REM - Harborcoat [Live-1985]

They crowded up to Lenin with their noses worn off
A handshake is worthy if it's all that you've got
Metal shivs on wood push through our back
There's a splinter in your eye and it reads "REACT"
They shifted the statues for harboring ghosts
Reddened their necks, collared their clothes
Then we danced the dance till the menace got out
She gathered the corners and called it her gown
Please find my harborcoat, can't go outside without it
Find my harborcoat, can't go outside without it
They crowded up to Lenin with their noses worn off
A handshake is worthy if it's all that you've got
Metal shivs on wood push through our back
There's a splinter in your eye and it reads "REACT", R-E-A-C-T
They shifted the statues for harboring ghosts
Reddened their necks, collared their clothes
Then we danced the dance till the menace got out
She gathered the corners and called it her gown
She said

[@slotstikskimboards1]

It would be very difficult to overstate how great this performance is...

[@Ike_C]

Indeed.

[@jkrycz]

Try

[@MrKrasean]

correct

[@snowyparker1462]

My favorite era of R.E.M.

[@Ben_Mdws]

Every band needs a Mike Mills on bass.

[@imterpsfan2]

I agree, he's awesome.

[@alpostlewaite5564]

Best comment on a REM song I've seen. One of the most underrated rhythm sections of the time. W/out Berry & Mills REM wouldn't have been the same.

[@markkickmark]

Berry was a freak!

[@bryansimpson3149]

Not to mention his backing vocals, secret weapon of the greatest American band

[@TheDizzyrizzy]

Harborcoat. This song - for me - this IS R.E.M. The IRS stuff just untouchable.

[@slowri0t770]

Agreed but I think people undersell how good they remained afterwards. Even their much later stuff is amazing. Pound for pound the best American band ever.

[@dynjarren7523]

Peter Buck is great! How the hell does he play all that and still run around the stage like that? Amazing player! And I forgot how Stipe used to dance.

[@erikhendrickson59]

He nails those arpeggios while flailing around like a mania lol makes it looks so easy~

[@lancelasalle2849]

Goddamn, they were so, so, so good.

[@Mjollnir1234]

This is so vital; it's like watching early Who.

[@nome5123]

They are our Who. Was thinking the same.

[@coffee5736]

Best REM song imo, an absolute jam!

[@robertk2007]

R.E.M. was so ground breaking that Stipe didnt know how to dance to his own music

[@YazGuitarChannel]

No, that's how I danced to REM, too. We fans of New Wave loved the very country-sounding REM, and we danced to REM the same way we'd dance to Echo and the Bunnymen or Depeche Mode. I guess the artsy marketing really worked, and opened up a whole new world of underground Americana to us.

[@picardmadeoff1068]

This was Stipe imitating SNL's Sprockets on acid...truly groundbreaking and we Stipites or REMheads emulated his every move back in the 80s. What is more amazing is Sprockets didn't debut on SNL until '89...oh so forward!

[@nome5123]

@@picardmadeoff1068 I thought you were talking about Toad the Wet Sprocket

[@InParticularNobody]

@@YazGuitarChannel as a direct result, not one of us had girlfriends though :).

[@joycehall4866]

Wiggle that ass Michael!! He's fucking Awesome

[@TheMeditationSpaLounge2024]

I just came by to watch Michael do his twisty dance to this gem of song..hehe..love Harborcoat!💖

[@doloritasvega]

them dance moves, though

[@IRatherBeDeadThanRed]

Best guitarist in my current opinion is Peter Buck and Johnny Marr their styles are so unique and irreplaceable!!

[@imterpsfan2]

Two very underrated guitarists for sure.

[@thechroniccinephile4824]

Them two and bob stinson from the replacements formed the foundation of alternative guitar rock

[@chrisstory1970]

Bob Mould also

[@letsplaysmr8621]

and Robert Buck from 10,000 Maniacs

[@mateuszminsky5619]

It's all in the arpeggio. They play arpeggios.

[@derfunkhaus]

One thing drummers have going for them is that, decades later, they don't have any embarrassing stage moves to live down. Well, mostly.

[@jules2713]

Love this until the day I die.

[@imterpsfan2]

I actually like this version better than the studio version, and that's saying a lot!

[@6828Lu]

Yes and no ... The guitar overdubs crashing in the last chorus of the studio version to this day make the hairs on my arms stand up.

[@drago6769]

The Replacements made the song Lay it Down Clown about Peter Buck's twitchy dancing and because he always had speed and the Mats would say "if you got that shit, then lay it down clown"

[@DhafinFausta]

Brings smiles and joy to me! R.E.M. at its finest!

[@alexandreferreira5378]

My favorite band in the history.. Hugs from Brasil 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@hpw101]

You have great taste, my friend. What’s your favorite album of theirs? Mine is probably Reckoning.

[@markkickmark]

Early REM was watching a legendary bad starting out already legendary.

[@itsmeagainjohn3054]

This is a big reason why I wish I saw R.E.M. live, but I am too young and they broke up :( At least I can enjoy my favorite R.E.M. song live.

[@chloeccg6404]

Yep, I’m 15 and won’t ever be able to experience R.E.M. but through a screen and some comments

[@dinglebop9558]

I recommend you a band called Red Can. Discovered them some time ago and can't wait to what's next

[@Luschan]

The best REM record, imo. A hair better than Murmur. No bad songs or filler on either albums, good from beginning to end.

[@6828Lu]

Reckoning rocks just a little bit harder, which makes it my favorite of the two.

[@alexbaker7517]

There are a couple of fillers letter never sent, time after time. The best is the best but overall murmur is stronger

[@Luschan]

@Alexander Tijerina (student) Fables is really great too. Very underrated.

[@j.r.a.f.t.m.]

@@alexbaker7517 letter Never sent is in my top 10 songs by them 🤣🤣

[@fergieinva]

​@@6828Lu I agree!

[@RichardVallanceMusic]

Man they were on such top form that night, I wish I could have seen it live. Amazing musicianship.

[@imterpsfan2]

Peter Buck was absolutely amazing in this video. Definitely on his A game that night.

[@DCB728]

Dog gone it folks, this is one mighty fine band right here.

[@soulscanner66]

By the dancing and hair style, it appears Michael was going through a mid-80's Simon LeBon phase.

[@ken4819]

Pure genius! Awesome!

[@LOVEDAVEGAHAN]

Agreed. Love them to bits!

[@ericacarradus9152]

I first heard them on the Tube (channel 4 tv show) back in 1982 playing Radio Free Europe live and they blew me away.

[@roadkillsrus]

REM and B52s were both such joys to watch as well as listen to. Peter Buck was always a party in a box all by himself.

[@scottwelch987]

They were redefining pop through college radio. Like it or not...it saved mainstream music. Like it or not...1,000 bands formed on this sound coming out of Athens, GA. REM

[@Zepster77]

Well said Scott.

[@nome5123]

Saved the hell out me from listening to John Cougar.

[@davidedwards2433]

This takes me back to my days in high school. They were incredible. I'm glad to have been a kid and rocked out to this.

[@Joaocarlos-po3vj]

Isso é perfeito demais!

[@alexgreenblatt328]

REM. Reminds me of why I listen to music these days.

[@imterpsfan2]

This concert was at Rockpalast, a very famous concert venue in Germany.

[@mopsvonmiez]

Rockpalast is the TV show's name, not the name of a particular venue or concert hall. This performance took place in Bochum at "Zeche".

[@markbohs1924]

I saw this tour at the Tower Theater in Philly. I was upfront....that was my favorite show of ALL TIME.

[@richbowie76]

he loved his coat so much that he wrote a song

[@joycehall4866]

Then we danced the dance 😊

[@jexsmx6608]

irs years for rem were THE best. this gig was in germany shortly after release of "fables." was living in augsburg at the time but i had to work a night shift but a friend was able to go -- he bugged me about it for months afterward.

[@susanne23nelson]

Wow!! Incredible!!

[@RemarkableLoser]

Peter's legs!

[@thirdofaman]

Thank you for uploading.

[@acercade439]

Sois todos tan geniales ,contagiosos para esa voz y música😍🤩💖💖

[@drstevie]

So GOOD.

[@homealone5087]

I didn't know Sickboy could sing and move like that.

[@trialsanderrors2707]

So easy to forget how much of a new wave band R.E.M. used to be in their younger years...

[@jgr66]

"Then we danced the dance till the menace got out" >> Its actually.. "Then we ditched the books with the middle's cut out".. see Olympia Dublin version 2007

[@MariaPratiwiU2]

wow.. I never know Michael dyed his hair blonde!

[@imterpsfan2]

Going through an Ellen DeGeneres phase ;)

[@dianebluegreen]

if i remember correctly,he colored it with mustard!

[@Joaocarlos-po3vj]

Wow

[@mauriziobacile3882]

Bellissima

[@brendonla]

This gets a like for including the lyrics.

[@dewaarista91]

Peter Buck is Jimmy Page of jangle pop version

[@SexualHarasser]

[@joedecker3900]

I want Mike’s Guild Bass!

[@YazGuitarChannel]

Man, I'm not gay, but young Michael Stipe was beautiful.

[@Pointblankmos]

Michael Stipe is dancing like Morrissey here. Hard not to.

[@acecombat2shill]

theyre performing this at like 1,1x speed

[@ashleymonday298]

Michael moves like he discovered the MDMA before it was cool.

[@jkrycz]

These Germans will enjoy anythjing.

[@reillylab1728]

But what is Mike Mills singing????

[@LOVEDAVEGAHAN]

Reilly Lab Backing vocals obviously. His and Michael's voices blend beautifully together.

[@hypermorphism]

Reilly Lab It varies from one performance to another. However, the album lyrics are most likely this particular collection, which I gathered from an interview on the many different background vocals they used: lyrics.wikia.com/R.E.M.:Harborcoat?diff=11865779&oldid=11044479

[@hypermorphism]

Reilly Lab There are a lot of misheard lyrics, especially from the earlier albums, that get copied and pasted around a lot. The "menace" lyric is a real lyric, but it is not the lyric on the album version, which is the "middles" lyric, as mentioned in the interview. A lot of this is lost, but here is one sample: webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cFs0v4hrQQgJ:forum.murmurs.com/topic/117605-my-interview-with-mike-mills/+&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

[@LOVEDAVEGAHAN]

Ronald Lett Thanks for these links Ronald, very interesting.

[@DeadLetter]

+Ronald Lett that link is broken, but the lyrics on the wiki don't sound like what Mike Mills is signing here. Would love to read what was at the link you provided.

[@beachkidboy]

So sad after these first few years what they became.

[@johndotcue]

What you mean? They were still great from 85 to like maybe 1994? Or whenever Monster came out...

[@joshuawilliams124]

REM stayed a great band. You just got old and boring.

[@williambullock4077]

totally disagree, awesome up to Adventures in Hi-FI for sure.

[@karisyanuaria4756]

What's the meaning of the song?

[@imterpsfan2]

It's supposedly about Anne Frank.

[@giulionoccesi5739]

The smiths 2

[@MrStraccaletto]

E si qualche eco degli Smiths c'è ma frullato con The Who e tanta altra roba tanto che alla fine i REM erano davvero un gruppo a parte, molto particolari e personali.

[@giulionoccesi5739]

@@MrStraccaletto spaccavano, solo che quando c'è una rickenbacker e un cantante che balla in quel modo l'associazione è inevitabile

[@MrStraccaletto]

@@giulionoccesi5739 eh eh effettivamente si che poi gli Smiths ancora stavano in giro nel 1985 👍

[@dommccaffry3802]

At that time the coolest greatest band on earth. Later on, not so much

[@kevinwillems8720]

This video is bisexual culture

[@karisyanuaria4756]

What are they on? Weeds? Haha

[@joeyjoejoe3011]

capitol theatre version is better, mills mic is too loud