Get Up – R.E.M.

Welcome to Tune Talk!

This song is near and dear to my heart for a very specific reason. Max plays travel baseball, and more often than not, we somehow end up drawing the 8 am game at a competition that is an hour or more from home. This of course means dragging our butts out of bed on the weekend at 6 am or earlier, getting ready quickly, and rushing to the door!

One of those early mornings while trying to get myself moving, “Get Up” popped into my head, and I started blasting it in the house for motivation. It has since become a sort of “wake-up call” family anthem on those early game days, and it really does work for us.

The funny thing I learned while reading about this song is that Michael Stipe actually wrote the song for that very purpose. Apparently, his bandmate Mike Mills was a bit of a night owl, and would often sleep late during their studio recording sessions. Making the story even more amusing, Mills himself didn’t know the song was about him for several years until one night during a concert in the 90s, Stipe introduced it as such. I had the fun of seeing R.E.M. live back in the 90s, and now knowing that bit of trivia, it makes me wonder… could I have been at the concert when the truth came out? The odds of course are like a million to one, but it’s fun to think about!

On a side note, R.E.M. makes me think of an old friend I had through my high school and college years. I credit her with introducing me to R.E.M. on a greater level, and giving me an appreciation of their music. I went with her to the concert I mentioned above! We drifted apart a long time ago—not for any negative reasons, it was just one of those things that happens to so many people when life takes them to new places.

To this day, when I hear an R.E.M. tune, it takes me back to the fun we had at the concert, and the many nights we spent driving around to nowhere for fun while spinning their tunes. Wherever she is now, I hope her life has turned out to be happy, and everything she hoped it would be.

As for the very early mornings spent traveling to get to early games, I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world! It’s time well spent together as a family listening to music, and having great conversations while on the open road.

Now it’s your turn: How would you rate this song? Do you have a favorite line in the lyrics? Drop a comment and let us know!