Near Wild Heaven

"Near Wild Heaven" was the third single released from R.E.M.'s seventh studio album Out of Time in 1991. The song was the first single released by the band to have had its lyrics both co-written and sung by bassist Mike Mills. According to a quotation from Peter Buck in R.E.M. Inside Out: The Stories Behind Every Song by Craig Rosen, the lyrics are a collaboration between Mills and lead singer Michael Stipe. It managed to peak at No. 27 on the UK Singles Chart but the single was not released in the United States.

Mike Mills had previously written the lyrics to the single "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" and he had sung the cover song "Superman", but he had not previously sung his own work on a released recording.

The song is considered to be a tribute to 1960s-pop sunniness.

Music video

The music video for this song features the band playing the song in a crowded café.

Track listing

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

7" / cassette

1. "Near Wild Heaven"
2. "Pop Song '89" (live)¹

12"

1. "Near Wild Heaven"
2. "Pop Song '89" (live)¹
3. "Half a World Away" (live)²

CD

1. "Near Wild Heaven" – 3:18
2. "Tom's Diner" (Suzanne Vega) (live)¹ – 2:04
3. "Low" (live)¹ – 4:59
4. "Endgame" (live)¹ – 3:28

Notes

¹ Recorded at The Borderline Club, London, England; March 15, 1991.
² Recorded on Rockline, Los Angeles, California; April 1, 1991.

Charts

Chart (1991)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA Singles Chart)	65
Dutch Singles Chart	51
German Singles Chart	46
Irish Singles Chart	3
UK Singles Chart	27

Personnel

• Bill Berry – drums, piano, backing vocals
• Peter Buck – guitar
• Mike Mills – lead vocals, bass guitar
• Michael Stipe – backing vocals

External links

• Music video at REMhq.com
• Near Wild Heaven at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics