Songfacts®:

• Michael Stipe's first solo single after leaving R.E.M. in 2011 features rousing lyrics about an impulsive and unpredictable person. A "capricious soul" is someone who often changes their mind unexpectedly.
• The electronica-flavored track was released on October 5, 2019. Its arrival was timed to coincide with the "International Rebellion" climate justice protests that took place two days later. The Extinction Rebellion movement inspired Stipe to release the song instead of holding onto it, and the singer's income from sales and licensing of the single are being donated to the climate activist group.
  
  "I took a long break from music, and I wanted to jump back in," Stipe said in a press release. "I love 'Your Capricious Soul' - it's my first solo work. I want to add my voice to this exciting shift in consciousness. Extinction Rebellion gave me the incentive to push the release and not wait.
  
  "Our relationship to the environment has been a lifelong concern, and I now feel hopeful - optimistic, even," he added. "I believe we can bring the kind of change needed to improve our beautiful planet earth, our standing and our place on it."
• Stipe first performed the track back on May 2, 2019, when he opened for Patti Smith in New York.
• The song is accompanied by a video directed by British filmmaker and photographer Sam Taylor-Johnson. The clip shows close-up footage of a young girl's freckled face.
• Bucking convention, Stipe didn't release this song to YouTube, Spotify, or any other streaming platforms. Instead, he made the song and video available on his website, either for free or in exchange for a donation to the Extinction Rebellion. The download includes:
  
  The lyrics
  A stencil of the Your Capricious Soul artwork
  A poster
  An animated gif and 30-second video of Stipe's self-portraits
  The video
  The master audio