Michael Stipe to Donald Trump, Other Candidates Using Band's Music: "Go Fuck Yourselves"
Judging by their use of “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” at a Tea Party rally today, Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are huge fans of seminal alt-rockers R.E.M. Unfortunately for them, the feeling isn’t mutual.
“Go fuck yourselves, the lot of you—you sad, attention grabbing, power hungry little men,” said R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe via Twitter on Wednesday. “Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.”
On Facebook, however, the band released a far less profane (and far more boring) official statement reminding fans that none of this stuff matters when one of these maniacs could actually become President:
While we do not authorize or condone the use of our music at this political event, and do ask that these candidates cease and desist from doing so, let us remember that there are things of greater importance at stake here. The media and the American voter should focus on the bigger picture, and not allow grandstanding politicians to distract us from the pressing issues of the day and of the current Presidential campaign.
R.E.M., of course, is only the latest group to object to their music being hijacked for tone-deaf political purposes. Just yesterday, Survivor slammed Kim Davis for using “Eye of the Tiger” as her walkout song and in June, Neil Young asked Trump to please stop rockin’ in the free world.
However, the saddest example (by far) is Bruce Springsteen superfan Chris Christie, whose history of getting shit on by his idol apparently dates back to the Clinton administration.
