R.E.M. Was An American Rock Band From Athens Georgia Formed In 1980 By Drummer Bill Berry Guitarist Peter Buck Bassist/backing Vocalist Mike Mills And Lead Vocalist Michael Stipe. One Of The First Alternative Rock Bands R.E.M. Was Noted For Buck's Ringing Arpeggiated Guitar Style Stipe's Distinctive Vocal Quality And Obscure Lyrics Mills's Melodic Basslines And Backing Vocals And Berry's Tight Economical Style Of Drumming. R.E.M. Released Its First Single—"Radio Free Europe"—in 1981 On The Independent Record Label Hib-Tone. Read More On Last.Fm
"Lotus" Is A Song By R.E.M. Released As The Second Single From Their Eleventh Studio Album Up. The Song's Recurring Line "I Ate The Lotus" Appeared In An Alternate Form "I'll Eat The Lotus..." In A Previous R.E.M. Song "Be Mine". The Line "dot Dot Dot And I Feel Fine" Is A Reference To R.E.M.'s 1987 Hit "It's The End Of The World As We Know It And I Feel Fine ". The Song Is Somewhat Minimalist With Michael Stipe Singing Surreal Lyrics In A Robotic Manner. The Song Is Based Around A Four-Note Keyboard Part With A Distorted Guitar Riff At The Beginning And After The Second Chorus. The Single's Video Directed By Stéphane Sednaoui Was Included As A Bonus Video On The DVD Release Of In View - The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003. "I Wanted To Work With Stephane For A Long Time " Stipe Explained To MTV UK During An Hour With R.E.M. In 2001 After Selecting The Video For Airplay. "Since I Saw The Video That He Did With Björk For What Was That Called "Big Time Sexuality" Or Something? Where She Looks Exactly Like Shirley MacLaine 1959-1961. The Apartment I Think Was The Name Of The Film. Shirley McLaine And Björk As Shirley MacLaine On The Back Of A Pick-Up Truck Driving Down 5th Avenue In New York City Probably. But I Thought This Guy Exudes Sex He's Like Sex On A Stick And I Wanted To Work With Him For That Reason. He Somehow Transmogrified That Very Thing Through Me. I Look Very Very Foxy In This Video Which Is Why I Chose It It Shows Off My Incredible Stomach Muscles." For Live Performances Of The Song Peter Buck Alternates Between Electric Guitar Chorus And Keyboard Verse . " Playing Keyboard Always Excites Me " Buck Explained In A Soundbite During MTV Uplink A Recording Of The Band's Performance At New York's Bowery Ballroom In October 1998 "even Though It's Only With One Finger." "But It's A Big Finger " Joked Mills. "It's Great."