Talk:Losing My Religion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Good article Losing My Religion has been listed as one of the Arts good articles under the good article criteria. If you can improve it further, please do. If it no longer meets these criteria, you can delist it, or ask for a reassessment.
January 24, 2008 Good article nominee Listed
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Songs, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to songs on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion.
Good article GA This article has been rated as GA-Class on the assessment scale.
Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth
Alternative music Portal
This article is part of the Alternative music WikiProject, a group of Wikipedians interested in improving the encyclopaedic coverage of articles relating to Alternative rock. If you would like to help out, you are welcome to drop by the project page and/or leave a query at the project's talk page.
Good article GA This article has been rated as GA-Class on the Project's quality scale.
High This article has been rated as High-importance on the Project's importance scale.

Contents

[edit] Meaning of the title

I changed the explanation from "being at the end of one's rope" to "flying off the handle", per an explanations I heard on the radio at the time of the song's popularity, and as backed up by this web site: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=losing+my+religion&defid=108482#108482 --GreatAlfredini 03:16, 28 December 2005 (UTC)

The current explanation makes zero sense to me... Venicemenace 9/29/06

I concur. It should be "being at the end of one's rope". --Fantailfan 16:19, 29 September 2006 (UTC)
I meant "flying off the handle." Fantailfan 16:23, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] LMR not the biggest hit with lead mandolin

The article states, "Losing My Religion is probably the largest hit in rock history to have a mandolin as the main instrument," however an obvious counter-example is Rod Stewart's 1971 monster hit Maggie May, which went to #1 in both the US and the UK. --Blainster 10:10, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

But the album "Out of Time" went to #1 in both the US and the UK charts, and LMR is the best known single from it. [1] You can see from the link that people have rather bought R.E.M. albums than singles. But the ultimate popularity is difficult to measure, both songs are classics. It is OK that you removed the sentence from the text. -Hapsiainen
I agree that these things are difficult to measure as you say. That is why it is wise to avoid making any statement of superiority or ultimacy on Wikipedia unless it is easy to verify. However a statement to the effect that LMR is one of only a few rock music hits to feature the mandolin would be quite acceptable if you wish. That would make the point without getting into a contest. --Blainster 03:33, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] ban in Ireland

was the song banned, or the video? something tells me it was the video.

I'm pretty sure both were. However, I believe that the song was banned as a direct result of the video. I'll try to verify that. If this is the case, then I'll change the location of the statement to be in the video section since it applies more directly to the video than the song itself. Bsd987 03:58, 29 December 2005 (UTC)
Theres no legal mechanisms to ban either songs or music videos in Ireland, nor was there in 1991. There is a possibilty that the then-sole national television broadcaster (RTÉ, who were also the then-largest but nowhere near sole licenced radio broadcasters) refused to play it but this is highly unlikely also. --Kiand 21:35, 23 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Infobox title

I've changed the title on the infobox from "Shiny Happy People" to "Losing My Religion". All the evidence I can see (including the album cover for the single) lists the title as "Losing My Religion", and the fact that none of the three versions of the single include "Shiny Happy People" also leads me to believe it was just a mistake. If I'm wrong, feel free to change it back, though I'd like to see an explanation why (either here, or preferably on the article page), because it wouldn't be very intuitive. —LrdChaos 01:16, 2 April 2006 (UTC)

The reason is, I had copied the infobox from the "Shiny Happy People" infobox, changing it from the "old" (WikiAlbum-style) to the "new" style per WikiSingle. As with a couple of others I have updated I failed to change the title. I had just received the Out of Time Singles Collected and "fixed" the existing pages in too much of a hurry. Fantailfan 01:21, 2 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Meaning of the expression

I have removed the sentenced "However it remains unclear if the song is a political or a personal expression by the band." from the first paragraph of "The song" section. As User:Wikipediatrix said when first removing it, "if it's unclear, then don't mention it." There's no provided indication that there's any meaning to be had from it; to say it's "unclear" about whether the "flying off the handle" bit is personal or political first assumes that the band meant the title to mean that phrase. There's no source for that, so it's just as possible (though perhaps less likely) that the title and phrase are meant more literally, and that the song is a statement about losing faith.

I see no particular reason for which a religious interpretation should be excluded. If so, what is the meaning of "Every whisper Of every waking hour I'm Choosing my confessions". Maybe even this expression has some alternative meaning, I do not know, since I am not native english, and probably there are native english persons who do not know about the other meaning of "losing my religion". It seems that the lyrics are -deliberately or not- vague or ambiguous, or even a joke about the ambivalence of the expression "losing my religion". —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Popopp (talk • contribs) 11:23, 4 March 2007 (UTC).

On another note, User:Chairmanofall, please remember to assume good faith. Wikipediatrix's edit was neither stupid nor vandalism. just because the edit was to remove content that you added does not mean it was vandalism, and a perfectly reasonable explanation was provided in the edit summary. —LrdChaos (talk) 13:44, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

This song is one of the greatest annoyances in the history of heavy rotation radio transmissions, isn't it? I miss a top flop list for songs most people do NOT want to hear ever more...

[edit] No analysis?

What's the point of having entries for songs if there is no analysis of the music and lyrics?! User:201.74.132.169 forgot to sign.

Scholarly analysis from, and leading to, reliable sources is probably very welcome. MURGH disc. 23:53, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Losing my UK release album cover

While it is (my fine) image, I agree with removing it. It adds nothing to the article that the single US release album cover does not provide. --Fantailfan (talk) 14:29, 22 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] GA on hold

  • Why is "Billboard Hot 100" in italics?
It's supposed to be.
According to Billboard Hot 100 only the word "Billboard" goes in italics.
Sorry, read it wrong (for some reason I read it as all italics). WesleyDodds (talk)
  • I would have the "References" section after the "Notes" section. This probably means that there's a policy stating the contrary, but there, I said it.
There's no explicit guideline, but I prefer to have the References before the Notes, primarily because the notes used abbreviated citations of the material listed in the References section.
OK, that's fine. Dihydrogen Monoxide (party) 06:01, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
  • "said there were "long, drawn-out discussions" about releasing such an "unconventional track" as the single until the label agreed - ref for this quote?
The reference at the end of the paragraph references everything.
Is it possible to duplicate this reference (at least for the quotes)? Dihydrogen Monoxide (party) 06:01, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
It's not really necessary, since the reference is referencing the entire paragraph. WesleyDodds (talk) 06:09, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
  • ""The record crosses the boundaries of being just an alternative record"" - same again. If ref 8 covers all this, duplicate it for the quotes.
Per above.
See above. Dihydrogen Monoxide (party) 06:01, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
  • In the "Track listing" section, use something like {{note}} etc (the example I'm thinking of is on [[Powderfinger discography, ironically) so you can jump between the endnote and the track listing (does this make sense?)
No, sorry, I don't get it.
I'll do it. Dihydrogen Monoxide (party) 06:01, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
  • Ref for the certification?
I'll just remove it until I can verify it.
  • The 2nd EL has potential copyright issues (or so the anti-YouTube cabal tells me).
The record label put the video up on YouTube. WesleyDodds (talk) 05:55, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
I don't think [2] is the record label. Dihydrogen Monoxide (party) 06:01, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
Sorry, I thought it was one of the videos put up by the label and/or the official R.E.M. site (of which there are a few, although apparently not for this song). WesleyDodds (talk) 06:09, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

Leave me a note when done. Dihydrogen Monoxide (party) 05:35, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

Passed. Don't worry about the misunderstandings, we all make them :) Dihydrogen Monoxide (party) 06:13, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Furthermore

Sorry for being late. I was out in Wiki because we had a congress. Anyway, here are my suggestions. If suggestions were addressed before, please crash it out, and most of all, please feel free to object.

  • Do not italicize the entire "Billboard Hot 100"; just "Billboard".
  • poularity to popularity
  • The lead do not summarizes all what is written in the main artivle.
  • Link one "riff"
  • Avoid use of contracted word such as couldn’t and wasn’t; spell it out.
  • Any link to orchestral strings?
  • The phrase "losing my religion" is an expression from the southern region of the United States, and means losing one's temper or civility, or "being at the end of one's rope." Need citation.
  • Can you put magazine after Q so that it will not be misleading?
  • "forthcoming album Out of Time?" I thought it was released in 1991?
  • "The band's record label Warner Bros. was wary about the group's choice of the song as the album's first single. Steven Baker, who was vice president of product management at Warner Bros. at the time, said there were "long, drawn-out discussions" about releasing such an "unconventional track" as the single until the label agreed. While R.E.M. declined to tour to promote Out of Time, the band visited radio stations, gave numerous press interviews, and made appearances on MTV to promote the record. Meanwhile Warner Bros. worked to established the single at campus, modern rock, and album-oriented rock radio stations before promoting it to American Top 40 stations, where it became a success." Needs direct citation.
  • Meanwhile,
  • Worked to establish.
  • "to promote the record" Needs rewording; already mentioned "to promote Out of Time" earlier.
  • Again the italicization of Hot 100.
  • Link the first occurrence of Rolling Stone and delink the other.
  • The success of "Losing My Religion" and Out of Time broadened R.E.M.'s audience beyond its original college radio-based fanbase. This is not directly sourced. Please provide so that the lead will not POVic.
  • Remove "a number of" because "plaudits" is already giving its meaning.
  • Village Voice's
  • "Losing My Religion" alone earned several nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Remove? Leave what they won.
  • Remove "list of the" because you mentioned "listed".
  • notably and prominently I think is POV.
  • What lighting?
  • Were heavily
  • Remove "the story of"
  • Remove the nomination thing; leave what they won for it will be obvious to say their video was nominated.
  • Remove "also".
  • Make sure you use en dash for the track listings and make it into two column.
  • Any succession box for the mainstream thing? It would be bias since you added modern rock.
  • Remove the table for the certification for it is futile. Instead, add it to the prose; in the reception section, following the chart thing. Also, fill up the certification entry in the infobox.
  • Enclose the date of publication (written as date) in the reference tag in parenthesis.
  • Too many samples for the video in the external links; one if fine. You can add link to the lyrics, instead.

Thats all. Thank you. --BritandBeyonce (talk) 07:30, 27 January 2008 (UTC)