REM - Green Grow The Rushes (With Lyrics)

From the album Fables Of The Reconstruction. Lyrics:

The wheelbarrow's fallen
Look at my hands
They've found some surplus cheaper hands
Rubbing palms and pick and choose,
who will they choose? Here is the news.

Look at that building, look at this man
Halloed and whitewashed
Gone to find a cheaper hand
He'll offer a pound, offer a pound.

Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
The compass points the workers home

Pay for your freedom, find another gate
Guilt by associate, the rushes wilted a long time ago
Guilty as you go

Stay off that highway, word is it's not so safe
The grasses that hide the greenback
The amber waves of gain again
The amber waves of gain

Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
Green grow the rushes go
The compass points the workers home

[jamesmenzies]

One of my favourite REM tracks from one of their top 3 albums. A gem.

[aefkjj]

I have been trying to find this song for 30 years. I was 13 or 14 when I heard my sister play it. FINALLY!!! found it.

[marcoamedrano]

First six releases, Chronic Town, Murmur, Reckoning, Fables, Pageant, and Document = unequaled, and will remain an unequaled feat in American rock band history. Not one bad song in any of those albums. Even the reject songs in Dead Letter Office are tremendous. That was the foundation that made this band the international stars they became. One of the original innovators of Alternative.

And yeah, always the social critics as expected, but I don't recall any of their songs condemning outright the financial system of the country they were born in.

[noblevibes]

Was always my favorite song by REM. Kind of a Birds feel to it.

[bryandunn]

nothing like the Jangle of Peter Bucks Rickenbacker, I almost fell like 21 again.

[swampscrapper]

“The amber waves of grain became,
The amber waves of gain”
Maybe my favorite REM lyric ever

[elvislives-glrv]

I'm a straight up righty now, but I lived the left in the 80's. All earthy crunchy and rode my bike to DC for earthday. REM is still my favorite.

[skywarrr]

Amazing how this video is so True today in 2022 💝

[rayjr]

Great video. I'm glad band didn't break up back in 1985 (as was reported by the press) after this LP came out.

[fenryx]

Why would anyone dislike REM? Opinions. I know. But there really is no reason not to like them. No matter what kinda genres you like...

[avidrocker]

stay off that highway
word is its not so safe
this still rings true

[rebjiii]

This is one of many great R.E.M songs - my other favorites are: WE WALK, Wolves Lower, Pretty persuasion, Carnival or sorts, SITTING STILL, Laughing, Harbor Coat, Maps and Legends, superman, I BELIEVE, What if we give it away, Begin the Begin, Ages of You, Exhuming McCarthy, Finest Working, Texarkana, Turn you inside out, Stand, Man on the moon, EVERYBODY HURTS, IMITATION OF LIFE and Whats the frequency Kenneth 

[LordIronfist]

The best part about music is that you don't have to agree or disagree with the people who wrote the song.

[mozdickson]

Just do your thing mate..forget the haters. Viva! Tx fir posting

[cathystruska]

It's nor about politics. It's about a damn fine song-TJ Struska

[jasonbarbush]

first goosebumps i had in years in knowing the true lyrics and singing along. it is a great political lesson one won't learn in school. capitalism and socialism. can we have both?

[brucebowers]

Stay off that highway, word is its not so safe....

[andrewmacdonald]

I WAS 18 WHEN THEIR FIRST ALBUM CAME OUT MURMUR... DOCUMENT ON WARNER BROTHERS  BECAME A NEW BEGINNING FOR BETTER OR WORSE.

[williamthomas]

'The amber waves of grain'. Don't let your interpretation cloud your ears. This is, Burns and Steinbeck and Whitman filtered through Stipes' unique early beat poetry. A beautiful song, marred by your heavy-handed video.

[Circumpunk]

I know exactly what REM was. This is a parody on capitalism. Watch it again with that in mind.