. Welcome to a new series here at antiMusic: Back Track. This is where our writers will have the chance to write about the songs that have very much become the soundtrack to their lives. The inspiration comes from Zane's blog feature called "Now Playing". It worked so well for Zane we decided to give it a try here! We kick it off with Tony K's look at an R.E.M. classic. Now heeeeerrrrreeeee'sss Tony!
The greatest pop songs make you reflect upon your life at that very moment. Despite the lyrics or aural tone, somehow these gems find a way to surge you with a sense of wonderment and optimism. Great pop art finds a way into the mainstream and evokes a mainstream reaction. As R.E.M. ascended to new heights in the late 80's and early 90's they aggressively had their hands on the musical jugular of the world like no other act. My generation loved this band and found great comfort in the mesmerizing (even if undecipherable) lyrics of Stipe and the colors of musical textures brought to life by Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry. Whenever I hear a R.E.M. song on the radio, it never ceases to make me smile as it reminds me of a time in my life where my friends viewed the world with eternal optimism and where our dreams were wide and vast. When I see my friends now, most of us have settled into domestic complacency, but every once in a while we find that silver lining that exudes optimism in our eyes in a book, film or often (in my case) a song where it reminds us that our dreams are still alive and well. "It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" is as inspiring and freeing as they come.
Sometimes we turn a blind eye to a songs true meaning in order to fulfill a selfish need to feel good. Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The U.S.A." and John Mellencamp's "Pink Houses" are often two widely misinterpreted songs that people feel are patriotic where in truth they are both about the dissolution of the American dream. Regardless of this, through the years people still feel the need to make the songs their own and often attach erroneous meanings to the songs. While I'm sure it makes the hairs on the necks of Springsteen and Mellencamp rise, if their art is offering a feeling of hope and release, is it necessarily bad? I don't have an answer to that, but the same could be said for me with R.E.M.'s "It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" as it's about finding and coming to terms with your inner self.
For a band who wrote weighty songs in a time of excess (i.e.: the 1980s) their music has always had a calming effect on me for reasons that I can not even articulate which many would say is the key to luminous music. 1987 was my watershed year for music; from hair bands, to pop-rock to teen sensations and even an alternative band or two. In March of 1987, I went overboard and delved headfirst into anything I could get my hands on. If memory serves me correct, I had a used cassette copy of Document sometime early in 1988. For one of the few bands that mattered in a time of excess (according to high brow rock critics) the album was surprisingly addictive. "The One I Love" and "Finest Worksong" were my favorites, but the song I heard the most over the next decade was "It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"; a perfectly ebullient four-minute rocker that allows one to not just free their mind but body as well. There is a slight twist of irony to find solace in a song essentially about failed political policies and is essentially about our inevitable death and destruction, but the truth is that any song that provides you with consolation is a triumph. I can't tell you how many school dances I went to where it was the last song of the night just to leave everyone grasping for air and the widest smiles possible. It was about the way it made me feel; hopeful, determined and like I could change the world. As ass-backwards as that sounds, R.E.M. took me to another world where I could dance my problems away well, I'm not much of a dancer, but at least I was able to rock out and find solace. It's even more ironic as guitarist Peter Buck did everything in his power to keep this song off Document. I'm glad the other three talked him into including it.
We're living in times where it often feels like the end of the world. I see the terror everyday in people's faces as they see gas prices rise higher than clouds of smoke once did at Grateful Dead concerts. There is a sense of hopelessness everywhere, especially in the modern media. As my good friend Paul said, "I think we're witnessing the fall of the Roman Empire firsthand". And while I may agree with him on the surface, I realize it's far more important than ever to give off positive energy and to believe in yourself and not what people tell you. Despite knowing this, at times it proves to be an enormous obstacle if for no other reason than it's difficult to find inspiration these days. However, as "It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" came on the iPod a few weeks back, I can't even begin to express the feeling of confidence that overcame me. Something no drug, liquid or food has ever done for me is to comfort me and make me optimistic simultaneously; music does. Music is all about feeling and if it's really good, you can't even decipher why. It could be the melody, the ripping sound of the guitars or a hailing chorus that gives you a mile wide smile. As the country dips into a recession, gas prices go up daily and we all feel an uncertain future, I'd be lying if I told you I know it's all going to be OK, but that won't stop me from aspiring to overcome the darkness. I just need a reminder every once in a while and the soundtrack of my life provides that feeling of liberation better than anything. In the end, it may or may not be the end of the world, but amazingly I feel fine,
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
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