Stand

"Stand"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Green
Released	January 1989
Format	7" Single/12" Single/3" CD Single
Recorded	1988
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	3:10
Label	Warner Bros. Records
Producer	Scott Litt & R.E.M.
R.E.M. singles chronology
"Orange Crush" (1988) "Stand" (1989) "Pop Song 89" (1989)

"Stand" is a song by R.E.M. released as the second single from Green in 1989. The song quickly rose up the charts, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming R.E.M.'s second top 10 hit in the United States. The song reached #48 on the UK Singles Charts. The song reached #16 in Canada.

The lyrics speak of finding direction in one's life ("Think about direction / Wonder why you haven't before") and being realistic ("If wishes were trees / The trees would be falling").

Michael Stipe has said of the song's origin that he and the other band members were discussing The Banana Splits, The Archies, The Monkees, and similar ’60s pop groups. “They threw these super bubblegummy songs at me, and I said, ‘I’ll raise you and see you one.’ And I wrote the most inane lyrics that I could possibly write. Now, it was a very intentional thing to do that. I really like most of those songs, in fact.”^[1]

"Weird Al" Yankovic parodied "Stand" for his 1989 album, UHF, as "Spam".

Stand was used as the opening theme to the early 1990s Fox comedy Get a Life, starring Chris Elliott.

The song was placed on R.E.M.'s Warner Bros. Records "best of" album In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 in 2003.

The song is an example of "truck driver's gear change", as the last two rounds of the chorus are each one whole step higher than the one previous.^[2]

Track listing

All songs written by Berry, Buck, Mills and Stipe except where indicated.

1st issue

7" Vinyl

1. "Stand" – 3:10
2. "Memphis Train Blues" – 1:38

12" Vinyl & 3" CD single

1. "Stand" - 3:09
2. "Memphis Train Blues" - 1:37
3. "The Eleventh Untitled Song" - 3:56

Notes: The UK 3" cd single with the catalogue number W7577 CDX came in a leaf-shaped sleeve.

"The Eleventh Untitled Song" is an extended instrumental version of the closing (eleventh) unlisted (untitled) track from the album Green.

2nd issue - released later in 1989 with different cover art (a picture of the band on stage) in the UK instead of "Pop Song 89."

1. "Stand" - 3:09
2. "Pop Song 89 - acoustic" 2:56
3. "Skin Tight - live" (Ohio Players cover, written by Jones, Pierce, Bonner, Middlebrooks) - 2:03

Note: live track recorded in Orlando, Florida 30 April 1989

Charts

References