"Cuyahoga"
Song by R.E.M.
from the album Lifes Rich Pageant
ReleasedJuly 28, 1986
GenreAlternative rock, indie rock, jangle pop
Length4:20
LabelI.R.S. Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Don Gehman

"Cuyahoga" is a song by R.E.M. from their 1986 album Lifes Rich Pageant. It was written primarily by R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry.[1] It is one of R.E.M.'s earliest environmentally conscious songs, along with the album's lead single, "Fall on Me".[1][2]

The themes of "Cuyahoga" include the pollution of the Cuyahoga River in Ohio and the treatment of American Indians earlier in American history.[1][3][4] Despite the grim themes, according to R.E.M. biographer David Buckley, the lyrics are "words of optimism, partnership and community, set against an age of individualism."[3] R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck said of the song that it "is a metaphor for America and its lost promises. This is where the Indians were and now look at it. It's one of the ugliest fucking rivers in the world."[1] The song opens with the lines "Let's put our heads together and start a new country up," which R.E.M. biographer Tony Fletcher describes as sounding like a "call to arms."[5] On the other hand, music writer Craig Rosen feels that the line adds to the song's optimism.[1]

Another line in the song states that "we'll burn the river down."[1][6] This line comes from the fact that as early as the 1910s the river was so polluted that one method of cleaning the river was to throw a torch in it and thus burn the pollutants.[6][7] The river also actually caught fire on several occasions, including in 1969, an event which helped raise awareness of water pollution and other environmental issues,[8][9] although it was a photograph of an even larger 1952 fire that was used in an iconic Time magazine cover on the subject.[10] This was another inspiration for the song, and for other songs such as Randy Newman's "Burn On."[8][9] Newman biographer Kevin Courrier believes that "Burn On" was an influence on "Cuyahoga."[11]

Buckley describes the melody as "beautiful" and the refrain as "anthemic."[3] Musically, "Cuyahoga" is propelled by Mills' bassline.[3][6]

Musician Ken Stringfellow described "Cuyahoga" as being "an anthem, but it's not self-congratulatory. It's about what's gone wrong with our country. It was an anti-anthem in that way. It took on an issue, but it was still unifying and powerful. That's a hard thing to do well."[3] Slant critic Jonathan Keefe noted that even 25 years after the song's initial release its "optimism...is still inspiring and relevant."[12] He goes on to note that the song's message "reflects an intelligent and decidedly nonpartisan approach to political reconstruction without resorting to...didacticism."[12] Pitchfork Media critic Stephen M. Deusner states that "With its rousing chorus and pensive bass line, 'Cuyahoga' mails postcard dispatches from a museum where rivers and plains are artifacts, consigned to diorama and memory rather than reality."[13] According to music author Martin Charles Strong, "Cuyahoga" (and "Fall on Me") showed the band developing "an assured poise."[14] Fletcher described "Cuyahoga" as the "lyrical peak" of Lifes Rich Pageant.[5] It is one of Mills' favorite songs and one he particularly enjoys playing live.[1]

Although not released as a single, "Cuyahoga" has appeared on several R.E.M. compilation albums, including The Best of R.E.M. in 1991 and And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982–1987 in 2006.[15] It was also included on the live albums R.E.M. Live, Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions, Live at the Olympia and R.E.M. at the BBC.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Rosen, C. (1997). R.E.M Inside Out: The Story Behind Every Song. Thunder's Mouth Press. p. 63. ISBN 9781560251774.
  2. ^ Erlewine, S.T. "Life's Rich Pageant". Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  3. ^ a b c d e Buckley, D. (2012). R.E.M.: Fiction: An Alternative Biography. Random House. ISBN 9781448132461.
  4. ^ Lynskey, D. (2011). 33 Revolutions Per Minute. Faber & Faber. p. 1843. ISBN 9780571277209.
  5. ^ a b Fletchger, T. (2013). Perfect Circle: The Story of REM. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9781780386980.
  6. ^ a b c Black, J. (2004). Reveal: The Story of R.E.M.. Backbeat Books. pp. 123–124. ISBN 0879307765.
  7. ^ Sullivan, D. (1998). R.E.M.: Talk about the Passion : an Oral History. Da Capo Press. p. 104. ISBN 9780306808579.
  8. ^ a b Feinstein, S. (2010). Conserving and Protecting Water: What You Can Do. Enslow Publishing. pp. 86–87. ISBN 9780766033467.
  9. ^ a b Greenberg, B.; et al. (2008). "Causes for Alarm". Social History of the United States. ABC-CLIO. p. 339. ISBN 9781598841282.
  10. ^ Urycki, Mark (June 18, 2019). "50 Years Later: Burning Cuyahoga River Called Poster Child For Clean Water Act". Morning Edition on NPR. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  11. ^ Courrier, K. (2005). Randy Newman's American Dreams. ECW Press. p. 135. ISBN 9781550226904.
  12. ^ a b Keefe, J. (July 12, 2011). "R.E.M. Life's Rich Pageant: 25th Anniversary Edition". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  13. ^ Deusner, S.M. "R.E.M.: Life's Rich Pageant (25th Anniversary Edition)". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  14. ^ Strong, M.C. (2006). The Essential Rock Discography. Canongate. p. 913. ISBN 9781841958606.
  15. ^ a b "Cuyahoga". Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
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