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R.E.M. — Green Grow the Rushes
Album: Fables of the Reconstruction
Avg rating:
7.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 698








Released: 1985
Length: 3:42
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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The wheelbarrow's fallen
Look at my hands
They've found some surplus cheaper hands
Rubbing palms and pick and choose
Who will they choose?
Here is the news

Look at that building
Look at this man
Haloed and whitewashed
Gone to find a cheaper hand
He'll offer a pound
Offer a pound

Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
The compass points the workers home

Pay for your freedom
Or find another gate
Guilt by associate
The rushes wilted a long time ago
Guilty as you go

Stay off that highway
Word is, it's not so safe
The grasses that hide the greenback
The amber waves of gain again
The amber waves of grain

Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
The compass points the workers home

La-la-la la la lye (Green grow the rushes go)
La-la-la la la lye (Green grow the rushes go)
La-la-la la la lye (Green grow the rushes go)

La-la-la la la lye (Green grow the rushes go)
La-la-la la la lye (Green grow the rushes go)
La-la-la la la lye (Green grow the rushes go)
Comments (47)add comment
This is the first time I heard played on RP. Thank you William!
Posted 7 months ago by kicking    [ Reply ]
This is bad. From start to end.
Posted 11 months ago by joko63808    [ Reply ]
 vandal wrote:


That's way too much effort. Just click PSD and move on... 


To be fair, this was from a time when Michael Stipe barely opened his mouth and that's why it's so hard to understand the lyrics...  This was my first REM album from way back and it's only by reading the lyrics on the RP website I finally know what he's singing,  Great album, though!
Posted 11 months ago by stuartgurden    [ Reply ]
Very underrated album.

Saw this concert when I was 17 in New Orleans at the Saenger Theatre 
Guess who opened? Natalie Merchant and 10,000 Maniacs ! 

That was the show that made me realize the time I was living in.  
Posted 1 year ago by tgrier    [ Reply ]
Perfect, hearing this playing from dorm windows of the university across the street when I was a sophomore in HS.  Those students in those dorms opened my ears to tons of music that the radio and MTV would never touch.  
Posted 1 year ago by melzabutch    [ Reply ]
 itsme_bygolly wrote:

This sounds like a negotiation.

read The Grapes of Wrath and I think you'll find how 'negotiations' went...

one of my favorite REM albums
Posted 2 years ago by xcranky_yankee    [ Reply ]
This sounds like a negotiation.
Posted 2 years ago by itsme_bygolly    [ Reply ]
They were the best when you couldn't understand Stipe.
Posted 2 years ago by jjbchansen159    [ Reply ]
 wbeaver wrote:

A fine song from, IMHO, a underrated R.E.M album.  Never, ever heard on any "radio station" anywhere...
 



This may be the first time I've ever heard this. "Driver 8" and "Can't Get There From Here" got a lotta airtime...
Posted 2 years ago by kcar    [ Reply ]
This illustrious gem shall forever remind me of when their unique layering of chiming guitars, intriguing and obscure lyrics, and earworm-worthy rhythms came over the airwaves regularly enough to carry our worries away... It was, after all, the murky times of Ronnie Raygun and the growing of The Great American Deficit; all that Trickle-down nonsense... Luckily, we had THIS to party and ski to!
Posted 2 years ago by coloradojohn    [ Reply ]
 dpath2o wrote:

Reduce (volume) Everytime (this f*$#ing guy opens his) Mouth



That's way too much effort. Just click PSD and move on... 
Posted 2 years ago by vandal    [ Reply ]
like the lyrics and the music; first REM album kazoo and i listened to when we met
Posted 2 years ago by xcranky_yankee    [ Reply ]
Reduce (volume) Everytime (this f*$#ing guy opens his) Mouth
Posted 13 years ago by dpath2o    [ Reply ]
Nostalgia-esque and sweet sweet sweet
Posted 13 years ago by drcrnp    [ Reply ]
Great song off of a great album!
Posted 13 years ago by sirdroseph    [ Reply ]
...very nice...
Posted 14 years ago by mandolin    [ Reply ]
 wbeaver wrote:
A fine song from, IMHO, a underrated R.E.M album.  Never, ever heard on any "radio station" anywhere...
 
 
That's for sure! {#High-five}
Posted 14 years ago by crockydile    [ Reply ]
 toterola wrote:
Bill, I love how you play these "deep tracks" from our classic artists. It makes me happy to listen and proud to be a member. {#Wave}
 
I agree with you.  I really like the first few R.E.M. albums.

Posted 14 years ago by RedGuitar    [ Reply ]
Nothing wrong with a good REM song.
Posted 14 years ago by nalle    [ Reply ]
Bill, I love how you play these "deep tracks" from our classic artists. It makes me happy to listen and proud to be a member. {#Wave}
Posted 14 years ago by toterola    [ Reply ]
I feel  gravity's pull....
Posted 14 years ago by LongGoneDaddy    [ Reply ]
 kaupmees wrote:
Fables of the Reconstruction / Reconstruction of the Fables Tour, Laramie, Wyoming, when they were all young whippersnappers full of energy, and "unknown", so-to-speak.  Singing along to every song.   Michael had hair then, lots of it.
 
Saw it at the Tower Theatre, Phila.  Great show.  I remember the hair!  We all had lots of it, and we were all young and idealistic.  {#Sunny}
Posted 14 years ago by WayUpNorth    [ Reply ]
A fine song from, IMHO, a underrated R.E.M album.  Never, ever heard on any "radio station" anywhere...
 
Posted 14 years ago by wbeaver    [ Reply ]
Fantastic song.  We need to hear more early, obscure REM on RP!!!
Posted 14 years ago by window    [ Reply ]
Jelani wrote:
Why are we suddenly hearing a nauseating amount of REM here?
Because they are a great band ?!
Posted 16 years ago by MiMa    [ Reply ]
Why are we suddenly hearing a nauseating amount of REM here?
Posted 16 years ago by Jelani    [ Reply ]
Brings back good memories...we're they just fables??
Posted 16 years ago by koltrain    [ Reply ]
Woohoo! 18-year-old birthday, Fables of the Reconstruction / Reconstruction of the Fables Tour, Laramie, Wyoming, when they were all young whippersnappers full of energy, and "unknown", so-to-speak. Singing along to every song. Still have the shirt. And it still fits. Michael had hair then, and lots of it.
Posted 17 years ago by kaupmees    [ Reply ]
LongGoneDaddy wrote:
my favorite line from Fables: "when you meet a stranger, look at his shoes"
Forget where that quote comes from, but I know it isnt a Michael Stipe original...
Posted 17 years ago by BikeCoachDave    [ Reply ]
Still don't understand what all the "fuss" is about. These guys have never done it for me!!
Posted 17 years ago by highwindows    [ Reply ]
Mute - This is crap! Just like everything this band has ever done.
Posted 17 years ago by pushkinjim    [ Reply ]
papaman wrote:
Sounds like 7 chinese brothers song.
I thought so, too.
Posted 17 years ago by Hannio    [ Reply ]
my favorite line from Fables: "when you meet a stranger, look at his shoes"
Posted 17 years ago by LongGoneDaddy    [ Reply ]
papaman wrote:
Sounds like 7 chinese brothers song, also from REM.
Also from R.E.M. Sounds nothing like 7 Chinese Bros.
Posted 17 years ago by RobK    [ Reply ]
Sounds like 7 chinese brothers song.
Posted 17 years ago by papaman    [ Reply ]
Love this song. Love this album.
Posted 19 years ago by radiozep    [ Reply ]
They were on to the perils of globalization and outsourcing long ago: The wheelbarrow's fallen Look at my hands They've found some surplus cheaper hands Rubbing palms and pick and choose, who will they choose? Here is the news. Look at that building, look at this man Haloed and whitewashed Gone to find a cheaper hand he'll offer a pound, offer a pound. Green grow the rushes go Green grow the rushes go Green grow the rushes go The compass points the workers home Pay for your freedom, find another gate Guilt by associate, the rushes wilted a long time ago Guilty as you go Stay off that highway, word is it's not so safe The grasses that hide the greenback The amber waves of gain again The amber waves of gain Green grow the rushes go Green grow the rushes go Green grow the rushes go The compass points the workers home
Posted 20 years ago by resonator    [ Reply ]
You ... you actually brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for slotting this one, Bill.
Posted 20 years ago by edisoncarter    [ Reply ]
The golden age of REM, in my view - - though their less than "golden ages" are pretty great as well.
Posted 20 years ago by KevDogRedux    [ Reply ]
Posted 20 years ago by R_P    [ Reply ]
Quintessential REM.
Posted 20 years ago by Hannio    [ Reply ]
good song, but the mp3 has some nice artifacts and blips in it...sadly
Posted 20 years ago by BoFiS    [ Reply ]
One of the most underrated albums of all time. La la la la la lie....
Posted 20 years ago by zaknafein    [ Reply ]
A great song from an REM album, that for some reason, I don't really listen to all that much. I may have to put this one in the car tomorrow.
Posted 20 years ago by Darlington    [ Reply ]