Legendary Memphis singer Al Green has recorded an emotional and soulful version of R.E.M.’s classic melancholy alt-rock ballad “Everybody Hurts.”
Videos by American Songwriter
The song is available now as a digital download and via streaming services. A companion lyric video also has debuted at Green’s official YouTube channel.
In a statement, the lauded soul/R&B/gospel artists and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer explained his approach to singing the popular tune.
“While we were in the studio recording ‘Everybody Hurts,’ I could really feel the heaviness of the song and I wanted to inject a little touch of hope and light into it,” he noted. “There’s always a presence of light that can break through those times of darkness.”
R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, meanwhile, shared his and his bandmates’ reaction to Green’s rendition of their tune.
“Speaking on behalf of the entire band—we could not be more honored, more flattered, more humbled,” Stipe said. “This is an epic moment for us.”
More About Green’s Version of “Everybody Hurts”
Green recorded “Everybody Hurts” in a Memphis studio earlier in 2024 with three members of the Hi Rhythm Section, the band that played on many of his classic 1970s songs. The members of the group featured on the new track are Reverend Charles Hodges on organ, Leroy Hodges on bass, and Archie “Hubbie” Turner on piano.
Other musicians appearing on the song include guitarist Will Sexton and ex-Booker T. and the MG’s drummer Steve Potts. The track also features a string arrangement by veteran Stax Records session keyboardist and producer Lester Snell.
The “Everybody Hurts” cover is Green’s first new song since releasing a rendition of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” in 2023.
Green is best-known for the run of Top-20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 he scored during the early-to-mid 1970s. They included the chart-topping 1971 classic “Let’s Stay Together.”
About “Everybody Hurts”
The original version of “Everybody Hurts” appeared on R.E.M.’s 1992 studio album Automatic for the People. The song peaked at No. 29 on the Hot 100.
The track featured a string arrangement by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.
Interestingly, R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck shared in the liner notes of the band’s 2011 compilation Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011 that the vibe of “Everybody Hurts” was inspired by another legendary soul singer.
“We went through about four different ideas and how to approach it and eventually came to that Stax, Otis Redding, ‘Pain in My Heart’ kind of vibe,” Buck wrote.
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