kept the Andy character going during the entire shoot and embodied Andy Kaufman perfectly. A performance worth seeing.
Elvis's favorite impersonation of himself was Andy's. Andy Kauffman was so far out there that when he died (of a rare aggressive form of cancer) everybody thought it was just another one of his bizarre jokes. Sadly it wasn't. The end of a brilliant comedic mind, a fantastic talent.
Not enough can be said how AMAZING this band is!!! Prolific , poet, rockers. 🎉 One of the best live shows ever! Just imagine what they'd be singing about now.....
Michael Stipe said his friend Kurt Cobain had a habit of placing "yeah" in Nirvana songs so Stipe wanted to outdo him by writing a song with more “yeahs”. Another Cobain connection: the CD for Automatic For The People was playing when he killed himself.
The album (not saying this lightly) Automatic for the People is a masterpiece top to bottom. Writing, composition, sound recording, musical and vocal performance. Can’t say that about many other albums. (There certainly are others, but a great thing happens it is an amazing thing).
Andy Kaufman was the hilarious mechanic in the TV series Taxi with Danny DeVito in the late 70's and early 80's.. He had a super funny voice as a foreigner in series and carried it to his Standup comedy... He decided to get into professional wrestling for stunt that nearly crippled him for life... His impersonations was incredible...including Elvis which is in the lyrics of this song "goofin on Elvis" and I heard the wrestling reference in lyrics too ...
All right my babies....In all honesty, I will admit when I first heard this song, I cried my eyes out. It was so moving to me because of all of the things that were mentioned of the past like board games, images I've seen on television in the past, and so on. And then there's the great Andy Kaufman. Harness everyday with love and take everything in without taking it for granted for we cannot remember everything during a lifetime ‼️💯🔥✝️🙏🏼😇
Freddie Blassie once had breakfast with Andy, and it was filmed - and mentioned in the song. Freddie was a world famous pro wrestler and has known as the Hollywood Fashion Plate.
Man on the Moon" is a tribute to comedian Andy Kaufman, with numerous references to his career including his Elvis impersonation, wrestling, and the film My Breakfast with Blassie. The song's title and chorus refer to Moon landing conspiracy theories, as an oblique allusion to rumors that Kaufman's death in 1984 was faked. The song gave its name to Miloš Forman's Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon (1999), and features prominently in the film's soundtrack. Composition
This song was written as a kind of memorial to the comedian Andy Kaufman, who died way before his time. In the scene at the truck stop at the end, the guy that was shown on the blurry tv screen was Andy. He played a taxi mechanic in the series Taxi. I first saw him on SNL lip synching to the Mighty Mouse theme song.
As many have mentioned this song is about comedian Andy Kaufman…something less mentioned is that the questions about whether anyone has been on the moon, or if Elvis is still alive, that you picked up on, are actually referencing conspiracy theories, and ties to the fact that many believe Andy also faked his own death and is still out there somewhere…maybe hanging out with Elvis! Another interesting thing is that Michael Stipe has said in the past that the ‘yeah yeah yeah yeah’ parts of the song were a playful dig at Kurt Cobain’s overuse of ‘yeah’ in Nirvana songs!
All of these songs come to mind!! Idk why but I really LOVE Orange Crush. Don't know nearly enough of the words but hey..... Lol It's the end of the World and Losing my Religion would be tied for 2nd for me. LOVE YOU GUYS.
Andy Kaufman used to work in a NY deli while he was on Saturday Night Live. He was genius on the TV show 'Taxi'. He had a lot of comedic confrontations that were done for effect. Truly one of a kind.
I know this isn’t what the song is about, here’s my initial interpretation when this song came out and the one I still prefer. I imagine the historical moments he mentions. Those were moments of humanity paradigm-shifting. Those are moments when someone was challenged against great odds and, by overcoming them, expanded his mind. Those moments have something in common with Andy Kaufman’s practical jokes. They’re illusions that fool us. Moses’ staff of wood channeled magic. Charles Darwin saw beyond the biblical assumption. Newton noticed signs of a hidden force of gravity. Astronauts landing on the moon dispelled the notion of the moon as this mythical place.
The band from Athens, Georgia had subject matter that spoke to everybody in all of their material Of all the songs you've reacted to thus far, Orange Crush has always been my favorite but this one almost took the title This was a fun one though❤
It's neat that Micheal travels to this truck stop in the middle of nowhere and leaves them with the song he is singing. He sings on the way. He stops singing at the truck stop. When he leaves, everyone of every age and background is singing it together.
This is what I like about your channel. I've heard this song 100 times and have actually thought about it. But when you guys bring this song out I feel like I'm now listening to it in a different way. And that makes me feel good! Also this is the first time I've ever seen this REM Video. It was great!
This song is a tribute to late comedian Andy Kaufman, and is featured in the 1999 movie, "Man On The Moon".
Andy Kaufman is played by Jim Carey in the movie
R.E.M had created a new song for the movie called "The Great Beyond".
Andy was such fun to see when I was a young kid, He was surely talent )
Watch the movie please! Funny and sad!
Jim Carey did a remarkable job portraying Kaufman.
This song is about Andy Kaufman, a “comedian”, who starred on the sitcom Taxi, and did a GREAT, Elvis Presley impression.
The movie about Andy’s life, was called “Man On The Moon”.
He was a "song and dance man."
but also it is about the 1960s in general
Yes, movie starred Jim Carrey.
@@NPR511 : Who?
Jay and Amber, you should do a movie reaction for Man On The Moon. It will provide a greater understanding of all the references in this song.
I had “Automatic For the People” playing constantly in my car for 2 years. ❤
We all did haha
@@davidjb-750 you beat me to it brother
same. good times.
One of the greatest album titles, ever.
YES!!! So good!!!
Can't go wrong with REM....Fall on Me..another favorite
The song "Man on the Moon" by R.E.M. is a tribute to the comedian Andy Kaufman, who was known for his eccentric and often surreal performances. The title of the song refers to Kaufman's fascination with the idea of extraterrestrial life and his belief that humans had landed on the moon.
Thanks google
@@chrischar9428 thanks bollock face
actually that he faked his own death as the ultimate stunt
Umm, we did land on the moon.
We did land on the moon several times, as did the soviets. The sheer amount of imperical evidence youd have to ignore to believe otherwise would make you literally delusional
Okay, you did the song now it is time to do the movie "Man on the Moon" RIP Andy Kaufman. Thank you very much! Kaufman got to meet Elvis backstage after a show with him imitating the King of Rock. When the unsuspecting Elvis came backstage, Kaufman saw his opportunity. He leaped out of the cabinet and surprised the singing legend. Kaufman then handed Presley a copy of a play that he’d written about the King of Rock and Roll. And what did Presley have to say about Kaufman? He simply said: "You’ve got a weird mind, kid".
I second this...must watch the movie. Jim did such a good job portraying Andy.
I doubt they know who he was. 😢
Agreed! I'm not much of a movie buff but I loved the film and thought Carrey was outstanding.
@@visaman- no, because they don't even know who or what the song is about. :(
Andy Kaufman tribute song…he was before your time so don’t blame you for not knowing him. Famous actor and comedian from the show Taxi. Really unique, and life was a game for him. Loved professional wrestling and became a “bad guy” by only wrestling women on shows. Pissed off fans at his comedy shows by literally only reading The Great Gatsby to the page by page. He just loved getting a rise out of people, positive or negative. Came down with cancer and died…he played so many tricks on people in his career that many people thought it was a stunt and didn’t believe it. Jim Carrey starred as him in the movie “Man on the Moon”, named after the song in 1999.
Andy Kaufman was ahead of his time; he had his fans but he also ticked off a lot of people. Very interesting but sad life he led.
i think Andy Kaufman led a glorious life.
My dad hated him when he started wrasslin women!
Sad life?
He really was.
His gags were always on the audience and those who understood him found him hilarious. Those that didn't get it found him exasperating but that was part of his greatness. He was a comedic genius.
Without a doubt, this is my favorite R.E.M. song. The song is beautiful and the video is almost hypnotic.
Mine is Drive, but the whole Automatic For The People album is a masterpiece.
Also Andy Kaufman died of a cancer and he asking if they put a man on the moon why couldn't they have helped him.
I grew up in the 60s and 70s so of course that's the music that is ingrained in my soul. R.E.M. was one of the first bands from another era that made it's way into my heart and soul.
Give "Nightswimming" from R.E.M. a listen. The recklessness will wash you away.
Nightswimming is absolutely brillant, it takes me back to the end of my teen years, so fitting.
Nightswimming is absolutely brillant, it takes me back to the end of my teen years, so fitting.
Nightswimming is my end of summer song. It's fantastic.
This song brings me close to tears, making me remember Andy Kaufman, his passing and all the creativity that was lost along with him. He really took stand up to an art form. He did a lot of his comedy using his "foreign man" voice, the one he used for Latka on "Taxi." Each bit ended with that childish accent saying "Thank you very much." The "goofin' on Elvis" line refers to an appearance on an early Saturday Night Live, where he was doing bad stand up using the foreign man voice and child like persona. He did impressions of his relatives and came off as pretty lame, then said, "I would like to do an impression of the Elvis Presley," turned up his collar and did the best Elvis impression I'd ever heard then reverted to the foreign man voice once again to say "Thank you very much." The line that says "tell me are you caught in the punch" refers to a famous appearance on the David Letterman Show. He had been making a mockery of professional wrestling (mostly by having matches against attractive young women) and a professional wrestler named Jerry Lawler was on the same episode of the Letterman Show and had a few words for Kaufman, which escalated into Lawler punching his lights out and walking off stage. It was later revealed that the whole thing was planned by Kaufman to shock the audience, but many people who saw the episode believe the punch was real, even if it was planned. Truly one of a kind.
Did you ever see his interview with Eliane Boozler? It is so cringe.
Drummer Bill Barry is the truck driver, bassist/keyboardist Mike Mills is the pool player, and guitarist Peter Buck is the bartender in the video.
Everyone has already mentioned Andy Kauffman.
You never knew if Andy was serious or putting you on. He was more of a performance artist than a traditional comedian. At one point he said that he was really trying to not be liked.
His final days were so sad. As a kid I was enthralled by him. As an adult I have such respect for him.
REM smashed this so hard. From this song we then get the movie Man On The Moon about Andy.
Love this so much.
R.I.P. Andy "Latka' Kaufman. Great ahead of his time comedian.
REM are the best band America has ever produced, it just you not realised it yet
This song is about and a tribute to Andy Kaufman. There is a fantastic bio pic called "Man on the Moon" featuring Jim Carrey as Andy you should check out on your movie channel. Once you have seen the movie, listen to the song again and it will make so much more sense.
No. Not really. Its not about Andy only. Its about belief and myths-After Andy died there were rumours for decades it was just another Andy prank! And Elvis is still believed to be alive by some people-so he is cited in the song. Just as others dont believe man went to the moon-hence the title. And the "yeah yeah yeah yeah"s are a very Stipe-ean thing where he jokingly wanted to write a song with more "yeahs" in it than his mate, Kurt Cobain, who had used lots in their recent songs..... So its a mix of all that. Not just about Andy.
@@elcorado83No, it isn't just about Andy. But it mostly is. Including when they mention Elvis. Almost every time they do, the video footage is of Andy doing Elvis. Which Elvis also had said, that his favorite impersonation of him was done by Andy Kaufman.
Fall On Me
❤😊
“Andy” is the comedian Andy Kauffman. He was an actor/ comedian in the 70’s &80’s known for his bizarre humor, oddball characters and genius wit. When he passed away much to early from cancer people wondered if it was just another bizarre joke of Andy’s. There is a movie about his life starring Jim Carey called Man in the Moon.
Night Swimming, one of the best songs ever written let alone R.E.M. songs, would be a great next for them.
For those old enough… this song will bring a tear. Andy Kaufman was such an innovative artist. Genius.
This song would be a natural segue into the movie “Man On The Moon” about Andy’s life, career, &, untimely death.
RIP Andy Kaufman.
Thanks.
This album, Automatic for the People, is a masterpiece...
Always different, musically exquisite, lyrically alluring. That's R.E.M. What's mindboggling is that they kept pretty much this level for about 30 years.
3:06 thank y'all for reminding me how much I love, REM. This is one of the best songs I've not heard it in about five or so years, but can still sing word for word
Another great song by them is "it's the end of the world as we know it".
Much love 🙏💙🙏💙
Anything from REM is a winner❤
I'd like to hear earlier REM (for reaction): --- like Carnival of Sorts, or things from Murmur: Pilgrimage, Talk About The Passion, Moral Kiosk, Sitting Still ...
Agee!
I'd like to hear anything from Lifes Rich Pageant
Gotta go back in time. “Fall on Me” “So. central Rain” “Rockville” “All the way to Reno” Some of my favorites. The list goes on forever with this great band.
Andy is Andy Kauffman, a comedian starring in Taxi. Man on The Moon is the movie about him, with Andy being portrayed by Jim Carrey.
REM has a huge catalog of great music 😊 "Night swimming" and "Pop Song 89" " Radio free Europe" and So Central rain( sorry) are some of my favs. "Stand" and "Drive" are good too 🐱
Love night swimming!
Fall on Me and Cuyahoga from Life's Rich Pagent are a couple of my favs.
Adore all of those songs.
@@MichaelW969Fall On Me is one of, and might be my favorite REM song depending on the day. Another one of my favorites is a cover but I love Crazy.
Stand is fabulous
REM is just such a phenomenal classic band with such a huge discography. This song was written as a tribute to the late Andy Kaufman and the feature song on the movie soundtrack with the same title, but the album "Automatic for the People" also includes this track among other really good ones. "Drive" and "Sidewinder sleeps tonight" are also really good tunes from this collection, but their all-time oldies are my favorites, like "Driver 8", "So. Central Rain", "Radio Free Europe", "Talk about the Passion", and "Fall on Me".
Andy Kaufman once did a show where he did his laundry and read a newspaper while he was waiting...completely ignored the audience...Brilliant... Also my favorite REM song is Orange Crush
I was lucky enough to see REM live twice. They closed with this song. The whole audience sang along..it was next level.
This song is from the album Automatic For The People, which is similar to your mantra; give the people what they want.
As others have said, this is about arguably one of the greatest comedic minds. Andy Kaufman was pure genius in that NOBODY knew the REAL Andy Kaufman, he was CONSTANTLY playing a character, even when it was supposedly "him being himself". This song digs into that dichotomy, questioning everything you take as accepted fact or popular belief...even Andy (who did have an AWESOME Elvis impersonation). Edit to add: google "Andy Kaufman sings Mighty Mouse". That was his first appearance on Saturday Night Live.
They have such an expansive and diverse catalog it's amazing. "Low" and "Belong" are two that seem simple, but they're so intense. "Finest Worksong" is one of my favorite of their older songs. "Sweetness Follows" is one of their most beautiful songs, and I think Amber would probably really appreciate it. Oh - and they did some work with Kate Pierson of the B52s. "Shiny Happy People" was the most well known but MY favorite with her is by far "Me In Honey." It's SO good.
From this same album, "The Sweetness Follows" is my favorite REM song. I think Amber would love it.
Love this song too. With string arrangement by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.
“E-Bow the Letter,” beautiful REM song with Patti Smith.
"Man on the Moon" is a tribute to comedian Andy Kaufman, with numerous references to his career including his Elvis impersonation, wrestling, and the film My Breakfast with Blassie. The song's title and chorus refer to Moon landing conspiracy theories, as an oblique allusion to rumors that Kaufman's death in 1984 was faked. The song gave its name to Miloš Forman's Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon (1999), and features prominently in the film's soundtrack.
Watch that movie on your other channel and then react on this channel to the lead song from the movie by R.E.M called "The Great Beyond" and see if you can guess what that's about ;)
At the very end they show Andy Kaufman’s Mighty Mouse skit on the bar TV… so hilarious. Even as a kid I lost it completely. “Here I come to save the day!!”
Andy Kaufman on David Letterman is one of the most amazing moments in the history of that show. Great reaction squad!
500000!!!!! Woohoo, congrats!!!!!!!
I love everything REM did, so there's that. This song I LOVED to sing along to, harmonize to the yea yea yea yea.
As other said, tribute to Andy Kaufman, a very strange out there comedian that some hated and thought was obnoxious and others thought was artistically brilliant.
I gave you my suggestions in your last REM song :) This was my favorite band from 1989 until they stopped playing.
Amber & Jay, here are some other good R.E.M. songs to react to: "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville", "Driver 8", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?", "Star 69".
I always thought this song was sung from the point of view of Michael Stipe's childhood. Talking to his friends about which games they should play, talking about watching wrestlers on TV, the history you learn as a kid. And Andy Kaufman, the most out there comedian/actor in the 80s who did Elvis impersonations and also did weird wrestling bits. This lines like, "Andy are you locked in the punch." I think he puts Andy up in the same ranks as all those famous historical figures he references.
You got it!. 😮
As mentioned earlier, the song is about comedian Andy Kaufman. If you ever saw a video clip of a wrestler slapping the crap out of another wrestler on the David Letterman show, Andy was the one who was slapped by the King Jerry Lawler. Most never knew it was set up by those two, they told no one on show. It came out in the movie about Andy's life. He was also the very first bit shown on Saturday Night Live, a guy sang only the chorus of "Mighty Mouse"...HILARIOUS
I love his Mighty Mouse performance. Always makes me laugh to this day.
Andy would have loved TikTok 😅
Andy Kaufman was such an infamous prankster that when he was sick with cancer many didn't believe it, thinking it was another one of his pranks. Truly a fascinating individual.
Love this song; such a beautiful tribute to the brilliant comedian Andy Kaufman, who did Elvis and wrestling bits and really made people think as well as laugh. The movie by the same name, Man On The Moon, is about Kaufman's life and death and is absolutely worth checking out. He's someone worth remembering (or getting to know for the first time). Jim Carrey played him in the movie, and did an amazing, faithful job to the real comedian. I really hope y'all react to the movie too one day.😊💙♥
Happy Saturday, Jay and Amber
As you been told by most commentors, this is the title song /title track for the 1999 film (that you SHOULD take the time to watch) "Man on the Moon" starring [your favorite "Ace Ventura" / "The Truman Show" actor] Jim Carey.
The movie is about the real-life comedian Andy Kaufman and what happen to him. This is why you keep hearing "Andy have you heard...?", "Andy are you...", and "Andy did you hear about this one?". If you watch the movie, you will understand ALL the references of the lyrics. AK had a tragic and interesting life. It is a MUST-see and highly underrated film.
You can also watch some YT vids about AK standup act and other performances if you don't have time to watch the movie.
Jay & Amber, you'll love their "Shiny Happy People" !!!! (it features Kate Pierson of the B-52s!!) Official video.
I love REM and both of these songs. Strangely Man on the Moon is their personal favourite and Shiny Happy People, their least. Also love Kate Pierson''s voice
REM really changed things up in the early 1990's. You'll be surprised and impressed by "What's the Frequency Kenneth". It's still go their signature 80's alternative jangly guitar sound but really takes on the flavours of the 90's alternative rock scene. Other great tracks from that 1994 record 'Monster' include; "Bang and Blame", "Crush with Eyeliner" and "Strange Currencies"
This song is about Andy Kaufman. You should watch the movie about him played by Jim Carrey, also called Man on the Moon.
Jim won a Golden Globe for that role… should’ve been an Oscar though
R.E.M. - Whats the Frequency, Kenneth? Thats another great song worth checking out
Love them!! Their music got me through some very tough times. I would recommend:
Country Feedback
Nightswimming
E-bow The Letter
What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
The Great Beyond
Drive
Lotus
Radio Free Europe (their very first single)
Thanks for doing one of my all time favorite bands 💐
Country Feedback is Michael Stipe's favorite song. Nightswimming and E-Bow are beautiful too. I am Superman is sweet
Over 20 tears ago, T in the park festival, I saw REM and on this song the crowd jumped like crazy, thought my legs wouldn't hold me. It was amazing!
Mike Mills’ backing vocals are always 🤌
Agreed 100%
Automatic for People is such a brilliant album.
"Man on the Moon" is in reference to Andy Kaufman. A comedian who died of cancer in 84 and a man indeed ahead of his time. He was a performance artist that his gags were always on the audience. He was truly one of a kind and a comedy genius. Elvis reportedly said Andy was his favorite impersonator and Jim Carrie played Andy Kaufman in the biopic "Man on the Moon" about Andy and the name of the movie was in reference to this song. Jim Carrey kept the Andy character going during the entire shoot and embodied Andy Kaufman perfectly. A performance worth seeing.
Elvis's favorite impersonation of himself was Andy's. Andy Kauffman was so far out there that when he died (of a rare aggressive form of cancer) everybody thought it was just another one of his bizarre jokes. Sadly it wasn't. The end of a brilliant comedic mind, a fantastic talent.
The last three tracks of "Automatic for the People", Man on the Moon, Nightswimming, and Find the River - perfection!
Fall.On.Me. By R.E.M.
Not enough can be said how AMAZING this band is!!! Prolific , poet, rockers. 🎉 One of the best live shows ever!
Just imagine what they'd be singing about now.....
You have a good way to go with R.E.M. They were one of the biggest bands of their era, and they were the best.
One of my favourite songs of all time.
REM what an iconic band
First saw Andy Kaufman in the comedy Taxi. Then saw the movie ‘Man on the moon’ about his life. Made me explore more about this fascinating man.
I first saw him on SNL.
@@visaman I’m an Aussie and we never got SNL. Pity as it’s reputation is huge.
My favourite by them. Great choice!!!!!!!!!❤❤👍👍🤘🤘
Michael Stipe said his friend Kurt Cobain had a habit of placing "yeah" in Nirvana songs so Stipe wanted to outdo him by writing a song with more “yeahs”. Another Cobain connection: the CD for Automatic For The People was playing when he killed himself.
The album (not saying this lightly) Automatic for the People is a masterpiece top to bottom. Writing, composition, sound recording, musical and vocal performance. Can’t say that about many other albums. (There certainly are others, but a great thing happens it is an amazing thing).
It was a good movie 🍿 based on his life- and best impression of Elvis I ever heard.😊
Andy Kaufman was the hilarious mechanic in the TV series Taxi with Danny DeVito in the late 70's and early 80's.. He had a super funny voice as a foreigner in series and carried it to his Standup comedy... He decided to get into professional wrestling for stunt that nearly crippled him for life... His impersonations was incredible...including Elvis which is in the lyrics of this song "goofin on Elvis" and I heard the wrestling reference in lyrics too ...
Are you referring to the Jerry Lawler incident? Lawler already confirmed that was staged.
Try to sit through Heartbeeps. You won't make it. 😂
All right my babies....In all honesty, I will admit when I first heard this song, I cried my eyes out. It was so moving to me because of all of the things that were mentioned of the past like board games, images I've seen on television in the past, and so on. And then there's the great Andy Kaufman. Harness everyday with love and take everything in without taking it for granted for we cannot remember everything during a lifetime ‼️💯🔥✝️🙏🏼😇
It’s about Andy Kaughman a comedian that passed very young. Possibly before you guys were born.
This song always brings tears to me eyes. Perfectly written and performed
Automatic for the People is an excellent album. Every song is fantastic.
I love REM and I love this tune
500 k subscriber's 👍 you got this 😊 👏👏
Celebration with a Live Stream 🤔🤞❤️❤️
I'm here for whole Ride !!!!! ✌️🤠❤️🍻
Freddie Blassie once had breakfast with Andy, and it was filmed - and mentioned in the song. Freddie was a world famous pro wrestler and has known as the Hollywood Fashion Plate.
It is a very rare video to track down.
@@visaman A simple Google search will bring it right up. Took me 10 seconds.
@goldenstatemunicipal7735 I was thinking of the DVD but there hasn't been a physical store in years.
Man on the Moon" is a tribute to comedian Andy Kaufman, with numerous references to his career including his Elvis impersonation, wrestling, and the film My Breakfast with Blassie. The song's title and chorus refer to Moon landing conspiracy theories, as an oblique allusion to rumors that Kaufman's death in 1984 was faked. The song gave its name to Miloš Forman's Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon (1999), and features prominently in the film's soundtrack.
Composition
What a fun reaction. I'm glad you guys tapped into this.
Check out “What’s the frequency” and “Stand”.
❤😊
@@juliewhite7469 which is your fav?
@@Gilbert-n5h Out of those two, "Stand". I like a lot of REM . "Can't Get There From Here", "Driver 8" are probably my favorites right now.
My fave band from the late 80's-90's. I have everyone of their cds.
This song was written as a kind of memorial to the comedian Andy Kaufman, who died way before his time. In the scene at the truck stop at the end, the guy that was shown on the blurry tv screen was Andy. He played a taxi mechanic in the series Taxi. I first saw him on SNL lip synching to the Mighty Mouse theme song.
As many have mentioned this song is about comedian Andy Kaufman…something less mentioned is that the questions about whether anyone has been on the moon, or if Elvis is still alive, that you picked up on, are actually referencing conspiracy theories, and ties to the fact that many believe Andy also faked his own death and is still out there somewhere…maybe hanging out with Elvis!
Another interesting thing is that Michael Stipe has said in the past that the ‘yeah yeah yeah yeah’ parts of the song were a playful dig at Kurt Cobain’s overuse of ‘yeah’ in Nirvana songs!
All of these songs come to mind!! Idk why but I really LOVE Orange Crush. Don't know nearly enough of the words but hey..... Lol
It's the end of the World and Losing my Religion would be tied for 2nd for me. LOVE YOU GUYS.
"Don't Go Back to Rockville", "What's the Frequency Kenneth ", "Driver 8"❤😊
I love this song.
REM - Ignore Land
REM - Disturbance At The Heron House
REM - Pop Song 89
REM - Talk About The Passion
REM - Finest Work Song
REM - What’s the Frequency Kenneth?
Heron House is so brilliant.
Nice list, I love Talk About The Passion. Fall On Me, Radio Free Europe, Wolver Lower, too many to list.
All the way to Reno.
Ignoreland is a banger
I dont know many R.E.M songs but I love Night Swimming. Worth a reaction.
I've been a fan of REM ever since I was a kid. Also a big fan of Andy Kaufman. You guys should dive deep into both😊
Yes, the fantastic Andy Kaufman. He was such a prankster that when he got cancer no one believed him. God bless Andy.
So glad you dig R.E.M. loved them since the start. ✌
Love that shirt Amber. My number 4 band all time in my top five! I would love to see you two react to Sweets song Set Me Free or Sweet F.A.
Andy Kaufman used to work in a NY deli while he was on Saturday Night Live. He was genius on the TV show 'Taxi'.
He had a lot of comedic confrontations that were done for effect. Truly one of a kind.
He’s talking about Andy Kaufman. Check out the bio-pic movie Man On The Moon.
Stand and What’s the Frequency Kenneth are my favorites from REM. ‘Hides face in shame’ I also like Shiny Happy People.
There's lots more great R.E.M. to hear. I recommend "Radio Free Europe" (1983 version from the Murmur album) next, followed by "Fall on Me".
Njght Swimming and Find the River from this album are classics. Automatic for the People, is magnificent album.
I know this isn’t what the song is about, here’s my initial interpretation when this song came out and the one I still prefer. I imagine the historical moments he mentions. Those were moments of humanity paradigm-shifting. Those are moments when someone was challenged against great odds and, by overcoming them, expanded his mind. Those moments have something in common with Andy Kaufman’s practical jokes. They’re illusions that fool us. Moses’ staff of wood channeled magic. Charles Darwin saw beyond the biblical assumption. Newton noticed signs of a hidden force of gravity. Astronauts landing on the moon dispelled the notion of the moon as this mythical place.
No, that's very much what the song is about. REM puts a lot of layers in their songs.
There are so many amazing R.E.M songs but the first song that comes to me has to be Nightswimming. It`s very slow and, to my mind , beautiful.
The band from Athens, Georgia had subject matter that spoke to everybody in all of their material Of all the songs you've reacted to thus far, Orange Crush has always been my favorite but this one almost took the title
This was a fun one though❤
It's neat that Micheal travels to this truck stop in the middle of nowhere and leaves them with the song he is singing. He sings on the way. He stops singing at the truck stop. When he leaves, everyone of every age and background is singing it together.
Any R.E.M. is cool with me.
This is what I like about your channel. I've heard this song 100 times and have actually thought about it. But when you guys bring this song out I feel like I'm now listening to it in a different way. And that makes me feel good! Also this is the first time I've ever seen this REM Video. It was great!
Probably one of the best live male vocalists of all time 👌
😂😂😂😂. Ahem, Freddie Mercury.
Chill, I said “one of the best” 😘