Comments: 14

• Mark from New York, NyThe previous commenter needs a little education. Reagan dropped the tax rate on the wealthiest Americans, not the rest of us and he began the current period of huge deficit spending. In addition, he delayed the release of US captives in Iran and sold weapons to US enemies. These are Reagan's legacy and what this song was originally about. I lived through Reaganomics and this song speaks to me on a level that makes me feel I was not alone in that misery.
• Kt from New York, NyOne thing I'm never really sure R.E.M. understood when they wrote this song was the fact that Reagan at that time in '80's cut the tax rate from 78% to 33% and dropped the interest rate to stop the ridiculously high inflation that started during the Carter administration.
  
  Because Reagan did this, people were able to afford to spend money on things such as REM's music. If he didn't stabilize the economy, REM could have faded into the local band circuit never to been able to sell enough albums to make it big.
  
  I lived through that time and I aggravates me that bands like this skew history to make a buck. And I was a long time REM fan.
  
  
• Mikel from Bilbao, SpainThis song is pure rhythm; I can not stand if I listened to it and my body begins to dance spasmodically. WoaW !!!!
• Jerry from New Orleans, LaI have been a passive REM fan since the mid 90's, but I want to look at their complete works.
  I heard Bad Day on an episode of Scrubs and I THINK it was on a Scrubs song compilation. I am surprised that it was written back in the 80's...it seemed like a newer song. I will hav eto listne to it again with new ears. If you have not seen it, Michael Stipe was on an episode of Iconoclasts on the Sundance Channel. Good stuff.
• Marcos from Orlando, FlYouTube has an early demo version of "PSA" posted. Not exactly the polished REM we are used to hear these days, but still very interesting.
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNrjJoH_uXI
  (or search YouTube for REM PSA)
• Thomas from Londonion, EnglandSimilar to End of the world...
  
  But I think it's probably about capitilism and how all we get is lies and propaganda. The news tells us nothing- (the papers wouldn't lie) and we just take it in as truth. Look at Watergate and COINTELPRO, the government don't tell us about these things.
• Matthew from Milford, MaOh, Ronald Reagan... curse him... he's the one who allowed the big corporations to **** up America!
• Paul from Redditch, EnglandThis song is better than ITEOTWAWKI due to the fact that this hasn't been beaten to death.
• Ben from Bristol, EnglandThis song is too much like End Of The World but it's still good.
• Sum Sum from New Delhi, IndiaVery songs. I liked it more when I went thru the lyrics actually.
• Holly from Nottingham, EnglandIt wasn't just that it *inspired* It's The End of The World As We Know It, it actually *was* it for a while. If you listen to early versions of this song, when it was still called PSA, the lyrics are made up from a combination of the lyrics to Bad Day and ITEOTWAWKI.... It's cool!
• Calicien from Valley Stream, Nylovely song all the way. Mae carnen R.E.M
• Alvin from Sioux Center, IaThat first line I think is the greatest opening line that it could be for this song.
• Anastasia from Anaheim, Cai love this song. it's so beautiful. it's a good road trip song. i'm happy they re-released it on the greatest hits album against Prez Bush. yup. screw bush.

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