Sitting Still

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"Sitting Still"
Single by R.E.M.
A-side "Radio Free Europe"
ReleasedJuly 8, 1981 (1981-07-08)
RecordedApril–May 1981
Studio Drive-In Studios in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Genre
Length3:07
Label Hib-Tone
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Mitch Easter
"Sitting Still"
Song by R.E.M.
from the album Murmur
ReleasedApril 12, 1983 (1983-04-12)
Recorded1983
Genre Alternative rock, folk rock, punk rock
Length3:17
Label I.R.S.
Songwriter(s) Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe
Producer(s) Don Dixon and Mitch Easter

"Sitting Still" is a song by American rock band R.E.M. that was issued on their first single in 1981 and on their 1983 debut album Murmur .

Contents

Writing and recording

"Sitting Still" was one of the first songs written by R.E.M., in late 1980, along with "Radio Free Europe" and "Shaking Through." [1] [3] Hib-Tone founder Jonny Hibbert agreed to release "Radio Free Europe" and "Sitting Still" as a single on his label in exchange for the publishing rights. [4] [5] The song was initially recorded on April 15, 1981, and some of Michael Stipe's vocals were re-recorded in May. [4] The single was released on July 8, 1981. The band was able to reacquire the publishing rights in order to issue the two songs on Murmur in 1983. [4] [5] Unlike "Radio Free Europe," which was re-recorded, the version of "Sitting Still" on Murmur is from the same recording made at producer Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studio as the Hib-Tone single. [4] [6] However, some changes were made to the Murmur version, such as slowing down the tape. [4] [6] Also, some out of tune backing vocals were fixed and Mike Mills re-recorded his bass part. [4]

Music and lyrics

"Sitting Still" reflects R.E.M.'s folk rock influences. [1] [4] Peter Buck's guitar riffs have been compared to those of The Byrds. [4] The song's verses have a call and response structure, with Buck's guitar arpeggios responding to Stipe's vocal line. [1] [2] Allmusic critic Stewart Mason states that this is one of the few R.E.M. songs in which Mills and drummer Bill Berry act as a traditional rhythm section, propelling the song forward together. [1] Mills plays straightforward punk rock-influenced eighth notes, and does not incorporate his typical walking bass lines or "harmonic accents." [2] It is one of the band's most straightforward rock songs. [2] Mason calls it "part of the band's statement of purpose" as it gives the message "See, we can play regular pop songs, we just choose not to." [1]

As with "Radio Free Europe," the lyrics to "Sitting Still" are notoriously murky. [1] [3] Stipe has acknowledged that the first line of the refrain, "Up to par and Katie bar the kitchen door but not me in," does not mean anything. [1] [4] In a 1991 interview he did provide some insight into a potential meaning, stating that "Katie bar the door" is a Southern expression for barring the door to prevent a child from escaping punishment and is used as a warning that the child better watch out. [3] Another line, "We can gather, throw a fit" has often been misinterpreted as "We can gather, throw up beer." [3] He has also acknowledged that much of the song is made of nonsensical vowels strung together and that he merely approximates the words when he sings the song in concert. [4] [6] To the extent the song contains decipherable lyrics, they seem to be inspired at least in part by Stipe's sister, who is deaf and teaches deaf children. [2] [3] [4] Marcus Gray interprets the song as being directed at a child, possibly a deaf child, based on its title referencing a common exhortation restricting children and other hints in the lyrics. [3]

A line in the refrain announces that "I can hear you." [2] [4] Music writer J. Niimi states that this line "binds the obtuseness of the lyrics" and performs a similar "cathartic" function as the audible line "Call out in transit" performs for the murky lyrics of "Radio Free Europe." [2] However, the last line of the song "Can you hear me?" turns this phrase around. [2] [4] This brings the song back to the theme of deafness. [2] [4] Music writer Craig Rosen also interprets this line as a challenge from Stipe to listeners to try to understand his vocals. [4] Niimi interprets it as an expression of the band's fear that, despite their own confidence in their murky style, listeners won't be able to accept them. [2]

Other appearances

The re-recorded version of "Sitting Still" was included on the 2006 compilation album And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982–1987 , with the original being on the album's bonus disc. [1] A live version was included on the 2009 live album Live at the Olympia . [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mason, S. "Sitting Still". Allmusic . Retrieved 2015-06-21.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Niimi, J. (2005). Murmur. Continuum. pp. 42–44. ISBN   9780826416728.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gray, M. (1997). It Crawled in from the South. Da Capo Press. pp. 63, 109, 111, 116, 266. ISBN   9780306807510.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Rosen, C. (1997). R.E.M Inside Out: The Story Behind Every Song. Thunder's Mouth Press. pp. 10–11, 14, 29. ISBN   9781560251774.
  5. 1 2 Fletchger, T. (2013). Perfect Circle: The Story of REM. Omnibus Press. ISBN   9781780386980.
  6. 1 2 3 Black, J. (2004). Reveal: The Story of R.E.M. . Backbeat Books. pp.  75–76. ISBN   0879307765.
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