Ignoreland

"Ignoreland" is the eighth track from R.E.M.'s studio album Automatic for the People. The song was not released as a single, but had chart positions on the Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts. "Ignoreland" is the sixth song by R.E.M. not to be released as a single while having a chart position. The previous song unreleased with a chart position by the band was a cover of Leonard Cohen's "First We Take Manhattan", which was released as a B-side to "Drive".

"Ignoreland"
Promotional CD single
Promotional single by R.E.M.
from the album Automatic for the People
ReleasedOctober 5, 1992 (1992-10-05)
GenreAlternative rock
Length4:24
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

The song's lyrical content is explicitly political, referring to the conditions of the United States during the Presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.

Mike Mills said: "Michael's rolling against Republican politics. The opening line is, 'These bastards stole all the power from the victims of the us v. them years / Wrecking all things virtuous and true'. And the last verse is really great – 'I know that this is vitriol, no solution, spleen-venting / But I feel better having screamed. Don't you?' It's really great."[1]

"You need headphones to get all the words, but they're understandable," said Peter Buck. "Michael's singing through an amp on that. He wanted to get that cold anger in his voice that you get with natural distortion. And the song is written in Neil Young's tuning. Not that he owns it. But the Es are tuned down to D, like in 'Cinnamon Girl'. I admit it, he's the one I learned that tuning from."[1]

The band members have been quoted as saying that they were not entirely happy with the production of the song on the album, and the song was not played live during subsequent tours. The song made its live debut almost 16 years after its album release at the opening show for the band's final tour Accelerate in Vancouver, BC on May 23, 2008.[2] [3]

Charts
Chart (1993) Peak
position
Canadian Hot 100[4] 43
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[5] 5
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[6] 4
gollark: People's opinions have an annoying tendency to be set by irrational and often unchangable factors.
gollark: Oh, and saying that is fine, then?
gollark: That is how language works.
gollark: I mean, if you replace words with other words, sentences have different meanings.
gollark: Yes, because it is totally possible to convince people with rational evidence.

References
  1. Melody Maker, 1992
  2. Amrit Singh (May 27, 2008). "R.E.M. Kick Off Tour In Vancouver With Some Rarities". stereogum.
  3. "Vancouver Sun reviews opening night (setlist)". remhq.com.
  4. "R.E.M. - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
  5. "R.E.M. Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  6. "R.E.M. Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2020.


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