If I had to ask one question
I’d ask Michael Stipe
How he feels about
“Shiny Happy People”
Being used in that
Bob Ross ad
I’m not sayin’
R.E.M.
Is highbrow art rock
Although
They’ll always have a place in
My heart
Mom used to play ‘em
All the time before
The divorce
But that must be an honor
To be asked by probably
The greatest artist
To walk the Earth
I never got into landscapes
Much
I mean
How can the literal be
Considered art
But then again
I don’t even know how to write
A single fuckin’ metaphor
Or simile
Only realism for me
Thanks
I just happen to live
A very strange kinda life
Took me a while though
To really understand what they meant
When they said
Art imitates life
Cause god and Santa Claus
Aren’t much different
They both got a sick sense of humor
Watchin’ people live in fear
And I know that’s why
Michael Stipe considered
“Shiny Happy People”
A throwaway track
A silly song
But Larry the Cucumber
Wasn’t available
To guest vocal
Michael Stipe
The original indie kid
Tryin’ to act all mysterious
And dark
Can’t even say
“Shiny Happy People”
Is a fun track
So what did he think
When Bob Ross used it
In that ad
Was he able to smile
Or cry in joy
Cause it’s a perfect fit
This goofy track
About just fuckin’ havin’ a good ass time
Livin’ life
Laughin’ about the happy little accidents
And then Bob Ross comes on your screen
While you’re comin’ down from acid
In an RV
And the song on in the background
While he reassures everyone fucks up
But everyone can fix ‘em
It’s all part of the joy
In the art of life
Skid your knee
To Jackson Pollock
The sidewalk
End up unable to own
A house
Cause your pops
Didn’t know how to pull out
In time
Scream like Yoko Ono
In the middle of rush hour
Doesn’t fuckin’ matter
Let the bullshit
Smear across your canvas
And fuckin’ smile
For once
Maybe you’ll find it better to laugh
When you fall down the manhole
To rock bottom
With nothin’ to eat
But a spoonful of dog food
Up the nose
Into the bloodstream
Cause that’s what makes life
Fuckin’ artistic
The fuck ups
And our ability to continuously
Piss in the fan
And hope at least one
Single
Droplet
Makes it between the blades
Even if we end up soaked