According to some, it’s about a struggle to reach the top. According to yet another, it’s about Hollywood and everything about it. We’re talking about the 2001 song Imitation of Life by R.E.M. What’s the song really about?
Imitation of Life, de film
Not one of the most well-known films of the 1950s in the Netherlands, Imitation of Life. The film appeared in 1959 and was directed by Douglas Sirk (April 26, 1897 – January 14, 1987). In any case, it is not often aired on television anymore. That is true of most films made by Sirk, by the way.
The film was based on a book written by Fannie Hurst (18 October 1889 – 23 February 23, 1968). She became famous thanks to the book Back Street. She also wrote several plays. These gained fame mainly in the United States.
In countries where English was not the native language, people translated the title into the language they spoke. So in Dutch, Imitation of Life became “Zolang er mensen zijn.” When translating that back to English it results in: “As long as there are people.”
Imitation of Life (or any other title to be used as a translation) featured Lana Turner (8 February 1921 – 29 June 1995) as Lana Turner. Turner was eager to make it on Broadway. That’s not all, take into consideration that it was even more dramatic because she was a single mother of Susie. At one moment she loses track of her daughter when they visit Coney Island. Then the daughter is taken care of by someone who is the same age as Lora Meredith. This is Annie Johnson. This role was played by Juanita Moore (born 14 October 1914). As mother and daughter finally are reunited, Johnson offers to take care of Susie, so that her mother can continue her career. Her dreams can come true. They do so.
In the book written by Hurst on which the film is based, imitation is in this case the way of living a life that is not the same as what’s expected of people. For example, Lora Meredith becomes famous and it comes with a price. It eventually leads to a distance between herself and her daughter. Sandra Dee (23 April 1942 – 20 February 2005) played the sixteen-year-old Susie and Susan Kohler (born 11 November 1936) played the role of the eighteen-year-old Susie.
Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Controversial subject
The film also dealt with a controversial subject. At least, for that time. Relationships between different cultures and or backgrounds. Something that should be taken for granted, but wasn’t. Especially not when you consider that this was the period before the Civil Rights Movement was launched in the southern United States to fight for equal rights for African Americans. Although on paper those rights were settled in the northern states, in practice it was sometimes different. Even today, this is not a given either. When it comes to relationships, it is still not a given either. In this respect, the title of the book is a well-chosen one: it is about an imitation. Something that does not correspond to reality. That goes beyond just this story. It is, as it were, a mirror, and it applies even now. Not just for New York City, Broadway or the United States. For more parts of the world.
About this film, R.E.M. made the song of the same name in 2001. It is wrongly assumed that this song is all about Hollywood. True, this place’s name appears in the lyrics. This is to make it all more understandable. Not everyone can understand the struggles of actors on Broadway. There are, just as many as there are for actors in Hollywood. So you could replace Hollywood with Broadway or any other location on the globe where a certain struggle takes place. After all, that’s what the song is about. The song may bear the same title as the movie, but it continues. Call it a sequel. It is a tribute to anyone who is fighting a battle in any way. In addition, it is a tribute to the struggle that is being fought and a motivation to continue that struggle. You have to leave things for that, so C’mon, C’mon! At least you would think so when you have read the first part of the book and movie of the same name. The only problem is, that none of the band members of R.E.M. had read the book or watched the movie at the time. One did base the title of the song on the movie of the same name. This makes the statement that the song is not about Hollywood false. What about the struggles?
Based on the title
The title was interesting enough to use. The song was based on the title. They coupled that idea with the idea that there was a metaphor. A metaphor that stood for growing up and maturity. The remarkable thing is the way they viewed this song. This article would never have been written. The chances of the song ever being released were very high. The band members thought it was very similar to the song Driver 8, which was on the album Fables of Reconstruction (released June 10, 1985). There was, however, a long time between the Fable of Reconstruction and the release of Reveal, which featured Imitation of Life. This album was released on May 14, 2001. This led to four different versions, from which a final version eventually emerged that we know today. It was not released as a single itself but was on a B-side of Reveal.
The acoustic version of Imitation of Life resembles Drive 8, if you listen closely.
Monster
Imitation of Life and Drive 8 aren’t the only songs with similarities. But first, let’s take a moment to talk about Monster (1994). This album was the album that was the more obscure successor to Out of Time (1990). It wasn’t the direct successor, of course. Let’s not forget the album Automatic for the People (1992). Let’s skip all the releases that consisted of re-releases, like The Best Of R.E.M. (1992) and The Automatic Box (1993). So, it was Out of Time, Automatic for the People and then Monster (1990, 1992 and 1994). For those who only knew songs like Losing My Religion, Shiny Happy People (both hit singles from Out of Time) or the tear-jerker Everybody Hurts (‘huuuuuuuurts), this new album in 1994 was a surprise. What was going on here? Well, folks, this was R.E.M. too! This was R.E.M. back to, let’s say, mid-eighties. Suddenly, R.E.M. was a monster. Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mille and Michael Stipe weren’t. Berry left the band in 1997 because of health issues. Until R.E.M. broke up in 2011, they used freelance drummers.
Monster, not so much of a monster. It was for those who got to know R.E.M. from songs from the albums that hit the pop charts. Maybe it was the music that was different in certain cases then. When it came to lyrics and messages, it certainly was not. In that, R.E.M. just kept doing what they were always good at just continuing what they were doing.
Songs like Radio Song or Texarkana are also listed on Out of Time. The difference between Losing My Religion and Shiny Happy People, they didn’t become those huge hits. This was mostly the same with the album Monster. With, possibly one exception: What’s the frequency, Kenneth? Songs like Bang and Blame, I took your name and especially Strange Currencies are also precious gemstones. That last one, Strange Currencies, try comparing that one with another song. That’s why the assumption that Monster is the darker successor of Automatic for the People in a way isn’t that bad. Why? Listen to Strange Currencies and one song from Automatic for the People in particular: Everybody Hurts.
The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
Okay, Automatic for the People is more than Everybody Hurts. I’m fully aware of that. Let’s not dive into Nightswimming (pun not intended). The song “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite” was never performed by R.E.M. live. It was a song that was not only inspired by The Lion Sleeps Tonight, it was based on this song. Instead of just using or stealing this song, R.E.M. paid money for it. The song was meant to provide some counterbalance to the more emotional songs on the album. Even when you think about what the song is about. Well, if you know what the song is about. Just like Imitation of Life, there’s also a message being conveyed. Name a song that doesn’t do it, aside from certain songs with unintelligible lyrics or questionable unidentifiable sounds.
The song is a reference to something that is the opposite of Imitation of Life. Procrastination or an attempt to avoid things. The sidewinder isn’t a rattlesnake, it’s a classic type of phone. It’s the postponing of phone calls. It’s also about the impossibility of having a place of your own, a home. There is a similarity with the Imagination of Life. Again, it comes down to a struggle someone needs to undergo. In the end, it’s all about these struggles in life. Yes, life is hard work, sometimes. Just as Imitation of Life demonstrates, so: Come on, Come on. Or better: C’mon, C’mon!
