Stand (R.E.M. song)

{{Short description|1989 single by R.E.M.}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Stand

| cover = R.E.M. - Stand.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = R.E.M.

| album = Green

| B-side = Memphis Train Blues

| released = January 1989

| recorded = 1988

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = {{flatlist|

• Pop rock{{cite web|last=Pinnock|first=Tom|date=April 1, 2016|title=R.E.M.: 'If we couldn't be successful being who we were, then we didn't want to be successful'|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/rem-couldnt-successful-didnt-want-successful-73437|access-date=October 23, 2017|website=Uncut|publisher=Time Inc.}}
• sunshine pop{{cite magazine|last=Greene|first=Andy|date=May 10, 2013|title=R.E.M. Reflect on 'Green' on the Album's 25th Anniversary|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/r-e-m-reflect-on-green-on-the-albums-25th-anniversary-20130510|access-date=October 23, 2017|magazine=Rolling Stone}}
• bubblegum pop{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|title=Green - R.E.M. {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/green-mw0000202089|access-date=December 7, 2020|website=AllMusic}}{{cite web|last=Lukowski|first=Andrzej|date=November 23, 2011|title=Album Review: R.E.M. - Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16670/reviews/4144091|access-date=December 7, 2020|website=Drowned in Sound|archive-date=October 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020055914/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16670/reviews/4144091|url-status=dead}}

}}

| length = 3:10

| label = Warner Bros.

| writer = {{flatlist|

• Bill Berry
• Peter Buck
• Mike Mills
• Michael Stipe

}}

| producer = {{flatlist|

• Scott Litt
• R.E.M.

}}

| prev_title = Orange Crush

| prev_year = 1988

| next_title = Pop Song 89

| next_year = 1989

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|AKKqLl_ZEEY|"Stand"}}

| type = single

}}

}}

"Stand" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the second single from the album Green in 1989. The song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming R.E.M.'s second top 10 hit in the United States, and topped both the Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts. The song reached number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and number 16 in Canada. It was placed on R.E.M.'s Warner Bros. Records "best of" album In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 in 2003, as well as the 2011 compilation album Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage.

The song is an example of phrase modulation, as the last two rounds of the chorus are each one whole step higher than the one previous.{{cite episode |title=How To Talk Like A Rock Snob 6 |series=The Ongoing History of New Music |network=CFNY-FM |airdate=2006-09-10 |credits=Cross, Alan}} The song is meant to be a self-aware "tongue-in-cheek" 1960s-esque bubblegum pop song, meant to resemble the music of The Banana Splits, The Archies and The Monkees.

"Stand" was used as the theme song for the 1990–1992 Fox sitcom Get a Life, starring Chris Elliott. It was parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic as the song "Spam" on the album UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff.

While the song was originally published by Night Garden Music, with administration by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), it is now administered by Universal Tunes (SESAC).

Friend of the band, Georgina Falzarano, inspired some of the lyrical content of the song. "It was based on a conversation with Georgina about directions, which way is north, which way is south, and so on, and Georgina's response was, 'I have a really bad time with directions but I know my house faces south,'" said Norm Spencley, Falzarano's partner of 24 years.{{Cite web |last=Lebar |first=Erin |date=2017-07-04 |title=Jul 2017: California band's folk festival performance dedicated to Winnipegger they call 'a mentor figure' |url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2017/07/04/bittersweet-melody |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=Winnipeg Free Press |language=en-US}}