Released: October 5, 1992

Songwriter: Bill Berry Peter Buck Mike Mills (R.E.M.) Michael Stipe

Producer: Scott Litt R.E.M.

[Verse 1]
These bastards stole their power from
The victims of the us v. them years
Wrecking all things virtuous and true
The undermining social democratic
Downhill slide into abysmal
Lost lamb off the precipice into
The trickle down run-off pool

[Pre-Chorus]
They hypnotized the summer
1979
Marched into the capital
Brooding duplicitous, wicked and able, media-ready
Heartless and labeled, super U.S. citizen, super achiever
Mega ultra power dosing, relax defense, defense, defense, defense
Yeah, yeah, yeah, fuck

[Chorus]
(Yeah, yeah, yeah) Ignoreland
(Yeah, yeah, yeah) Ignoreland
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)

[Verse 2]
The information nation took
Their clues from all the sound-bite gluttons
1980, '84, '88
'92 too, too
How to be what you can be
Jump jam junking your energies
How to walk in dignity
With throw-up on your shoes

[Pre-Chorus]
They amplified the autumn
1979
Calculate the capital
Up the republic my skinny ass, TV tells a million lies
The paper's terrified to report, anything that isn't handed
On a presidential spoon, I'm just profoundly frustrated
By all this, so fuck you, man

[Chorus]
(Fuck 'em)
(Yeah, yeah, yeah) Ignoreland
(Yeah, yeah, yeah) Ignoreland

[Bridge]
If they weren't there we would have created them
Maybe, it is true
But I'm resentful all the same
Someone's got to take the blame

[Verse 3]
I know that this is vitriol
No solution, spleen-venting
But I feel better having screamed
Don't you?

[Pre-Chorus]
They desecrate the winter
1979
Capital collateral
Brooding duplicitous, wicked and able, media-ready
Heartless and labeled, super U.S. citizen, super achiever
Mega ultra power dosing, relax, defense, defense, defense, defense
Yeah, yeah, yeah, fuck

[Chorus]
(Yeah, yeah, yeah) Ignoreland
(Yeah, yeah, yeah) Ignoreland
(Yeah, yeah, yeah) Ignoreland
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)

[Outro]
(And that takes us out of the record, and into the revolution. Take it.)

R.E.M.

R.E.M. were an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry.

Berry quit the band in April 1997, as they were getting together to record demos for the album Up. He was not replaced on a permanent basis, but the band used an assortment of drummers in his place.