"Lotus" is a song by R.E.M., released as the second single from their eleventh studio album Up. The song is somewhat minimalist, with Michael Stipe singing surreal lyrics in a percussive manner. It builds on a four-note keyboard part, with a distorted guitar riff at the beginning and after the second chorus. The song's recurring line "I ate the lotus" appeared in an alternate form ("I'll eat the lotus...") in a previous R.E.M. song, "Be Mine". The line "dot dot dot and I feel fine" is a reference to R.E.M.'s 1987 hit "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)".
"Lotus" | ||||
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Single by R.E.M. | ||||
from the album Up | ||||
B-side | "Surfing The Ganges" | |||
Released | December 7, 1998 (1998-12-07)[1] | |||
Genre | Alternative rock, glam rock[2] | |||
Length | 4:31 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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R.E.M. singles chronology | ||||
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For live performances of the song, Peter Buck alternates between electric guitar (chorus) and keyboard (verse). "Playing keyboard always excites me," Buck explained in a soundbite during MTV Uplink, a recording of the band's performance at New York's Bowery Ballroom in October 1998, "even though it's only with one finger." "But it's a big finger," joked Mills. "It's great."
The single's video, directed by Stéphane Sednaoui, was included as a bonus video on the DVD release of In View - The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003. "I wanted to work with Stephane for a long time," Stipe explained to MTV UK during An Hour with R.E.M. in 2001 after selecting the video for airplay. "Since I saw the video that he did with Björk for, what was that called, "Big Time Sexuality" or something? Where she looks exactly like Shirley MacLaine, 1959-1961. The Apartment, I think, was the name of the film. Shirley McLaine and Björk as Shirley MacLaine on the back of a pick-up truck driving down 5th Avenue in New York City, probably. But I thought this guy exudes sex, he's like sex on a stick, and I wanted to work with him for that reason. He somehow transmogrified that very thing through me. I look very, very foxy in this video, which is why I chose it; it shows off my incredible stomach muscles."
All songs were written by Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe unless otherwise indicated.
CD
7-inch and cassette
UK 3-inch CD
Chart (1998–1999) | Peak position |
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Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[3] | 18 |
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4] | 32 |
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[5] | 56 |
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[6] | 25 |
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[7] | 88 |
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[8] | 1 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] | 50 |
Scotland (OCC)[10] | 23 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11] | 60 |
UK Singles (OCC)[12] | 26 |
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[13] | 4 |
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[14] | 31 |
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[15] | 31 |
Authority control |
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