Crush with Eyeliner

"Crush with Eyeliner" is a song by R.E.M., released as the third single from their ninth studio album Monster. Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore provides background vocals.

Michael Stipe claims the song was inspired by the band New York Dolls, who, in his opinion, "knew how to exaggerate a song, to make it sound really sleazy and over the top." This was also one of the first songs that surfaced from Stipe after the writer's block that hounded him after the death of his friend, actor River Phoenix.

The single's video, directed by Spike Jonze, shows a group of Japanese youths dancing and miming to the track at a party, whilst the band are shown briefly, looking on. It is available on the music video compilation Parallel.

Track listing

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe.

12" and CD Maxi-Single

1. "Crush with Eyeliner" – 4:39
2. "Fall on Me" (live)¹ – 3:23
3. "Me in Honey" (live)¹ – 4:18
4. "Finest Worksong" (live)¹ – 4:18

7" Single

1. "Crush with Eyeliner" (album version) – 4:39
2. "Crush with Eyeliner" (instrumental version) – 4:39

Notes

¹ Recorded at the 40 Watt Club, Athens, Georgia; November 19, 1992. The performance, a benefit for Greenpeace, was recorded on a solar-powered mobile studio.

Charts

References

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