R.E.M. have shared a new lyric video for their 1986 hit ‘I Believe’, as part of their ‘We Are Hope Despite The Times’ campaign to encourage people to vote.
In the lead-up to the US election next week (November 5), the band have been vocal about the importance of voting. Last month they released ‘We Are Hope Despite The Times’, a digital compilation of songs to mark National Voter Registration Day.
Since then, frontman Michael Stipe has publicly endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris on multiple occasions. He recently performed at a campaign concert for Harris, and spoke to Doug Emhoff – Harris’ husband and a former entertainment lawyer – about his support for her alongside Jason Isbell.
Now, R.E.M. have shared a new lyric video for ‘I Believe’, a track from their 1986 album ‘Life’s Great Pageant’, to further persuade people to head to the polls next week.
In a social media statement, Stipe said, “I believe the choices in this election could not be more stark or more important. Please vote and encourage everyone you know to do the same—that is how we win in 2024 and I believe we can do it!!!” Check the video out below.
The video was created by the band’s longtime art director Chris Billheimer, and draws inspiration from handmade designs Stipe used to create for himself during R.E.M.’s Fables of the Reconstruction tour, as well as the politically themed T-shirts he wore during 1991 MTV VMAs.
When they accepted the Best Video award for ‘Losing My Religion’, the band used their acceptance speech to draw attention to causes like gun control, reproductive rights, voting rights and alternative energy sources.
The band have always been vocal about the importance of participating in elections. Back in 2016, Stipe and Mike Mills spoke of their fear of Donald Trump’s presidency during a Q&S session at the London Borderline and added that they hoped that his election would “galvanise” disillusioned American voters.
In 2019, the group reacted to Trump’s use of their song ‘Everybody Hurts’ in a meme which positioned his State of the Union address against down-cast-looking politicians including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders.
The post has since been removed but at the time, the band tweeted: “World Leader PRETEND!!! Congress, Media–ghost this faker!!! Love, R.E.M.” The line “World Leader Pretend” is a reference to the band’s 1988 track of the same name, which included the lyrics, “I raised the wall and I will be the one to knock it down.”
It’s not the first example of the band coming up against the president. In 2015, Trump and other politicians used the band’s 1987 track, “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” during rallies and the band’s frontman had more than a few words to say about it.
Stipe said: “Go fuck yourselves, the lot of you — you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.”
In 2020, Mills shared that the group considered pursuing legal action against the former president after he played two of their songs at a campaign rally.
In other news, last December Stipe revealed he was still working on his debut solo album after being delayed for 12 months due to family emergencies, house moves and a bout of Covid.
He also shared he had suffered “terrible” but added that after meeting with his mother, he now feels pressure to deliver. “I have a deadline now,” he said. “I could keep working on this record for a decade and let my insecurities get the better of me.”