Michael Stipe didn't even want to record it. That’s the first thing you have to understand about R.E.M. I Am Superman. It’s a weird, bright, almost annoyingly catchy outlier in a discography that was, at the time, defined by murky lyrics and Southern Gothic mystery.
By 1986, R.E.M. was the biggest thing in the "underground." They were the darlings of college radio. They were the guys who wrote "Murmur," an album so atmospheric and confusing that people spent hours trying to decode what Stipe was mumbling. Then came Lifespan, and with it, this blast of sunshine-pop that felt like it belonged in a 1960s garage band's basement rather than a moody Athens, Georgia art-rock scene.
It's a cover. A lot of casual fans don't realize that. The original was by a group called The Clique, a sunshine-pop outfit from Texas that released it as a B-side in 1969. Why did R.E.M. pick it? Because Mike Mills loved it.
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The Internal Tug-of-War Over a Pop Song
If you listen closely to the track, you can hear the internal friction that made R.E.M. so great. Mike Mills, the bassist and the secret weapon of the band’s melodic sensibility, is the one driving the bus here. He’s the one singing the lead vocal on the chorus. Stipe? He’s basically relegated to backing vocals on the refrain, though he handles the verses with a sort of detached, cool irony.
Stipe was notoriously protective of the band’s "serious" image back then. He hated the idea of being a "pop" band. But Mills and guitarist Peter Buck had a deep, almost encyclopedic love for 60s garage rock and power pop. They used to play "I Am Superman" during soundchecks just to loosen up. It was a joke that turned into a staple, and eventually, it forced its way onto Lifespan.
The song is short. Just under three minutes. It doesn't overstay its welcome. It hits you with that iconic, jangly Rickenbacker riff from Buck—a sound that would eventually influence everyone from The Smiths to Gin Blossoms—and it never lets up. It’s a song about confidence, or maybe the delusion of it. "I am Superman, and I can do anything."
It’s hilarious when you think about it. Here is a band that was becoming the voice of a generation of "outsider" kids, and they’re singing a song about being an invincible superhero. But that’s the trick. The way R.E.M. plays it, it doesn't sound like bragging. It sounds like a desperate mantra.
Why Lifespan Needed This Moment
Lifespan (properly stylized as Lifes Rich Pageant) was a transitional record. The band was moving away from the misty, reverb-heavy production of their first three albums. They hired Don Gehman to produce, a guy known for working with John Mellencamp. Gehman’s mission was simple: make Michael Stipe’s voice audible.
He succeeded. Suddenly, the drums were huge. The guitars were crisp. And right at the end of the record, after all the environmental themes and political anxiety of songs like "Fall on Me" and "Cuyahoga," you get R.E.M. I Am Superman.
It serves as a release valve.
Without it, Lifes Rich Pageant might have been too heavy, too self-important. This song proved the band had a sense of humor. It proved they weren't just art students in cardigans; they were a rock and roll band that grew up listening to AM radio.
The Clique vs. R.E.M.: A Quick Contrast
If you track down the original version by The Clique, it’s a very different beast. It has that late-60s "bubblegum" sheen. It’s got a bit of a psychedelic swirl to it, but it’s very polite.
R.E.M. stripped the politeness away. They replaced the organs with jagged guitar lines. They replaced the soft harmonies with Mike Mills’ earnest, soaring tenor. Bill Berry’s drumming on the track is particularly underrated. He’s not just keeping time; he’s pushing the tempo, making the song feel like it’s constantly leaning forward, about to fall over, but never quite doing so.
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The "I Am Superman" Legacy in Alternative Rock
You can’t talk about the 90s alt-rock explosion without looking at this specific moment in 1986. Before Nirvana broke the doors down, R.E.M. was the blueprint. They showed that you could be "indie" and still write a hook that stayed in someone's head for three days.
R.E.M. I Am Superman paved the way for the "ironic cover." It’s a tradition that bands like Pavement, Weezer, and The Lemonheads would lean into heavily a decade later. It’s the art of taking something perceived as "uncool" or "dated" and revitalizing it with a specific kind of modern energy.
Interestingly, the song became a minor hit on its own. It reached number 34 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock tracks. For a band that was still considered "college rock," that was a massive deal. It was a signal to the industry that R.E.M. was ready for the big leagues, whether Stipe liked it or not.
A Note on Those Strange Lyrics
"You don't really love that guy you make it clear / With every sweat-drenched veil and every brine-soaked tear."
Wait. What?
Those aren't exactly "superhero" lyrics. They're actually quite dark and bitter. It’s a song about someone watching a person they care about stay in a bad relationship. The narrator is claiming they have the "superpower" to see through the lies.
"I am Superman and I can do anything / I am Superman and I can do anything."
When R.E.M. sings it, there's a layer of sarcasm there. Or maybe it's empathy? That’s the beauty of the Buck/Mills/Berry/Stipe era. They could take a straightforward pop song and make it feel like a complex emotional puzzle.
Collecting the Vinyl and Finding the Track Today
If you’re a collector, you’re looking for the original I.R.S. Records pressing of Lifes Rich Pageant. The track is listed as the final song on Side Two. Interestingly, on some early pressings and promotional materials, the song was titled simply "Superman."
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It’s also featured heavily on the Eponymous compilation, which is where a lot of younger fans first discovered it in the late 80s and early 90s. That version sounds slightly different to some ears—perhaps just the mastering of the era—but the energy remains the same.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to truly appreciate the genius of R.E.M. I Am Superman, stop listening to it as a standalone pop song. Do this instead:
- Listen to "Cuyahoga" first. Feel the weight of the lyrics about the displacement of Native Americans and the pollution of American rivers.
- Immediately skip to "I Am Superman." Notice how the shift in tone feels like a physical jolt. It's the musical equivalent of walking out of a dark theater into high noon sunlight.
- Compare it to the live versions. If you can find a bootleg from the 1986 "Pageantry" tour, you’ll hear a band that is having the time of their lives playing this song. It was often the encore. It was the moment they let the audience (and themselves) off the hook.
There is a lesson here for modern artists. You don't always have to be "on brand." Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your career is to cover a forgotten 60s B-side and play it like your life depends on it.
The song remains a testament to the fact that R.E.M. was never just Michael Stipe's diary. It was a four-headed monster, and sometimes, that monster just wanted to put on a cape and fly.
Practical Takeaway: To get the full experience, track down the 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Lifes Rich Pageant. It includes the "Athens Demos," which give you a raw look at how the band was shaping their sound during this era. You can hear the evolution of their confidence, which eventually led them to take the risk on a song like "Superman."