Begin the Begin

Song by R.E.M

This article is about the R.E.M. song. For the Cole Porter song, see Begin the Beguine. For the television episodes, see Begin the Begin (Grey's Anatomy) and List of Covert Affairs episodes.

"Begin the Begin"

Song by R.E.M.
from the album  Lifes Rich Pageant
Released| July 28, 1986 (1986-07-28)
Genre|

* Alternative rock
* hard rock[1]

Length| 3:28
Label| I.R.S.
Songwriter(s)|

* Bill Berry
* Peter Buck
* Mike Mills
* Michael Stipe

Producer(s)| Don Gehman

"Begin the Begin" is the first song on R.E.M.'s fourth album, Lifes Rich Pageant. Lead singer Michael Stipe has called it "a song of personal, political activism."[2] Though never released as a single, it appeared frequently in the band's live performances as a song early in the set. It was even used as an opening song in the live performances at their inductions into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame[3] and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[4] The song was also included as the first track on their 2006 compilation And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987.

As the opening track on Lifes Rich Pageant, the song heralded a new clarity in Stipe's vocals.[5] Written on acoustic guitars in Stipe's home, the original version of the song was a minute longer, with five different choruses, lacking melody and a bridge.[6] Replete with references to Americana and revolution, the title is a pun on Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine".[6]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Schumer, Ben (February 26, 2009). "It Starts with an Earthquake: R.E.M.'s Monster". PopMatters.
2. ^ Hogan, Peter, The Complete Guide to the Music of REM, page 109. Omnibus Press, 1995. ISBN 0-7119-4901-8
3. ^ "R.E.M. inducted into Music Hall of Fame". USAToday.com. September 17, 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
4. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (March 13, 2007). "R.E.M., Van Halen Lead Rock Hall's '07 Class". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
5. ^ Hogan, page 32.
6. ^ a b Hogan, page 33.

* v
* t
* e

R.E.M.

* Bill Berry
* Peter Buck
* Mike Mills
* Michael Stipe

* Bertis Downs
* Jefferson Holt

Studio albums|

* Murmur
* Reckoning
* Fables of the Reconstruction
* Lifes Rich Pageant
* Document
* Green
* Out of Time
* Automatic for the People
* Monster
* New Adventures in Hi-Fi
* Up
* Reveal
* Around the Sun
* Accelerate
* Collapse into Now

Live albums|

* R.E.M. Live
* Live at The Olympia
* Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions
* R.E.M. at the BBC
* Live at the Borderline 1991

Compilations|

* Dead Letter Office
* Eponymous
* The Best of R.E.M.
* The Automatic Box
* Singles Collected
* In the Attic
* In Time
* iTunes Originals
* And I Feel Fine
* Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011
* Complete Rarities (I.R.S. · WB)
* 7IN—83–88

EPs|

* Chronic Town
* Not Bad for No Tour
* Vancouver Rehearsal Tapes
* Live from London
* Reckoning Songs from The Olympia

Other albums|

* Man on the Moon
* r.e.m.IX

Singles|

* "Radio Free Europe"
* "Talk About the Passion"
* "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)"
* "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville"
* "Cant Get There from Here"
* "Driver 8"
* "Wendell Gee"
* "Fall on Me"
* "Superman"
* "The One I Love"
* "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
* "Finest Worksong"
* "Orange Crush"
* "Stand"
* "Pop Song 89"
* "Get Up"
* "Losing My Religion"
* "Shiny Happy People"
* "Near Wild Heaven"
* "Radio Song"
* "Drive"
* "Man on the Moon"
* "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
* "Everybody Hurts"
* "Nightswimming"
* "Find the River"
* "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
* "Bang and Blame"
* "Crush with Eyeliner"
* "Strange Currencies"
* "Tongue"
* "E-Bow the Letter"
* "Bittersweet Me"
* "Electrolite"
* "How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us"
* "Daysleeper"
* "Lotus"
* "At My Most Beautiful"
* "Suspicion"
* "The Great Beyond"
* "Imitation of Life"
* "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)"
* "I'll Take the Rain"
* "Bad Day"
* "Animal"
* "Leaving New York"
* "Aftermath"
* "Electron Blue"
* "Wanderlust"
* "#9 Dream"
* "Supernatural Superserious"
* "Hollow Man"
* "Man-Sized Wreath"
* "Until the Day Is Done"
* "Mine Smell Like Honey"
* "Überlin"
* "Oh My Heart"
* "We All Go Back to Where We Belong"

Other songs|

* "Sitting Still"
* "Gardening at Night"
* "Perfect Circle"
* "Pretty Persuasion"
* "7 Chinese Bros."
* "Begin the Begin"
* "Cuyahoga"
* "Ages of You"
* "Turn You Inside-Out"
* "Texarkana"
* "Country Feedback"
* "First We Take Manhattan"
* "Ignoreland"
* "Dark Globe"
* "Star 69"
* "New Test Leper"
* "All the Right Friends"
* "Out in the Country"

Videos|

* Succumbs
* Tourfilm
* Pop Screen
* This Film Is On
* Parallel
* Road Movie
* In View
* Perfect Square
* When the Light Is Mine
* R.E.M. Live
* Live from Austin, TX
* REMTV

Support and
side projects|

* Nathan December
* Buren Fowler
* Peter Holsapple
* Barrett Martin
* Scott McCaughey
* Bill Rieflin
* Ken Stringfellow
* Joey Waronker
* The Baseball Project
* Filthy Friends
* Hindu Love Gods
* The Minus 5
* Tanzplagen
* Tuatara
* Tired Pony

Related articles|

* Discography
* List of songs
* Awards
* Tours
* 170 College Avenue
* Peter Buck
* Athens Andover
* "I Belong to You"
* Hib-Tone
* Surprise Your Pig: A Tribute to R.E.M.
* Drive XV: A Tribute to Automatic for the People

Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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