R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People!

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From the MUSIC section: R.E.M’s Automatic For The People!

By Drew Crosby

The name behind R.E.M.’s 8th album, Automatic For The People, goes back to the group’s early days, when they used to hang out (pasar el tiempo) at Weaver D’s, a soulfood* restaurant located in their hometown of Athens, Georgia.

Athens is home to the University of Georgia and Weaver D’s became a hangout (lugar frecuentado) for college students and other rock and roll bands, including another Athens, GA group, The B-52s.

Orders at Weaver D’s are taken by the owner himself, Dexter Weaver.

“That’s my slogan,” says Weaver, “Automatic for the people!”

Good food and good service with a smile.



Michael Stipe had heard Dexter Weaver shout “Automatic for the people!” so many times, he figured he’d name R.E.M.’s next album after the slogan.

Stipe showed up (apareció) at the restaurant one day with a lawyer, offered Weaver some cash and sealed the deal (cerró el trato).

R.E.M. now had permission to use “automatic for the people.”

Thanks to the hit singles Everybody Hurts and Man On The Moon, the album went to Number 1 on the UK charts and reached Number 2 in the U.S.

Automatic For The People. Over 20 million (LP’s) served worldwide.

*Soulfood. Food traditionally eaten by southern African-Americans.