REM - South Central Rain - I’m Sorry

REM is a band that never tried to be a band, they were friends and artists who liked to party and tell stories, and that’s what they did.

Micheal Stipe emerged as the leader, a soft spoken southerner in the college town of Athens Georgia in the 1980s; someone who seemed unlikely to become a rock star, more of a poet than a performer.

My first exposure to REM was in college at the campus radio station. A girl told me about REM and lent me the album Murmur. I was immediately struck by the sound of the album, it had a rich sonic texture and each song told a story; immediately it became my favorite album.

The following year REM performed in my home town at a small venue. The highlight of the set was an acoustic version of South Central Rain. Here Stipe sang and Peter Buck played acoustic guitar.

South Central Rain is about love and loss. Michael sings about waiting for a call from his partner, but the call never happens. “Did you never call? I waited for your call.” it begins. And sadly he never gets the call.

South Central Rain is my favorite.