Star Songs: Star 69 (#8)

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As I said when I introduced this series of songs with “star” in the title, I’m sure that @RasmaSandra would regret suggesting this countdown theme quickly. Never expect the “normal” from me! With that in mind, here’s today’s totally un-shocking song. #8: Star 69 - R.E.M. Holy cow, an R.E.M. song that doesn’t need an explanation?! What happened??? This is pretty straightforward: a guy torches a warehouse, then calls for an alibi. Even though the phone wasn’t answered, the narrator knows who called because of the one-time call feature (*69, or “Star 69”), which was a “return the last call” feature on phones in the waning days of landlines. (Cellphones might still have it, but I doubt it. I just push the information if I want to call back.) And, of course, yesterday was Michael Stipe’s 62nd birthday. Wow, that makes me feel old (because he’s only a couple of months older than I am! ) And today is JJ’s birthday (as he explained, he was named after Michael Stipe, as was I and everyone else born after Stipe ), so here’s his “pot to pee in.” Enjoy this powerhouse rocker. Star 69 Written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe Recorded by R.E.M. From Monster, 1994 Some dork Inside Edition hard copy: