“Nightswimming” is a song by REM and released in 1993 as the fifth single from the group’s album Automatic for the People. The song is a ballad featuring singer Michael Stipe accompanied only by bassist Mike Mills on piano and with a string arrangement by former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and an oboe played by Deborah Workman in the latter part. Stipe sings about a group of friends who go skinny dipping at night, which draws from similar experiences in the band’s early days.
Mike Mills recalled he was playing a piano riff at John Keane’s studio in the band’s hometown of Athens, Georgia. While he almost discarded the melody, it attracted the interest of singer Michael Stipe. Mills said, “I never thought it would amount to much because it was just a circular thing that kept going round and round and round. But it inspired Michael.”
While the song was not included on the Out of Time album which they were recording at the time, the demo recorded during those sessions was used for Automatic for the People. Mills has also claimed he recorded the piano part at Criteria Studios in Miami, on the same piano used by Derek and the Dominos on the recording of “Layla”.
“Michael listened once, nodded his head to hear it again, and on the second pass he sang the lyrics. It was “Nightswimming,” exactly like the record we would record a year later,” explained Peter Buck in 2003. “I was standing in the corner, dumbfounded.”
The inspiration for the song has been debated by the band members. Mills said, “It’s based on true events”, explaining that in the early 1980s REM and its circle of friends would go skinny dipping after the Athens clubs closed at night. “We’d go to parties, we’d go to the clubs and we’d go to the Ball Pump, and there would be any number of these same 50 people, so it was a very tight circle of friends.” Peter Buck holds a similar interpretation. However, Stipe has denied that that is the topic of the song; rather, Stipe says the song is about a “kind of an innocence that’s either kind of desperately clung onto or obviously lost.” Stipe said there are autobiographical elements to the song, but insists most of it is “made up.”
The music was written by Mike Mills and Michael Stipe wrote the words but the song is credited to the whole band as was their custom at the time.
This version of the song was recorded on the “Later… with Jools Holland” show on 14th October 2003.
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58 Comments on “Sunday Music #4”
I miss this band so much.They should get back together.
Automatic is one of my favourite albums. Every song is a classic.
I saw them in Vancouver a few years ago and then Radiohead the very next night. Happy Times!
Totally awesome performance.
Shame Michael has to be a political activist these days.
I love the look on Michael’s face at the end as he watches in total awe of Mike’s piano playing.
This is absolutely and utterly flawless.
Love watching artists being stunned by the talent of other artists.
I love REM. I love this song. I love the album.
My favourite R.E.M. song.
I always go skinny dipping!
Beautiful. No other words.
I have scored a goal against Manchester United and Liverpool today. Yep.
One of the all time greatest songs.
Automatic for the people was a masterpiece!
I got stoned lastnight and was on google earth for 5 hours flying round Antarctica looking for aliens
I hear the #RuleOf6 is being suspended Xmas day – which means the in-laws will be coming for lunch
FFS Boris, you c*nt!
PLEASE GET BACK TOGETHER!!!
Mad that in 40years we will show our grandkids pix of us from back in the day n we will have dog ears off a snap chat filter!
How much are these big/strange scores in the Premiership down to no supporters in grounds?
Anything United can do, we can do better!
the lfc family are going to implode here.
anyone want me to rap a bit to lighten the mood?
Awkward
Jamie Carragher, Ian Rush, Scoach, Lorah , Cilla Black, The Beatles, The las, Robbie Fowler, Lilly Savage, Scouse Dave, Kev’s Cabs, Darren Gee, Purple Aki, your boys have took one of hell of a beating!!
there are actual fireworks going off by ours. baldy fc again.
Can’t believe got to wait till the fuckin 17th to be in a good mood again.
What on earth was going on with the football today?
There are decades where nothing happens and there are weeks where decades happen…
Goin’ to space? It’s not worth it. There’s no one there, is there? I mean, at what point are you all meant to be happy?
If Calsberg did weekends!
Good morning to no one
Rolf report 5 Oct
Most days my humans drive me to campus in my catmobile. If they didn’t I would go there anyway & this way I stay safe. I love the journey. I am attentive & curious the whole time, watching the world go by from the window. I hop out as soon as we arrive.
Rolf x
I wish my human would stop taking these embarrassing photos of me. I knew I wouldn’t fit in this tiny box but I just needed to make certain. I gave her a serious look, but she ignored it and took the photo anyway.
As they stumped along the path they didn’t say much to each other; but when they came to the stream, and had helped each other across the stepping-stones, and were able to walk side by side over the heather, they began to talk in a friendly way.
It’s a message from the football gods to take your grubby beach towels down from the window. Like decayed flowers left tied to a railing, at a scene of a crash that nobody can remember.
Channelling my inner Morrissey there.
The start of a new week! I hope you have a great one Razzbox!
I’ve just dropped the whole biscuit in my cuppa tea so no ones getting a good morning, not a single person, not even meself. Woeful start to the day.
Can we please please ban taxi drivers from fucking talking about corona, I am about to lose my mind!
Okay, real effort now with the diet & that’s a promise. Fresh grilled tomatoes on whole wheat toast for dinner tonight and grilled mushrooms for my breakfast brunch. I felt that putting it in writing would force me have to keep to my promise!
cant wait for a nap when I go see my lashes girl
The hairdresser could boil the kettle, pour it all over my scalp and ask if the temperature is okay and my reply will still be “yes that’s fine”.
These Monday mornings come round thick & fast. I’m supervising the goings on in the corridor. My whiskers are just a bit frizzy due to a dash outside in the rain. Won’t make that mistake again.
Donald Trump says he now understands Covid. After eight months and 200,000 deaths he decides that now is the time to learn something about it.
How’s scouse Dave?
Anyone else have one tit that has a mind of its own. It’s always popping out of tops and trying to make a holy show of you.
The pink mullet died today and a piece of all of us did too x
Who could have foreseen that Dido Harding, who lost the data of 157,000 customers when she was in charge of TalkTalk, might lose 16,000 test results?
You know it’s a bad day at work when you’re trying to get sacked so you can go home early.
BREAKING: Ed Woodward has gone for emergency talks with the Glazers.
Wait…no…sorry, I read that wrong. It’s the glaziers he’s gone to see. Someone’s put his windows in.
Just wanna say a quick congratulations to all me Everton mates for winning the league in October..
Am I still dead?
I’m not in a nice mood today I will not lie…
If you believe Trump had Coronavirus, I have some magic beans you might be interested in.
The bus driver took us to see an earthquake-proof building, which isn’t that exciting on a day without an earthquake.
Whyyyyyy am I watching sky sports news? Someone explain to me why I’m watching it because I’m fucking baffled. We’re fucked!
Only way to lose weight properly is to eat less move more… ok then I’ll stay a fat bastid x
EVERTON WON LIVERPOOL LOST AND THATCHER IS DEAD