"Nightswimming" and other R.E.M. songs Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which R.E.M. song begins with the lyrics "Oh, life is bigger, it's bigger than you, and you are not me"?

Answer: Losing My Religion

Released in 1991, "Losing My Religion" was an unlikely hit for the band. It was written around guitarist Peter Buck's attempts to learn how to play mandolin and wasn't the record company's choice as first single from the album "Out of Time." It went on to reach number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and won two Grammy Awards and six MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year and Best Group Video.

2. "Nightswimming deserves a quiet night" begins which R.E.M. song which is performed by only two members of the band, Michael Stipe and Mike Mills?

Answer: Nightswimming

The song "Nightswimming" is included on the album "Automatic for the People" and was released as a single in 1993. It's a ballad about a group of friends who go skinnydipping at night, features only singer Michael Stipe and bassist Mike Mills and includes a string arrangement by John Paul Jones, formerly of Led Zeppelin.

3. This fast-paced and very verbose R.E.M. song which features many references starts with the lyrics "That's great it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, and aeroplanes". Name that song.

Answer: It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

This song is included on the 1987 album "Document" and was released as a single that same year. It is a fast-paced song with references to people who share the same initials - Lenny Bruce, Leonid Brezhnev and Lester Banks. The song has been included in many TV shows and movies, including in "Independence Day" just before the alien signal is received and in "Chicken Little".

It's a popular go-to impending doomsday song.

4. This song which begins "Did you never call? I waited for your call, these rivers of suggestion are driving me away" was the first song R.E.M. sang on U.S. television. What is the name of this song?

Answer: So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)

This song, included in the brilliant 1983 album "Reckoning" was sung live on "Late Night With David Letterman" before it even had a title. When the video was recorded, singer Michael Stipe refused to lip sync and sang a new live vocal for the song. Stipe continued to sing live every time the band appeared in music videos for their songs until "Losing My Religion" which was the first time Stipe lip synced in a video.

5. This rap/rock crossover song by R.E.M. featuring KRS-One begins "Hey, I can't find nothing on the radio. Ah, yo turn to that station". Name this song.

Answer: Radio Song

Michael Stipe is a big fan of KRS-One, who is included prominently in the video for "Radio Song" and raps on the song. The song is included in the 1987 album "Document" and is dubiously featured in some lists on the internet naming the worst R.E.M. songs. I will leave that up to you to decide for yourself.

6. Can you name this emotional R.E.M. song that the band has proclaimed is aimed directly at teenagers and begins with the lyrics "When the day is long, and the night, the night is yours alone"?

Answer: Everybody Hurts

This song is featured on the 1992 album "Automatic For The People" and reached top ten on the charts of several countries, including Canada, Australia and France. U.S. President Donald Trump actually used this song in a tweet along with sad-looking Democrats and the band responded by calling President Trump "World Leader PRETEND" (the title of another one of their songs). Twitter eventually removed the video as a copyright violation.

7. Which R.E.M. song with a black and white video featuring nudity begins with the line "Hello, I saw you, I know you, I knew you"?

Answer: Pop Song 89

"Pop Song 89" is a song from the R.E.M. album "Green". It is the opening track of the album and was the third single released. The video was shot in black and white and features lead singer Michael Stipe and three women dancing to the song, all of whom are topless in the video. MTV asked the band to censor the nipples and so the band put black bars across the chests of everyone in the video, not just the three women.

8. This R.E.M. song has a country twang to it and begins "Looking at your watch a third time waiting in the station for the bus." Can you name it?

Answer: (Don't Go Back To) Rockville

"(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" is a song from the album "Reckoning". It was released as a single but failed to chart in both the U.S. and the U.K. It was written by bassist Mike Mills as a plea to his girlfriend at the time to not return to Rockville.

9. R.E.M. sang this song at their 2007 induction into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame and begins with the line "I see your money on the floor I felt your pocket change". Can you name this early R.E.M song?

Answer: Gardening At Night

"Gardening At Night" is a song from the 1982 debut EP named "Chronic Town". It was one of the first songs that the band wrote and there are four different studio versions including an acoustic version found on the European "I.R.S. Vintage Years" reissue of "Dead Letter Office".

The band sang this song at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and singer Michael Stipe dedicated it to his father.

10. R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe has stated that this is one of his favorite R.E.M. songs. Can you name this song that begins "Your eyes are burning holes through me, I'm gasoline, I'm burnin' clean"?

Answer: Electrolite

The song "Electrolite" can be found on the album "New Adventures in Hi-Fi." It was the third single released from that album and made it only to number 96 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song was written while the band was on tour promoting the album "Monster" and initially Michael Stipe did not want to include it on "New Adventures in Hi-Fi" but eventually agreed and has stated since that it's become one of his favourite songs by the band.

Source: Author ramonesrule

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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I will give you the first line of an R.E.M. song and you need to name that song.

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