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
"The One I Love" Is A Song By American Rock Band R.E.M. It Was Released On The Band's Fifth Full-Length Studio Album Document And Also As A 7" Vinyl Single In 1987. The Song Was Their First Hit Single Reaching #9 In The US Billboard Hot 100 #14 In Canada And Later Reached #16 In The UK Singles Chart On Its UK Release 1991 . The Song Was Included In Activision's Guitar Hero World Tour And Is In Guitar Hero On Tour Decades. The Accompanying Video's Director Was Artist Robert Longo. The Director Of Photography Was Alton Brown Who Later Became A Food Network Chef. In March 2005 Q Magazine Placed "The One I Love" At Number 57 In Its List Of The 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The Song Is Included On R.E.M. Live. Lyrics And Meaning The Record Has Ironically Become A Popular Radio Dedication To Loved Ones Relying On A Misinterpretation Of Its Refrain "This One Goes Out To The One I Love " And A Failure To Note The Contradiction Within The Same Verse "A Simple Prop To Occupy My Time." Stipe Related In 1987 To Rolling Stone "I've Always Left Myself Pretty Open To Interpretation. It's Probably Better That They Just Think It's A Love Song At This Point." However In An Interview In The January 1988 Issue Of Musician Magazine He Said That The Song Was "incredibly Violent" And Added "It's Very Clear That It's About Using People Over And Over Again". The Song Contains Only Three Verses The First Two Of Which Are Identical The Third Verse Changes "a Simple Prop To Occupy My Time" To "another Prop Has Occupied My Time." The Chorus Consists Of Just The Word "fire" Repeated Over The Backing Vocal Of "She's Coming Down On Her Own Now/Coming Down On Her Own" Sung By Mike Mills . Released August 1987 Format 7" Cassette CD Recorded 1987 Genre Alternative Rock Length 3 17 Label I.R.S. Writer S Berry Buck Mills Stipe Producer Scott Litt R.E.M.