REM Find the river REACTION - The song is so deep and Stipe's singing is sublime - First hearing

REM Find the river REACTION
#michaelstipe
#musicreactions
#rockreaction

[@yolandajones4990]

I named my unborn child River after this song. Sadly River didn’t make it past 9 weeks gestation but this song will always be important to me.

[@AndrewMiff162]

😢

[@burkzzy]

Beautiful 🥲

[@firekind1980]

Fuck sake! Sorry.

[@damo220]

It’s not very often I drink, but sometimes I’ll have a Jack Daniel’s and Coke sit and watch KZbin videos of songs I like I’ve had a toast for River Stay strong!

[@yolandajones4990]

@@damo220 thank you so much!

[@kevinfishburne]

"Even if I'm wrong, that's how I want to see it." *That* is how art is progressed. Yes.

[@warrenschwartz5653]

Mills background singing during the chorus is one of my favorite things in this world.

[@georgepetty6473]

Absolutely chilling and hauntingly beautiful.

[@michaelmichael3308]

Same here

[@JamesKovacic]

Perfect ending to a perfect album

[@horn6]

Indeed.

[@RandyHall324]

Sublime is the right word...one of REM's most beautiful melodies. There's melancholy, but it's uplifting all the same. Glad you took the time to listen to it, and kudos to whomever recommended it!

[@markhoward408]

This whole album is utterly incandescent. Not a bad track on it. Brings back so many memories of lost friends and forgotten times from (cough) years ago.

[@MichaelJamesAndersonActor]

What's great here is that you didn't catch all of his lyrics, but attached immediately to haunted, beautiful, ethereal tone of Michael's voice. He never sounded better than on Automatic. Your reaction at the end is how I always, always feel after listening to this song. Gorgeous sadness.

[@BlueJays0919]

I have some of the lyrics to “Find The River” tattooed on my arm. I have got to find the river… Run through my head and fall away Leave the road and memorize this life that pass before my eyes…

[@marybaillie8907]

This song is from the album Automatic For the People from 1992. It deals of a great nearness to death representing as a river flowing into the ocean. The beautiful acoustic guitars and the synthesizer, along with the amazing vocals, from Micheal, make this a masterpiece. A true classic for REM. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Craig. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦

[@craigaust3306]

You’re welcome!

[@Lionize728]

The harmonica sounding thing is a melodica. It's a small handheld keyboard that you blow into. It was played by their drummer Bill Berry.

[@tomtortolani8082]

hmmm makes me think that Harri needs to react to Steely Dan "Aja" Seems like he would give this a standing ovation.

[@davidwilkins5932]

Perhaps my favorite REM song as well, even though it’s hard to put a finger on why. It feels sort of like an anthem for life and its motion.

[@MarkinSeattle7]

My favorite REM song...and that's saying something. Thanks for digging deeper for some fantastic songs.

[@randyhanson837]

Long time REM fan here. This is one of their best, not just musically or lyrically but the symbolism in the video is stunningly effective. I am getting to be an old man, like the one in the video and it is spot on. Our lives are like a river that flows from one place to another and many of our fellow travelers are like the dog and accompany us, sometimes ahead and sometimes beside us, companions riding the river assisting us on our journey. Any animal that has dreams should have a place in heaven.

[@dinullr1957]

I always interpreted it as an old soul leaving the earth and meeting a brand new one about to be born.

[@hockeygirl8401]

You know, I always felt like this song was a combination of so many complicated thoughts. This notion that when you’re so much in a hurry, and you got light years to go. You go through some serious crap to find out that the hustle and bustle, which represents a City, in this song is not what life is about. In the country there is calm. You can know your own thoughts. You can examine yourself. That’s how you find the river. That’s why he keeps saying nothing is going my way. I think he means all that stuff is behind him. It’s not going his way. And then later in the song, he says it’s closer and it’s not so many light years away. I think that’s the mid life. But when you find your River when you find your purpose and you get all the crap out and you discover what has already happened, you can just ride it out. That’s what he says. At the end. You just ride it out and all of this is coming your way. All the good stuff is coming your way. It’s sad that by the time you figure out what life’s about it’ll be time to leave. And it will be somebody else’s journey. Someone else will have to find the river.

[@philipmay4896]

In my opinion this is one of the most fantastic songs ever written!! Everything just fits perfectly - only few songs can compare....

[@meriannestoneback7436]

One of thebest songs on Automatic For the People. ❤❤❤❤

[@jonteuber7643]

Inspiring analysis :) enjoyed your reaction, Harri

[@leefertwayne8163]

I like the fact you pick requests that are obscure songs from widely-known artists.

[@MrCbaldwin]

One of the most hauntingly beautiful poetic songs of it’s era, this is REM at their peak. I don’t know if this is about the contemplation of giving up on a hard life lived, or the river as a symbol of the passage of time and all the requisite trials and tribulations, wondrous triumphs and bitter disappointments that everyone experiences in life. It nevertheless leaves me spellbound. Keep up the good work, Harry. Peace and love from Canada.

[@diane-]

I love REM and I don't think they have any bad songs. Thanks for sharing.

[@MrHotsnakes]

REM have such an amazing catalogue to dive in to, but 'Country feedback' will break your heart.

[@andrewflockhart7270]

My favourite rem song

[@darrentaylor4984]

My favourite REM song... probably my favourite song by any artist in fact. I don't think Stipe has ever really talked about the meaning of this song. It's important that you make your own narrative and in my opinion, you're not far wrong with how you describe it. Find the river..... leave the road and memorise.... it's kind of telling us to find our own path in life in order to achieve our goals. My particular favourite line is "strength and courage overrides, privileged and weary eyes...." always makes me think of my Mum when she battled cancer bravely until the end. She and my my Dad both had this song as their funeral song.

[@rickblokdijk4903]

This was my cling to song when I my father died when I was young, and I had to explore the world while there was no one to take the lead anymore. Great reaction and keep up the great work!

[@randyhanson837]

I used to listen to Out of Time after my father died and it helped me. Radio Song, hey, hey hey.

[@robertocaesar9870]

I like that you are not reacting just to the well known hits... so many reactors just do Everybody Hurts. This was the song that closed the album, always had such a bittersweet feeling after the song .... which is what Automatic for the People always was for me, yearning, openness, loss. What a genius album. Another good video!

[@dannford-premiersothebysin9057]

I love this song. Anything from REM is so good. I have been a fan since the 80's. Michael Stipe is just beautiful. Please listen to EBow the Letter from REM. Nightswimming is another off the album that is very good.

[@anthonymunn8633]

Harri's listened to E-Bow The Letter: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJC0q6Cwgr2qrdE

[@Hiushisan]

Stipe's voice is so unique, and the tones he captures in songs like this one just blow me away every time.

[@rubbersole79]

The further we get from them, the more magical they become.

[@mattdoroshow2825]

One of the greatest albums ever

[@user-nf5ht6dj6n]

Michael Stipe is just amazing. ❤

[@michaelbrockman5742]

This gorgeous song has echoes of fellow Georgian writer Flannery O’Connor’s magnificent short story ‘The River’. Both are goosebump inducing works of art.

[@patakigeo]

"river poet search naivete". Thanks for checking out this song, Harri. Hardly anyone reacts to this masterpiece, I listen to it whenever I feel a need for a piece of the sublime. Michaels singing and lyrics, and the chorus and background singing is just inspired. Just don't ask me what it is specifically about...not a clue and I don't think there is a great need anyway ;)

[@greghansell5115]

Love this song and love the album it's from

[@davidmaholchic6146]

What a beautiful melancholic tune love you

[@davetravelingheritage5403]

I also see it as someone who is now older looking back i often do it by going back to old places i went to as a kid. It's healthy looking back but also brings pain as i remember my parents and family members who are no longer around.

[@bobbyb2725]

Thanks for reacting to this. Now I have a “new” REM song to obsess about!

[@leelowe251]

its beautiful, REM are such an amazing band.

[@dathorndike4908]

I think you are spot on about the lyric interpretation Harri. Great analysis as usual

[@bradwilliams2081]

Nightswimming...also from the album Automatic For The People

[@jxchamb]

You will not find a bad song on Automatic For The People. It's perfect.

[@Texturas75]

Even Ignoreland?

[@jxchamb]

@@Texturas75 Yes. It might not be great, compared to the rest of the record, but it's far from being a bad song.

[@Texturas75]

@@jxchamb I don't think it's a good or memorable song. No need to compare it to the rest of the album, just not a great song by itself. But I guess it's a question of taste. Actually I don't remember many good songs on AFTP as I remember from the previous album or Murmur. Gotta listen to it again.

[@matthewbrewster5956]

Star Me Kitten is my favorite song of all time. Haunting yet simple.

[@randyhanson837]

What is it about the socialist democratic down hill slide that is not making you happy comrade?@@Texturas75

[@VanirTraditionalist]

Not a harmonica it’s a melodica. When used appropriately it’s a gorgeous little instrument.

[@marygriffiths2950]

My first time hearing this beautiful song 🎼🎼

[@jxchamb]

Have you never heard the record it's from? If not then seek it out immediately. The whole record has this vibe. Automatic For The People.

[@randyhanson837]

@@jxchamb I remember buying some vinyl 33 1/3 because one of the songs I heard on the radio was good and the rest was trash. Rare to ever get an entire set that was all 100% good like REM. Automatic is #1, give a listen to Out of Time it is also superb.

[@jxchamb]

@@randyhanson837 I have a hard time with that one because I got so sick of Shiny Happy People. Got overplayed so much. But I probably should revisit it.

[@joshuawilliams7351]

Wonderful visual representations of moments in The Giver, novel.

[@martinnorthrop7083]

Thanks for the video. I think you're right that it's a song about aging, from an older person to a young one. Then again, as Stipe has often said, aside from songs like "Everybody Hurts," most of their lyrics are free-associative and impressionistic. More about the sounds of the words than their exact meaning. Still, there's definitely a theme of facing life knowing we'll die here, and I take it along with the lovely chorus bits to be quite inspirational and encouraging, to keep going. It's comforting, maybe, to face life's challenges when we know in the end "the ocean is the river's goal." Finally, it's important to know that this is final track on an album, Automatic for the People, with many songs about loss and death. Stipe and his family lost his grandmother, inspiring the song "Sweetness Follows," and "Man on the Moon" is about our loss of Andy Kaufman and other rare people and how they live on in our memory. So, back when albums were albums, making this a hopeful, beautiful conclusion to Automatic leaves us with, again, hope, despite loss, fear of slowing down, the pressures of life.

[@timothykelley3635]

Think you nailed it Harris. Love your takes.

[@barbaraconover7305]

Buddy, like Rolling Stone proclaimed REM was the best band in America .

[@johnharkness7114]

The instrument is a melodica. I always find it quite evocative

[@kevinfishburne]

I thought this was a love song when I first heard it, then realized it was about inevitable death and was like, dang you're dumb (me). Was made humble but I like the song a lot. Sad and pretty.

[@JimmyBhoy71]

To me this song speaks in parrallels to how life seems tough and a search and a struggle but along the journey, and the song instruments rather than than the lyrics say this part, theres a lot of beauty. Mr Stipes a poet not a describer subscriber.

[@anthonymccoll5]

Hi mate, would love to see you react to some Ferocious Dog either “Broken Soldier” or “The Hope” 👍

[@user-nf5ht6dj6n]

From the river to the sea.❤❤❤

[@graemefoster3300]

no / its the river of life gets to the sea no matter what you do .

[@scottdavidson602]

Was written for the late River Pheonix

[@chiefscheider]

So they wrote it for RP while he was still alive? Automatic for the People was released in Oct of 92 and he died a full year later

[@kenweeks9028]

Man, you got a lot out of the song from the first listen. It's a very poetic song so the lyrics are not very straightforward. Good job, sir.