Let’s All Get On With It Now

R.E.M. “Discoverer”

The final R.E.M. album begins and ends with “Discoverer,” an ecstatic song about facing new challenges and adventures with bravery and enthusiasm. It flashes back to the early days of the band and Michael Stipe’s first visit to New York City, recalling the first rush of excitement at the sheer number of opportunities and possibilities offered by the city and the world in general. It all happened for him, too. Stipe and R.E.M. had a phenomenal, unparalleled career and have lived remarkable lives. They did it all on their own terms, with a combination of raw talent, ambition and idealism. “Discoverer,” like a lot of the best R.E.M. songs, is an expression of incredible optimism. This is probably the aspect of the band’s body of work that resonates with me most deeply. Stipe genuinely believes that the future offers us the chance to live better lives. He believes that positive change can happen if we work for it. And he’s right. He’s so right. And that extends to this song, and the end of this band. When this song is reprised at the end of Collapse Into Now, it sounds like a moment of pure, heroic triumph. It’s a beautiful and appropriate finale for their career – moving forwards and embracing new opportunities while radiating genuine pride over what has already been accomplished.

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