1-23: Wolves, Lower vs. Bad Day

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Vote

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This is hard, since I really like Bad Day even though it's just End of the World as We Know It with different lyrics. But since EOTWAWKI is one of my favorite songs of all time that's not surprising.

But there's something about wolves, lower--an infectious simplicity--that is impossible to ignore. Despite Bad Days having the kinds of lyrics and themes I usually go in for, and being built on the bones of an all time favorite, Wolves, Lower is just distilled early REM, an effortless command of the fundamentals of good songwriting that enables a song to be so good while basically saying nothing.


Wolves, Lower

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I'll start posting youtube videos for Chronic Town/DLO stuff as well. I am assuming anyone voting is familiar with the studio records.

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I do love that video, though...

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Did Peter Buck EVER smile in an REM video? I think he even frowns his way through shinny happy people

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shit, now I'm rethinking my vote. bad day is really good.

[AndySlash]

i do like the bad day video quite a bit. but the song isn't as good as wolves, lower.

[Kaius]

Bad Day

[Kevin Davis]

This is hard, since I really like Bad Day even though it's just End of the World as We Know It with different lyrics.

I don't hear the song this way at all -- is this actually the case, or are you just being sarcastic?

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No, it's actually the case. Bad Day was an old song they never released and re-purposed to be End of the World as We Know It that they then went back and refinished

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I wish I remember where I read that. I have a few REM books at home.

[Chris_H_2]

i do like the bad day video quite a bit. but the song isn't as good as wolves, lower.

this

[UglyRedHonda]

No, it's actually the case. Bad Day was an old song they never released and re-purposed to be End of the World as We Know It that they then went back and refinished

Yup - it was originally a song called "P.S.A.". I first heard the old demo on a bootleg when I was just getting into R.E.M.

As far as I'm concerned, that's the best version of the song. It crushes, Stipe's crappy harmonica is awesome, etc. I liked the slightly-nonsensical lyrics before they went "political" for the 2003 version. The lyrics feel a little more personal, too.



(There's another vintage version on the expanded Best of the IRS Years, but I'm not sure where that one came from and the differences annoy me.)

That demo is also one of my favorite R.E.M. tunes, but I might still have to vote for "Wolves, Lower".

[Jorge]

I wish I remember where I read that. I have a few REM books at home.

I think they write about it in the liner notes of one of the Greatest Hits albums.

I might actually like "Bad Day" better than "It's the End of the World As We Know It". But yeah, they are basically the same song.

[epilogue]

Bad Day.

[chewm]

Wolves Lower is good, not one of my favesfrom Cronic Town.
Bad Day is probably my favorite non album track they have done, easy vote.

[Mike]

Listening to "Wolves, Lower" for the first time. It's pretty good but not good enough on first listen to beat Bad Day.