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R.E.M. — Until The Day Is Done
Album: Accelerate
Avg rating:
7.2

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1431









Released: 2008
Length: 4:00
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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The battle's been lost, the war is not won
An addled republic, a bitter refund
The business first flat-earthers licking their wounds
The verdict is dire, the country's in ruins

Providence blinked, facing the sun
Where are we left to carry on
Until the day is done
Until the day is done

So we've written our stories to entertain
These notions of glory and bull market gain
The teleprompt flutters, the power surge springs
An easy-speak message falls into routine

Providence blinked, facing the sun
Where are we left to carry on
Until the day is done
Until the day is done

A voice whispers "Son,
The blessed vision comes"
What have I done
What have I done

So hold tight your babies and your guns
Forgive us our trespasses, father and son

Providence blinked, facing the sun
Where are we left to carry on
Until the day is done
Until the day is done
Until the day is done
Until the day is done
Until the day is done
Until the day is done
Comments (127)add comment
At some point, Mike Mills' poetic harmonizing jumped ship. Like... on this song. And so R.E.M. jumped the shark. 
Posted 1 year ago by Grayson    [ Reply ]
 George_Tirebiter wrote:

I googled 'flat beer' and this song started playing on YouTube.


Where is the laugh-out-loud feedback button?
Posted 1 year ago by obispo    [ Reply ]
I used to take this incredibly attractive girl to go dancing at the Guelph's Bullring every Wednesday night...she loved R.E.M....loved them...I could never figure it.  But, I'd nod along.  'Yep.  Amazing.  You're so right.' 

All these years later, I still wish I could figure it.  And she's a very successful veterinarian...and likely still drop dead...
Posted 2 years ago by sfoster66    [ Reply ]
I googled 'flat beer' and this song started playing on YouTube.
Posted 2 years ago by George_Tirebiter    [ Reply ]
Weird R.E.M. memory for me - Back in the 90's I was reading through the comics section of the paper, and after making it through Calvin & Hobbs and the usual good stuff, I found myself reading Dick Tracy. I wasn't much into Dick Tracy - it was more for someone with fond memories of Roosevelt or Ike, and less so for a 90's teen.  The strip that day included a discussion between characters about dreams and Rapid Eye Movement. In one panel a character mentions R.E.M. to Dick and he replies something along the lines of "Isn't that the band my kid listens to?" It struck me as such an anachronism that to this day I remember being befuddled by it.   

Than again Dick had an Apple Watch decades before any of us.
Posted 2 years ago by forthbrdge    [ Reply ]
 jwallstrom846 wrote:

I heard echoes of Jethro Tull..



Only if music was ultrasound. 
Posted 2 years ago by Pjesnik    [ Reply ]
Good following song for Warren Zevon's Bad Karma! Lol!
Posted 2 years ago by kcatalina    [ Reply ]
Good Tune!
Posted 2 years ago by joejennings    [ Reply ]
 Daveteauk wrote:

NO MORE R.E.M - - PLEASE!! Totally overrated.



Translation:  REM is a great band that millions of people love, but please don't play them any more because I don't like them.
Posted 3 years ago by SchrodingersCat    [ Reply ]
Yes, thanks Bill for finding the quality songs by bands who also have a lot of…um….lesser quality stuff. This is easily one of my favorite REM songs and one of the ones you play the most.
Posted 3 years ago by Huck    [ Reply ]
I like this
Posted 3 years ago by GameShow    [ Reply ]
Just the right amount of R.E.M...Way to go Bill!
Posted 3 years ago by Rockit9    [ Reply ]
MORE R.E.M - - PLEASE!! Totally underrated. Fixed it.
Posted 3 years ago by meatmike    [ Reply ]
NO MORE R.E.M - - PLEASE!! Totally overrated.
Posted 4 years ago by Daveteauk    [ Reply ]
 Proclivities wrote:

Even Dwight Eisenhower read from a teleprompter when he gave a speech or address on TV, as has every President and politician since then.  Before then, they read from written speeches.  Does anyone really believe there was a time when politicians improvised a speech or address on the fly?
 

Maybe in the States.  North of the border there's a fine tradition of spontaneous oratory, especially in francophone Canada.

Posted 4 years ago by macadavy    [ Reply ]
I heard echoes of Jethro Tull..
Posted 4 years ago by jwallstrom846    [ Reply ]
Echoes of early REM. Thank you for opening our eyes to this.
Posted 6 years ago by meatmike    [ Reply ]
 oldsaxon wrote:

Because it's the way of politics since Kennedy, maybe? The world has no leaders, just politicians.

 
Even Dwight Eisenhower read from a teleprompter when he gave a speech or address on TV, as has every President and politician since then.  Before then, they read from written speeches.  Does anyone really believe there was a time when politicians improvised a speech or address on the fly?
Posted 7 years ago by Proclivities    [ Reply ]
Yeah, this is right up there with that classic sound like they had on Fables of..., Document, Green, and other pinnacle releases of theirs
Posted 8 years ago by coloradojohn    [ Reply ]
a very nice one. very nice indeed.
Posted 9 years ago by thewiseking    [ Reply ]
Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of homeless camps loves this song...
Posted 10 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]
 perikleshokie wrote:

"The teleprompter flutters, the power surge brings
An easy-speak message falls into routine"

Amazing!  How did they know beforehand?  Spooky....


 
Because it's the way of politics since Kennedy, maybe? The world has no leaders, just politicians.
Posted 10 years ago by oldsaxon    [ Reply ]
Something in this song reminds me of REM of old and of times beyond that...sweet, and prayerful, firey and magikal. 
 
Posted 11 years ago by Magikal1act    [ Reply ]
Heck, stopped listening to REM after a few bum albums, but this really is a return to form - and heck, it's already 5 years old!

Love this song, first time I've ever heard it. 
Posted 11 years ago by bb_matt    [ Reply ]
Wow...didn't realize how much I missed them until now.
Posted 11 years ago by rgio    [ Reply ]
 Segue wrote:
Great song!!
 

I agree..  this song is marvelous...  love it...
 
Posted 11 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]
Great song!!
Posted 11 years ago by Segue    [ Reply ]
 hayduke2 wrote:
I much admire the writings of Mr. Romeo,  his joy is contagious
 

Thank you!  Everybody in my church loves this song...
 
Posted 11 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]
I much admire the writings of Mr. Romeo,  his joy is contagious
Posted 12 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]
REMiniscent of a better time for REM.  Great tune!
Posted 12 years ago by terrapin52    [ Reply ]
 sirdroseph wrote:


Pretty much my thoughts on this as well.
 
That's right.   Stipe was a better poet when he was not trying to be such a poet.  This is a great song.


Posted 12 years ago by rdo    [ Reply ]
 tputkey wrote:
Wow - a recent REM song that doesn't suck. I'll rate it a 5 - it's a good song, probably a 7 or 8, but I need to take into account all of REM's other recent work.
 

Pretty much my thoughts on this as well.
Posted 12 years ago by sirdroseph    [ Reply ]
Wow - a recent REM song that doesn't suck. I'll rate it a 5 - it's a good song, probably a 7 or 8, but I need to take into account all of REM's other recent work.
Posted 13 years ago by tputkey    [ Reply ]
The best 4 minutes on Accelerate by far - really has an "Automatic" vibe.

Posted 13 years ago by jpdribbler    [ Reply ]
 ziakut wrote:
In a weird way this harkens to a sound that is slightly reminiscent of a moderate Jethro Tull. Not so much with the 6/8 Time signature in the chorus, but the verse does sound this way to me.
 
You're not weird! I was just going to make a similar comment!

Posted 13 years ago by Angloray    [ Reply ]
In a weird way this harkens to a sound that is slightly reminiscent of a moderate Jethro Tull. Not so much with the 6/8 Time signature in the chorus, but the verse does sound this way to me.
Posted 14 years ago by ziakut    [ Reply ]
 Welly wrote:
Very pre-Obama. Love these guys.
 
"The teleprompter flutters, the power surge brings
An easy-speak message falls into routine"

Amazing!  How did they know beforehand?  Spooky....

Posted 14 years ago by perikleshokie    [ Reply ]
Fantastic band. Excellent song!
Posted 14 years ago by gatorade    [ Reply ]
 romeotuma wrote:
This is such a great song...  it is always a pleasure to hear it...
 
From the top of Mount Everest,
To the bottom of the Dead Sea,
I read your green words,
And I just have to agree.


Posted 14 years ago by peter_james_bond    [ Reply ]
RT! Where are you, perhaps I should not ask :), but this is a good one.
Posted 14 years ago by nalle    [ Reply ]
 AdyMiles wrote:
cover art terrible. song good as usual from REM
 
You'd think they could hire a designer, yeah?
Posted 14 years ago by Papernapkin    [ Reply ]
this is nice to hear from them - they kinda lost me for the last 20 years 
Posted 14 years ago by lophrequa    [ Reply ]
They new the 80's...I can hear it... I also cut myself on a bottle cap and have a cell phone...
Posted 14 years ago by ddbz    [ Reply ]
You Rock On
Posted 14 years ago by cohifi    [ Reply ]
Simply. Awesome.
Posted 14 years ago by Bosami    [ Reply ]
A truly great record.
Posted 14 years ago by Bosami    [ Reply ]

Yea, surprisingly this isn't half bad, harkens back to when they were actually relevant!{#Yes}



Posted 14 years ago by sirdroseph    [ Reply ]
 suddenchad wrote:
One of their best songs in decades.
 

My thoughts exactly. Haven't heard something this good from them since Automatic For The People.
Posted 14 years ago by Rick_V    [ Reply ]
cover art terrible. song good as usual from REM
Posted 15 years ago by AdyMiles    [ Reply ]
 romeotuma wrote:


cool...
 
And there was much rejoicing!! {#Clap} Nice comment. At least it's different.{#Ask}
Posted 15 years ago by crockydile    [ Reply ]
 burdell wrote:
REM goes back to their roots. This reminds me of the REM I saw play a small college party in Atlanta in 1982.
 
Yeah, I heard them play back in the days of which you speak, and yes they really were something to experience back then.

Posted 15 years ago by conglif    [ Reply ]
One of their best songs in decades.
Posted 15 years ago by suddenchad    [ Reply ]
Very pre-Obama. Love these guys.
Posted 15 years ago by Welly    [ Reply ]
Always  {#Clap}
Posted 15 years ago by gew55    [ Reply ]
 fidget wrote:
Rubbish {#Grumpy}
 

Bull$#it.
Posted 15 years ago by nigelr    [ Reply ]
I really like REM and don't own enough of their stuff.  However, when this first started, I thought it was Jethro Tull.  I got surprised when my ears began to hear Stipe coming through.
Posted 15 years ago by Wilmshurst    [ Reply ]
Love REM, Tired of this album. How about some of the early stuff ? Please.
Posted 16 years ago by HarrO    [ Reply ]
Thought I was listening to something they had done 20 years ago!  Can't knock them for getting back to what they're good at, simple melodic, etc.  Gets a solid 7 from over here.
Posted 16 years ago by oilydwarf    [ Reply ]
REM goes back to their roots. This reminds me of the REM I saw play a small college party in Atlanta in 1982.
Posted 16 years ago by burdell    [ Reply ]
Rubbish {#Grumpy}
Posted 16 years ago by fidget    [ Reply ]
excited song{#Roflol}
Posted 16 years ago by spiritual76    [ Reply ]
 krich58 wrote:
The vocals on this song are sooo good. Ho man, this song is amazing.
 

True. Definative.
Posted 16 years ago by nigelr    [ Reply ]
The vocals on this song are sooo good. Ho man, this song is amazing.
Posted 16 years ago by krich58    [ Reply ]
EVERY

SINGLE

DAY.

{#Snooty}
Posted 16 years ago by Excelsior    [ Reply ]
Yeah!  It's got a lot of that melodic lyricism of the old Reckoning and Fables era (and thank God I saw them then, 4th row at the CU Events Center — now with the name Coors on it, go figure, HA!), plus it's got some of that righteous simmering anger from Ignoreland, too...
Diggin' it! THANKS for resurrecting my estimation of them; they deserve it with this new effort!
Posted 16 years ago by coloradojohn    [ Reply ]
Really sick of this song.  Muted.

Posted 16 years ago by Excelsior    [ Reply ]
This is a very good effort from REM. If you've been longing for the REM of old, the new CD is about as close as you're going to get. I was ok with their recent introspective work, but I like this flashback cd a lot.
Posted 16 years ago by volnomad    [ Reply ]
Getting really %$#@ing sick of hearing this one every day.  7 —> 2 for overplay.
Posted 16 years ago by Excelsior    [ Reply ]
ALL RIGHT!  Pretty good, at first listen!  Some new REM to get excited about!
Posted 16 years ago by coloradojohn    [ Reply ]
...nice...gotta' love real protest songs...
Posted 16 years ago by Sean-E-Sean    [ Reply ]
This is my first listen and I think it's already grown on me.
Posted 16 years ago by anotherlistener    [ Reply ]
R.E.M. kind of lost me after "Fables" but they've got me back with "Accelerate."
Posted 16 years ago by tclodes    [ Reply ]
Maybe this one will grow on me. I'm a huge REM fan, but I usually need a few listens before I warm up to new material by them. Stipe sounds good, not crazy about this song right now.
Posted 16 years ago by gutboy    [ Reply ]
Heard this album live first and really enjoy the CD.
Posted 16 years ago by Welly    [ Reply ]
After a number of listens to this song, I've moved the rating up a notch to an eight.  I'm really liking this song, reminds me of the early REM, very good.

Posted 16 years ago by Ericac    [ Reply ]
I might have to pick this CD up after hearing this song.
Posted 16 years ago by IndyDoug    [ Reply ]
This CD has really grown on me the past couple days.  This is my favorite track off of it.  I love the drum and acoustic guitar sounds.
Posted 16 years ago by snowcat    [ Reply ]
so we've written our stories to entertain these notions of glory ... the teleprompt flutters the power surge brings an easy speak message falls into routine
Posted 16 years ago by jbtidwell    [ Reply ]
sfearll wrote:
very nice, a return to their best form. sounds like it could belong on the "Into the Wild" soundtrack.
As a true REM fan, I bought this album with a bit of skepticm, as Around the Sun and Reveal were pretty dark and introspective, spinning yarns of Micheal and his midlife trials and tribulations. I was very pleasantly surprised as REM have returned to their rockin roots. This album has a few weaker numbers but the middle 5 or 6 songs flat out rip. Back to the days of IRS dare I say!
Posted 16 years ago by horstman    [ Reply ]
very nice, a return to their best form. sounds like it could belong on the "Into the Wild" soundtrack.
Posted 16 years ago by sfearll    [ Reply ]
thewiseking wrote:
you should see them live! Sat through an unbelievably rockin show at Jones Beach last week in a deluge. Memorable.
At the Berkeley Greek a couple of weeks ago I found that live they're understated - but deliver! My respect for REM has increased commensurately. I like the new album.
Posted 16 years ago by lmic    [ Reply ]
jbtidwell wrote:
His voice sounds younger with more energy.
you should see them live! Sat through an unbelievably rockin show at Jones Beach last week in a deluge. Memorable.
Posted 16 years ago by thewiseking    [ Reply ]
snowcat wrote:
Welcome back R.E.M.!!!
NO kidding! That was the first REM song I've liked since Automatic for the People.
Posted 16 years ago by schmoooz    [ Reply ]
Welcome back R.E.M.!!!
Posted 16 years ago by snowcat    [ Reply ]
His voice sounds younger with more energy.
Posted 16 years ago by jbtidwell    [ Reply ]
8/10 to start
Posted 16 years ago by davin    [ Reply ]
Me likes. Evocative, moody, real.
Posted 16 years ago by squidish    [ Reply ]
Oh just STFU
Posted 16 years ago by bokey    [ Reply ]
I just finished listening to Automatic for the People for the first time in years and then turned on Radio Paradise, this song was playing. That was like, totally weird man. This isn't bad, but I don't think anything they have released since has held a torch to that classic from 1992.
Posted 16 years ago by Zeito    [ Reply ]
jlind wrote:
This is probably the best song REM has done in years. You could say they're being trendy with their political statements, but then have you listened to World Leader Pretend? I could swear they wrote that about George W... but then again it was released in the early 90s.
Actually, I think they wrote that about George H. W. Bush--you're right tho'--still applies.
Posted 16 years ago by copymonkey    [ Reply ]
'kay, I like this ... quite a bit. Many layered, will bear listening again.
Posted 16 years ago by Antigone    [ Reply ]
This is probably the best song REM has done in years. You could say they're being trendy with their political statements, but then have you listened to World Leader Pretend? I could swear they wrote that about George W... but then again it was released in the late 80s.
Posted 16 years ago by jlind    [ Reply ]
Surprisingly good, nicely spare. I loved early REM, was pretty neutral on everything after. Catchy yeah, but nothing great. This really impressed me. Quite Likeable
Posted 16 years ago by cvandoren    [ Reply ]
I like this, this is more like early REM -- Green Grow the Rushes type stuff. Pretty, hypnotic and transcendent.
Posted 16 years ago by andrewimft    [ Reply ]
And I will be enjoying them immensely this coming Saturday, 24.May at the Sasquatch Festival. . . (click here)
Posted 16 years ago by vandal    [ Reply ]
Skid_Mark wrote:
Swan, swan, hummingbird, hurrah...
Yes?
Posted 16 years ago by hurrah    [ Reply ]
Sheesh! Another well executed song off of the new album. Good golly, REM lives again!
Posted 16 years ago by MonkeyPod    [ Reply ]
Another good cut from this disc. I'm back on their bandwagon!
Posted 16 years ago by Ericac    [ Reply ]
I love it! This is the REM is remember from the early 80's. Terrific!
Posted 16 years ago by burdell    [ Reply ]
ok song - but not one of their best...
Posted 16 years ago by throwback    [ Reply ]
Skid_Mark wrote:
Swan, swan, hummingbird, hurrah...
does sound like that. I love that song. and I thought of the into the wild soundtrack.
Posted 16 years ago by rachlan    [ Reply ]
REM = Repetitive Egotistical Melodrama
Posted 16 years ago by Krispian    [ Reply ]
bizon wrote:
REM: Redundant, Extremely overplayed, Monontonous
REM-REALLY EXCELLENT MUSIC!
Posted 16 years ago by horstman    [ Reply ]
REM: Redundant, Extremely overplayed, Monontonous
Posted 16 years ago by bizon    [ Reply ]
Swan, swan, hummingbird, hurrah...
Posted 16 years ago by Skid_Mark    [ Reply ]