Song of the Day 4/3: R.E.M., “Man on the Moon”

Guest post by Nathan Arizona

In a post-Andy Kaufman world, it was perfectly natural for R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe to question the moon landing in “Man on the Moon.” The song is (sort of) about Kaufman, whose comedy was all about confusion between reality and fiction.

You could see how that worked in the 1999 movie about him that borrowed the song’s title. Now there’s a new documentary called “Thank You Very Much” streaming on premium sites and playing in a few theaters.

Some people think we never put a man on the moon, that it was all just a big TV show. That was right in Kaufman’s wheelhouse. “Andy did you hear about this one?”

But despite brief references to Kaufman staples Elvis (did he die?) and wrestling (is it real?), most of the song doesn’t say much about him. It’s a litany of cryptic, colorful and often amusing references to history and pop culture that can be hard to connect to Kaufman unless you really, really want to. The movie, even its title, was no help to early listeners since it didn’t come out until seven years later. Some people find more Kaufman in the lyrics than I do. More power to them. The loping country-rocker is still one of the greatest songs by one of the greatest bands.

The lyrics came only after Bill Berry sketched the basic outline of the music and Peter Buck fleshed it out. Stipe thought it should remain an instrumental but was encouraged to write words for it. He found them in one day as he walked around listening to the music on headphones.

Kaufman could make us wonder in a single act if he was a meek man with scared eyes and a funny accent or a powerful Elvis impersonator. Was he a sleazy, obnoxious lounge singer or a persistent imitator of one? Was he serious when he entered the ring with pro wrestlers? Did one of them really break his neck? Did he need that neck brace he wore for months? Did he really die (of cancer) in 1984?

Andy never broke character and apparently never worried about embarrassing himself. The confusion he caused was funny and maybe a little scary. Blurring the line between reality and fiction has become a staple of comedy after Kaufman. Sacha Baron Cohen is one direct descendant.

Here’s the R.E.M. song.

Kaufman had a few songs too, which he performed as a frequent guest on early “Saturday Night Live” shows. They puzzled a nationwide audience and set him on the road to comedy stardom. He has only one line here and he lip synchs it. That’s why it’s funny.