Driver 8
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Driver 8" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Single by R.E.M. | ||
| From the album Fables of the Reconstruction | ||
| Single Released | September 1985 | |
| Single Format | 7" | |
| Recorded | 1985 | |
| Genre | College Rock | |
| Song Length | 3:18 | |
| Record label | I.R.S. Records | |
| Producer | Joe Boyd | |
| Chart positions | Did Not Chart | |
| R.E.M. single chronology | ||
| "Can't Get There From Here" 1985 |
"Driver 8" 1985 |
"Wendell Gee" 1985 |
"Driver 8" was the second single from R.E.M.'s third album Fables of the Reconstruction. Released in September 1985, the song failed to chart in the United States. It was not released in Europe.
It was covered by Hootie and the Blowfish in 2000 on their covers-only album Scattered, Smothered and Covered (the two bands performed a live version of the song on the UK's TFI Friday in October 1998); by Dennis "Cannonball" Caplinger on 2001's Pickin' on R.E.M.: The Bluegrass Tribute; and by Death Cab for Cutie on their 2006 UK tour for the album Plans.
The song refers to the Southern Crescent, a passenger rail line run by the Southern Railroad until 1979 and continued (with fewer stops) to the present (2006) as the Crescent by Amtrak. In the music video, it shows Chessie System trains running around Huntington, West Virginia, since Huntington has an engine repair facility.
The song has recently received frequent radio play, and has received recognition among mainstream listeners.
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe unless otherwise indicated.
[edit] 7": IRS / IRS-52678 (US)
- "Driver 8" - 3:24
- "Crazy" (Pylon) - 3:05
