Ever find yourself humming a tune and suddenly realizing you have absolutely no idea what the words are? You're definitely not alone with this one. For decades, people have been mangling the rem the sidewinder sleeps tonite lyrics into everything from "Call me a chowder baker" to "Jamaica-way-to-wake-her." It’s basically the ultimate "Yellow Ledbetter" of the 90s alternative scene.
Honestly, even if you look up the sheet music, the song feels like a fever dream. Released in 1992 on the absolute masterpiece Automatic for the People, it stands out like a neon sign in a graveyard. While the rest of the album is busy mourning and contemplating the end of life, "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" is bouncing around with a bright, jangly energy that feels almost illegal given the context.
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But here's the thing: beneath that "eee-dee-dee-dee" opening—which, yes, R.E.M. actually paid the writers of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" for so they wouldn't get sued—the song is actually kind of a bummer. Or at least, it’s about a very specific type of loneliness.
Decoding the rem the sidewinder sleeps tonite lyrics
Let’s get the big one out of the way first. The chorus. Michael Stipe is singing at a speed that seems physically impossible for a human tongue.
"Call me when you try to wake her up."
That’s it. That’s the line. He repeats it roughly 33 times throughout the track. It’s a mouthful, and because he’s doing that weirdly charming Southern-mumble-meets-operatic-slur thing, it sounds like a jumbled mess. But why is he trying to wake her up? Or more importantly, who is "her"?
There are a few ways to look at this.
The Payphone Theory
If you look closely at the verses, the narrator is clearly hanging out at a payphone. Remember those? Big metal boxes, scratched up, smelling like old cigarettes.
- "There are scratches all around the coin slot."
- "This machine can only swallow money."
Bassist Mike Mills once mentioned that the song is basically about someone who doesn't have a place to stay. They're a transient, a drifter. They are "sleeping in a coil" on the floor or in the back of a car. In this context, "her" might not even be a person. It could be the phone itself. Stipe has a history of personifying objects. If you’ve ever waited for a call that never comes, you know that the phone starts to feel like a living, breathing entity that's intentionally ignoring you.
The "Sidewinder" Mystery
What is a sidewinder anyway? Most of us think of the rattlesnake. You know, the one that moves sideways across the sand. That fits the drifter vibe perfectly—someone moving through life with a jagged, non-linear path.
But there’s a more literal, mechanical meaning. A "sidewinder" was also an old nickname for a type of antique telephone with a winding handle on the side. Suddenly, the lyrics about the coin slot and the "stupid, stupid signs" start to form a picture. It’s a song about the frustration of trying to connect in a pre-digital world.
The Famous Giggle: Dr. Seuss vs. Dr. Zeus
If you listen to the track around the 2:33 mark, you’ll hear Michael Stipe lose it. He literally starts laughing in the middle of the take.
It’s one of those rare, human moments in a studio recording that usually gets edited out. But R.E.M. kept it. Why? Because it fits the "breaking the tension" vibe of the whole song. Stipe was trying to name-check Dr. Seuss, but he kept pronouncing it "Dr. Zeus."
Imagine being in the booth, trying to be a serious "Artist" with a capital A, and you can't even say the name of the guy who wrote The Cat in the Hat correctly. Mike Mills was apparently teasing him from the control room, and the result is that genuine burst of laughter.
"Their world has flat backgrounds and little need to sleep but to dream."
Stipe has cited that as one of his favorite lines he ever wrote. It’s a reference to cartoons. In a cartoon, characters don't just go to bed; they enter this floaty, surreal dreamscape. It’s a beautiful, weird observation that somehow anchors the nonsensical list of black-eyed peas, Nescafe, and candy bars mentioned earlier in the song.
Why the Song is a "Lighter" Moment (That Isn't)
Peter Buck, the band's guitarist, has been pretty vocal about why this track even exists. Automatic for the People is a heavy record. It’s about suicide, mortality, and the passage of time.
The band felt they needed a "light spot" to keep the listener from wanting to throw themselves off a bridge by the time they got to "Nightswimming." "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" was that detour.
But is it actually light?
If you take away the "de de de" and the upbeat tempo, you're left with a story about a guy who is effectively homeless, living in a world of "instant soup" and "stupid signs," begging someone to call him back at a payphone. It’s pretty bleak. It’s basically "Everybody Hurts" but with a drum machine and a sense of humor.
How to Actually Sing the rem the sidewinder sleeps tonite lyrics
If you’re going to attempt this at karaoke or just in your car, you need to understand the cadence. Stipe isn't singing on the beat; he's sliding all over it.
- The Verses: Keep it conversational. You're telling a story about being broke and frustrated.
- The Chorus: Don't try to enunciate. If you try to say "Call me when you try to wake her up" clearly, you'll fail. You have to mush the words together. "Call-me-when-ya-try-ta-waker-up."
- The High Notes: Stipe hits some surprisingly high marks in the "Oooooh" sections. Don't be afraid to sound a little thin; it’s part of the charm.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that the song is just "nonsense." While R.E.M. certainly has their share of "Murmur"-era word salad, by 1992, Stipe was a much more intentional writer.
Every weird detail—the black-eyed peas, the "can of beans," the "reading from Dr. Seuss"—is a grounded, physical detail of a life lived on the fringes. It’s about the mundane reality of being a human being. We eat crappy food, we read children's books to feel better, and we wait for the phone to ring.
It's also not a "cover" of The Tokens. It's a tribute. It’s R.E.M. taking a piece of 60s pop fluff and dragging it through the mud of 90s alternative angst. They managed to make something catchy that still feels like it belongs on a record about death. That’s a pretty incredible trick.
Actionable Insights for R.E.M. Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Automatic for the People, start by listening to the "Sidewinder" B-sides. The band actually recorded a full cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" during these sessions. Hearing the two songs back-to-back makes the "Sidewinder" structure much clearer.
Next time you hear the track, listen for the string arrangements by John Paul Jones. Yes, that John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin. His work on this song is subtle but it gives the "pop" track a layer of sophistication that most 90s hits lacked.
Finally, check out the music video. It features the band members as motorists stuck in traffic, revealing their internal thoughts. It’s a perfect visual representation of the song's theme: being physically close to others while remaining completely isolated in your own head.
Don't just listen for the "de de de" intro. Focus on the way the song bridges the gap between childhood innocence (Dr. Seuss) and the harsh reality of adulthood (sleeping in a coil on the floor). That’s where the real magic of the rem the sidewinder sleeps tonite lyrics actually lives.