TS: "Shiny Happy People" vs "Stand"

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Like both but much prefer "Stand", even though it was released too early to be a big summer single

― dave q, Saturday, 23 October 2004 23:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

Ouch...very disposable similar sounding singles by the same band...very tough...

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Sunday, 24 October 2004 00:11 (8 years ago) Permalink

Both utter, utter, utter SHIT. "Stand" sounds like something Big Bird sould've sung, and "Shiny Happy People" is the most convincing argument for random homicide I've ever heard.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 24 October 2004 00:14 (8 years ago) Permalink

Wow, a lot of R.E.M. action on this board lately. I'd say "Shiny Happy People" wins on the strength of the instrumental 3/4 part. "Stand" does absolutely sound like a nursery rhyme, but I thought that was pretty much the idea.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Sunday, 24 October 2004 00:44 (8 years ago) Permalink

When I hear "Shiny Happy People," I want to hit Mike Mills in the kidneys with a ball peen hammer.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 24 October 2004 00:51 (8 years ago) Permalink

I like Shiny Happy People. A little bit. I, uhh, don't like Stand. At all.

― Atnevon (Atnevon), Sunday, 24 October 2004 02:43 (8 years ago) Permalink

what if this was sly's "stand!" as opposed to rem's "stand"?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 24 October 2004 02:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

it is, at least in your mind, if you want it to be

― dave q, Sunday, 24 October 2004 03:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

Stand, just because it was used as the theme song to Get a Life.
Chris Elliott R.I.P.

― ainsley harriott, Sunday, 24 October 2004 03:35 (8 years ago) Permalink

chris elliott died?

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Sunday, 24 October 2004 03:36 (8 years ago) Permalink

― ainsley harriott, Sunday, 24 October 2004 03:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

i actually have sort of warm feelings for "stand," which i think would dissipate if i actually had to listen to the song again.

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Sunday, 24 October 2004 03:40 (8 years ago) Permalink

That's like me and Nirvana's entire oeuvre.

― A Million Talking Hot Dogs (AaronHz), Sunday, 24 October 2004 03:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

i mean whatever "stand" is, and it's probably not much, it was enough to get 11-year-old me thinking "what IS this?" and then buying green and the rest is some kind of history

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Sunday, 24 October 2004 03:52 (8 years ago) Permalink

What Attnevon said.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Sunday, 24 October 2004 03:58 (8 years ago) Permalink

i almost thought this was a draw, but "stand" it is.

― reo, Sunday, 24 October 2004 04:39 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Shiny Happy People" is ass.
"Stand" is also ass, but less so.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 24 October 2004 04:55 (8 years ago) Permalink

Oh and Stand is REM's best song. So all y'all can suck it new world order style.

― David Allen (David Allen), Sunday, 24 October 2004 11:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

The video for Stand has fun spaz dancing, Shiny Happy People has spaz dancing too but Stipes shit-eating grin ruins the fun.

― Hom Rap Bob, Sunday, 24 October 2004 11:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

"The night before we did Sesame Street I'd had these vivid cannibalistic dreams," Stipe recalls.

― Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Sunday, 24 October 2004 12:59 (8 years ago) Permalink

Stand was the first REM song I ever heard. I remember it coming on the radio while I was in the bath at my grandma's house, and thinking "urgh, who are these They Might Be Giants wannabes?" (I was a huge TMBG fan at the time).

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 24 October 2004 13:06 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Stand" sounds like something Big Bird sould've sung

it's very telling that alex thinks this is automatically a bad thing

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Sunday, 24 October 2004 13:11 (8 years ago) Permalink

*"urgh, who are these They Might Be Giants wannabes?"*
this is priceless. sorta like the 80s college-rock version of the classic 70s comment about the Beatles being the band Paul was in before Wings.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Sunday, 24 October 2004 13:18 (8 years ago) Permalink

Try that again...

― Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Sunday, 24 October 2004 13:28 (8 years ago) Permalink

ihttp://palfloat.com/chaired/images/chair_pic78.jpg

― Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Sunday, 24 October 2004 13:30 (8 years ago) Permalink

Why do they kill me?

― Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Sunday, 24 October 2004 13:31 (8 years ago) Permalink

actually, i thought 'shiny happy people' was TMBG when i first heard it, aged 15 i guess. i'd just gotten into TMBG through Birdhouse, which i initially thought was the work of talking heads (i was 13). i liked shiny happy people then, now less so. and Out Of Time, my first REM album, is now possibly my least favourite REM album (*so* pathy and uneven and overplayed)

― stevie (stevie), Sunday, 24 October 2004 14:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

co. feedback is lovely though isn't it?

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Sunday, 24 October 2004 16:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

hey, when I was 13 I thought America's "A Horse With No Name" was by Neil Young when I first heard it on the radio. Ah, youth.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Sunday, 24 October 2004 16:56 (8 years ago) Permalink

dude, it sounds *exactly* like neil young...by design. so that's not really too far-fetched

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Sunday, 24 October 2004 16:56 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Stand" is a great song you sickos

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 24 October 2004 17:24 (8 years ago) Permalink

It's so pop it has TWO key changes in the last round of choruses!

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 24 October 2004 17:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

C'mon folks, bury SHP if you must, but STAND is a cool song.

― everything, Sunday, 24 October 2004 18:32 (8 years ago) Permalink

Green is great - even with Stand. Document is my personal fave, but that's where I started.

― Piers (piers), Sunday, 24 October 2004 23:10 (8 years ago) Permalink

Q, you're a great Canadian.

We have to discuss the Boss again some time.

― the bellefox, Monday, 25 October 2004 19:29 (8 years ago) Permalink

I've always liked Stand a lot; never liked SHP that much.

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Monday, 25 October 2004 19:34 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Stand" is a much better song; "Shiny Happy People" shows (for people who forgot "Don't Go Back to Rockville" and needed reminding) how much better a singer Mike Mills is than Michael Stipe. So, close one.

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Monday, 25 October 2004 20:00 (8 years ago) Permalink

i'll take "drive" over either of them. and that andy kaufman one.

― dan (dan), Monday, 25 October 2004 20:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

I actually like both of these songs, but I think Stand is better.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 25 October 2004 20:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Stand"

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 25 October 2004 21:35 (8 years ago) Permalink

I remember reading an interview with Stipe while he was doing promo for the greatest hits CD... basically saying REM were still proud of Stand but somewhat ashamed of Shiny Happy People... understandably. Hency why SHP was left off the greatest hits.

― Pistola, Monday, 25 October 2004 23:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

My iPod just randomly played me Furry Happy Monsters, which I'd forgotten about. It's good enough to make the original forgivable. Especially the middle section where all the monsters suddenly become sad. Aw, poor monsters.

― JimD (JimD), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 13:29 (8 years ago) Permalink

I've never been much of a "Shiny Happy People" man myself (more of a 'cynical emotionally unstable people' kinda guy, whatev), but I must say that it's placement in Fahrenheit 911 was fucking HILARIOUS.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 13:42 (8 years ago) Permalink

Just cuz I've been thinking about it, these are my favorite REM songs: "Nightswimming", "Low", and the one off of Murmur that starts with the typewriter.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 13:43 (8 years ago) Permalink

Couldn't ever choose, hons.

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 13:43 (8 years ago) Permalink

The answer is CLEARLY "Shiny Happy People".

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 13:51 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

vs Clash "Train in Vain"

― dave q (listerine), Saturday, 18 March 2006 00:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Well that makes it much easier!

― Dan (No Brainer) Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 18 March 2006 00:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

― stroppee, Saturday, 18 March 2006 02:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

>Stand, just because it was used as the theme song to Get a Life.<

Yeah, that's what I was gonna say.

― xhuxk, Saturday, 18 March 2006 13:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

The essential difference is that Stand articulates the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, whereas Shiny Happy People essentially incorporates Foucault's critique of compliance.

― Jack Derrida III, Monday, 20 March 2006 14:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

The difference is that Stand articulates the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, whereas Shiny Happy People essentially incorporates Foucault's critique of compliance.

― Jack Derrida III, Monday, 20 March 2006 14:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Shiny Happy People", because of great guest vocals by Kate Pierson.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 20 March 2006 14:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Shiny Happy People" just cuz of the "ahhh, ahhh, ahhh" middle eight…

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Monday, 20 March 2006 15:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Stand" for being a nice sort of early 1910 Fruitgum Co. homage.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 20 March 2006 17:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

You know, they both have great (and somehow similar) verses. The "Stand" verse in particular is cool, almost aspiring to something half dirty/funky with the way the voice and guitar twine in together during the second half of each line (e.g. "be on the ground") -- weird that they could do this unselfconsciously at this point, but then when they tried to do it again on Monster it just sounded lame. And then the verse on "Shiny Happy People" is just like old-school jangly "Southern" R.E.M. But then both songs have choruses that make you imagine Stipe standing in front of children waving his arms and teaching them how to sing the melody, and they both come back to the choruses a lot, so they can be a bit draining. Difference = the "Stand" chorus is more fun and who-cares about it, and has elements of sloppiness (the indistict Mills backing vocals!) that make the whole thing seem loose and comfy.

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 20 March 2006 18:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

6 years pass...

Oof. I was just about to start this identical thread. Of course dave q beat me to it by eight years.

― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 13 September 2012 04:53 (8 months ago) Permalink

Stand takes it for me because the lyrics are hilarious

― blank, Thursday, 13 September 2012 05:04 (8 months ago) Permalink

As much a fan of Kate Pierson's voice as I am, Stand is just the better song.

― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 13 September 2012 05:10 (8 months ago) Permalink

Stand also has those cool clang-y cowbell-ish things in the verse

― blank, Thursday, 13 September 2012 05:35 (8 months ago) Permalink

"Stand" sounds like something Big Bird sould've sung

This is part of why it's so awesome

― blank, Thursday, 13 September 2012 05:36 (8 months ago) Permalink

I heard "shiny happy people" in a smoke shop a few weeks ago and kind of marveled at the walz part. REM could be so great at pretty, slightly stately strings.

― blank, Thursday, 13 September 2012 06:33 (8 months ago) Permalink

I wouldn't say either of these tracks were among the bands best moments, but even so I still really like both of these tracks and find it incredibly difficult to choose between the two.

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 13 September 2012 16:02 (8 months ago) Permalink

stand, not even close

― call all destroyer, Thursday, 13 September 2012 16:17 (8 months ago) Permalink

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