Release date: 24/8/82 | Length: 3:29 | Release: Chronic Town | SuE: #10

Gardening at night just didn’t grow

It’s been said by the band that Gardening at Night was one of the band’s first songs, at least in terms of something they would later commit themselves too and become a staple of their early setlists. You can tell. There’s an incredibly looseness to it, arguably even more so compared to the rest of their output on Chronic Town and Murmur, and the sense that the band are still finding their feet and sound.

Michael Stipe’s voice is remarkably soft here, creating a slightly melancholic tone. There’s no real sadness about the song, but it almost feels like the singer doesn’t quite yet have the confidence that exudes from his mouth on West of the Fields or Talk About the Passion. This is no means a criticism of the song, as this gentleness actually makes it all the more comforting. Unlike the Eponymous (an I.R.S. compilation to cash in on the group’s major label switch) version of this song that featured enhanced and clearer vocals, the mystery remains on the original. The latter recording isn’t quite sterile, but it does feel a bit more standoffish and professional.

It’s got a strong following amongst the R.E.M. community, presumably because it’s one of their first songs put to tape and that it stands up so well today. It’s full of charming nonsense, but unlike 9-9, it’s not esoteric in its words. The title of the track supposedly refers to midnight toilet breaks by the band whilst on tour travelling from state to state, and there’s a nice whimsy to that.

Fittingly, when inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, Gardening at Night was one of four songs the band played, made all the more special that ex-drummer Bill Berry joined the group for this performance, the final time all four members shared the same stage.