The Meaning Behind R.E.M.’s “The Great Beyond”

When a band writes and records a song about a famous person, and it becomes one of their signature hits, do we really need them to record a second song about the same person? In the case of R.E.M. and the enigma that was actor/comic/absurdist Andy Kaufman, it turns out that we did.

Michael Stipe wrote the lyrics to “Man on the Moon,” from R.E.M.’s epic 1992 album Automatic for the People. The song was clearly an homage to Kaufman, the late comedian and actor, best-known for his role as Latka Gravas on the late ‘70s/early ‘80s television series Taxi. The band’s connection to Kaufman didn’t end there, as they wrote new music for the soundtrack to the 1999 biopic that took its name from R.E.M.’s hit. The only one of the new compositions the band performed as a whole was “The Great Beyond.”

So what more could Stipe have to say about Kaufman after he had already written the lyrics to “Man on the Moon?” He actually introduced a whole new perspective from which to consider Kaufman’s life and contribution to comedy.

Taking a New Angle on Kaufman’s Life

In “Man on the Moon,” Stipe strings together a series of references associated with Kaufman, from the incorporation of wrestling into his comedy act, to his Elvis impersonations, to his My Dinner with Andre parody, My Breakfast with Blassie. With “The Great Beyond,” Stipe expanded his view from the particularities of Kaufman’s life to a much broader cosmic view.

Stipe has said that “The Great Beyond” is about “attempting the impossible, which…is what Andy Kaufman did with his entire career.” So rather than make references to specific things Kaufman did, Stipe made analogies between the types of boundaries Kaufman pushed and other seemingly impossible feats. In the following refrain, he sandwiches a reference to Kaufman’s unconventional standup style—which relied more on absurdity, pranks, and stunts than on one-liners—between a pair of surreal scenarios.

I’m pushing an elephant up the stairs
I’m tossing up punch lines that were never there
Over my shoulder a piano falls
Crashing to the ground

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Stipe also makes it clear that he feels a kinship with Kaufman, as he poses this question posthumously to Kaufman in the second verse.

Why can’t we pantomime
Just close our eyes and sleep sweet dreams?
Me and you with wings on our feet

Given the affinity that Stipe feels for Kaufman, it’s not clear if he’s referring to the comedian or himself in the chorus when he sings, I’m looking for answers from the great beyond. Stipe could be looking to Kaufman for insight as to what lies beyond the boundaries of ordinary day-to-day life, or he could be voicing that sentiment on Kaufman’s behalf.

While “The Great Beyond” employs an almost entirely different set of lyrics than “Man on the Moon,” there is one exception. Just before the song’s instrumental outro, Stipe sings the following lines from “Man on the Moon,” as a countermelody in the chorus.

Here’s a little agit for the never-believer
Here’s a little ghost for the offering

These lines are pretty far down in the mix, but listeners won’t have to work too hard to pick them out.

The Impact of “The Great Beyond”

The single was one of four songs R.E.M. placed on the Billboard Hot 100 after drummer Bill Berry left the group in 1997. With a peak position of No. 57, it ties “Daysleeper” as the highest-charting of those four singles, and it is the only R.E.M. song from the post-Berry period to enter Billboard’s Radio Songs chart, topping out at No. 50. “The Great Beyond” went all the way to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Songs chart.

“The Great Beyond” was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television, or Other Media, though it lost to Sarah McLachlan’s “When She Loved Me” from Toy Story 2, written by Randy Newman.

The Fray recorded “The Great Beyond” for the covers album Radio 1: Established 1967, which was created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of BBC Radio 1. The compilation included 40 songs, with each entry representing a different year from BBC Radio 1’s first 40 years in operation. The Fray also released their version of the song as the B-side to their 2008 single, “You Found Me.”

“The Great Beyond” didn’t quite match the commercial success of “Man on the Moon,” but expecting a second song about Kaufman to resonate as much as the first one would have been a lot to ask. It was also not especially likely, since R.E.M. released the song at a time when their popularity in general was starting to wane. Still, they managed to create a song that is a favorite of many fans. That might not be on a par with “pushing an elephant up the stairs,” “bending spoons” or “keeping flowers in full bloom,” but it’s still an unlikely feat they can be proud of.

Photo by Rick Diamond/WireImage for Georgia Department of Economic Development