Everybody Hurts
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Everybody_Hurts".

“Everybody Hurts”
Single by R.E.M. from the album Automatic for the People
Released	April 15, 1993 (1993-04-15)
Format	CD single, 7" single, 12" single, Cassette
Recorded	1988
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	5:20
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Scott Litt & R.E.M.
R.E.M. singles chronology
"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" (1993) "Everybody Hurts" (1993) "Nightswimming" (1993)

"Everybody Hurts" is a song by R.E.M., originally released on the band's 1988 album Automatic for the People and was also released as a single in 1988. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the UK Singles Charts and #3 on the French Singles Chart.

History

Much of the song was written by drummer Bill Berry, although as R.E.M. shares songwriting credits among its members, it is unknown how much he actually wrote.¹ Berry did not drum on the song — a Univox drum machine took his place — but he was responsible for the sampling of the drum pattern on the track. The string arrangement was written by Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones.

In the liner notes of the album In Time - The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003, Peter Buck writes that "the reason the lyrics are so atypically straightforward is because it was aimed at teenagers", and "I've never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but the idea that high school is a portal to hell seems pretty realistic to me." Incidentally, the song was used in the 1992 film of the same name that preceded the show.

In the video for the song, directed by Jake Scott and filmed along I-10 in San Antonio, Texas, the band is stuck in a traffic jam. It shows the people in other cars and subtitles of their thoughts appear on screen. At the end, all the people leave their cars and walk instead; they then vanish.

In 1995, British emotional support listening service The Samaritans, in response to the high suicide rate but low crisis service take-up amongst young men, launched a UK press advertising campaign consisting solely of the lyrics to "Everybody Hurts" and the charity's hotline number.^{citation needed}

The song was placed on R.E.M.'s Warner Brothers "best of" album In Time - The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003 in 2003. It was one of four songs from Automatic for the People to make the compilation, more than from any other album.

In a 2006 poll for a Five program "Britain's Favourite Break-up Songs", "Everybody Hurts" was voted 4th.

In October 2007, Much More Music placed "Everybody Hurts" as number 5 of the Top 40 Most Memorable Music Videos on "Listed".

The song is included on R.E.M. Live.

Cover versions

• Paul Anka, on the album Rock Swings.
• Feeder, originally available as a download-only single in aid of the charity War Child, before being included as a full-band version b-side on their "Shatter / Tender" single.
• The Corrs, on the album The Corrs Unplugged.
• Bonnie Tyler, on the album Heart Strings.
• Alex Parks, on her debut album Introduction.
• Joe Cocker, on his 2004 cover album Heart & Soul.
• Paul Potts, the winner of "Britain's Got Talent", on his debut CD One Chance. Potts performs it in Italian and the track has the additional Italian title "Ognuno Soffre".
• Patti Smith, available as a bonus track on her 2007 album Twelve.
• Tina Arena, for her album Songs of Love & Loss.
• DJ Sammy
• David Hobson, on his album The Promise.
• Dashboard Confessional, on the album MTV2 Covers
• Marillion, on the live album Friends.
• The Coconutz, for the soundtrack to the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The version was performed in the Hawaiian Language.
• Meat Puppets, available on the Stereogum curated album Drive XV. Other versions of the song were recorded for the album by Frida Hyvönen, Elk City, and Bodies of Water and are available as bonus tracks.
• Russian Singer Zemfira with Patti Smith on Live Performance in Kazan City.
• X Factor contestant Diana Vickers sang it live on the live show before the semi-finals.

Track listing

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe unless otherwise indicated.

US 7" and CD Single

1. "Everybody Hurts" – 5:20
2. "Mandolin Strum" – 3:26

"Collector's Edition" CD 1 (UK)

1. "Everybody Hurts" (edit) – 4:57
2. "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1" (Long Version) – 3:29
3. "Mandolin Strum" – 3:26

"Collector's Edition" CD 2 (UK)

1. "Everybody Hurts" (edit) – 4:57
2. "Chance (Dub)" – 2:36
3. "Dark Globe" (Syd Barrett) – 1:51

DE CD Single

1. "Everybody Hurts" (edit) – 4:57
2. "Mandolin Strum" – 3:26
3. "Chance (Dub)" – 2:36
4. "Dark Globe" (Barrett) – 1:51

US 12" and CD Maxi-Single 1

1. "Everybody Hurts" (edit) – 4:57
2. "Mandolin Strum" – 3:26
3. "Belong" (live)² – 4:32
4. "Orange Crush" (live)³ – 4:00

US 12" and CD Maxi-Single 2

1. "Everybody Hurts" (edit) – 4:57
2. "Star Me Kitten" (demo) – 3:05
3. "Losing My Religion" (live)² – 4:55
4. "Organ Song" – 3:25

UK Cassette Single

1. "Everybody Hurts" – 5:20
2. "Pop Song '89" – 3:03

UK and DE 7" Single

1. "Everybody Hurts" (edit) – 4:46
2. "Pop Song '89" – 3:03

Charts

References