"Gardening at Night" is a song by American rock band

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...

It was recorded for the band's 1982 debut EP ''

Chronic Town ''Chronic Town'' is the debut Extended play, EP by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on August 24, 1982, on I.R.S. Records. Containing five tracks, the EP was recorded at the Drive-in Studio in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in Octob ...

''.

Writing

The song is said to have been written on a mattress in the front yard of the Oconee Street church in Athens, Georgia. At that point in the band's career,

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his car ...

has stated that their musical modus operandi was "three chords and a six-pack of beer."Black, Johnny (2004). ''Reveal: The Story of R.E.M.'' Backbeat Books. . In the booklet of the 2006 '' And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S Years 1982–1987'',

Bill Berry William Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician who was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Although best known for his economical drumming style, Berry also played other instruments, including guitar, bass guitar ...

wrote the following of "Gardening at Night": The song's title served as the inspiration for the name of the band's publishing company Night Garden Music.

Versions

Four different studio recordings of the song have been officially released. The original ''

'' version can be found on the CD edition of ''

Dead Letter Office Dead letter mail or undeliverable mail is mail that cannot be delivered to the addressee or returned to the sender. This is usually due to lack of compliance with postal regulations, an incomplete address and return address, or the inability to ...

'', on the 2006 R.E.M. compilation '' And I Feel Fine: The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987'' and more recently in the band's 2011 career-spanning greatest hits compilation ''

Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011 ''Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011'' is a 2011 greatest hits album from alternative rock band R.E.M. Intended as a coda on their career, this is the first compilation album that features both their early work on indepen ...

''. A version featuring an earlier vocal take appears on the 1988 compilation ''

Eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

''. An acoustic version of the song appears as a bonus track on the European "I.R.S. Vintage Years" reissue of ''Dead Letter Office.'' A substantially slower electric version of the song appears on the bonus disc accompanying the special collector's edition of ''And I Feel Fine''. Six live versions have been officially released–the first, recorded on July 13, 1983, appeared on the Dutch "I.R.S. Years" reissue of the band's debut album '' Murmur''. The second appeared as a

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

of the 12-inch "

(Don't Go Back To) Rockville "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" is the second and final single released by American rock band R.E.M. from their second studio album, '' Reckoning''. The song failed to chart on either the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 or the UK Singles Charts. Backgroun ...

" single in 1984. The third appeared on a promotional CD called ''The Alternative Radio Sampler''. A performance at

Larry's Hideaway Larry's Hideaway was a bar in the Prince Carlton Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The venue was notable for being one of the first venues in Toronto to open itself to punk and new wave music acts, as well as hard rock. The venue was well know ...

, Toronto, Ontario, from July 9, 1983, was released on the 2008 Deluxe Edition reissue of ''Murmur''. A performance from Chicago's Aragon Ballroom from July 7, 1984 was released on the 2009 Deluxe Edition reissue of ''Reckoning''. Finally, a performance from the band's 2007 rehearsal tour in Ireland was released on the ''Live At The Olympia In Dublin'' album. R.E.M. performed the song at their 2007 induction into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

. Singer

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Poss ...

dedicated the song to his father. Stipe also mentioned that the band considered this their first "real" composition after 20 or 30 presumably failed efforts.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardening At Night 1982 songs R.E.M. songs Songs written by Bill Berry Songs written by Peter Buck Songs written by Mike Mills Songs written by Michael Stipe Songs based on actual events Song recordings produced by Mitch Easter Song recordings produced by Michael Stipe Song recordings produced by Mike Mills Song recordings produced by Bill Berry Song recordings produced by Peter Buck

Writing

Versions

See also

References