"The Great Beyond" is a song by R.E.M. It is not featured on an original studio album as it was written specifically for the 1999 movie Man on the Moon but was released as a single the following year, in support of the film's soundtrack album. The single reached #3 in the UK singles chart. It is also included in R.E.M.'s 2003 compilation album, In Time - The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003, in its only unedited capacity. On the Man on the Moon soundtrack, there is some dialogue from the movie at the end of the track; meanwhile, the single version is a radio edit, with the bridge omitted.

In the unedited version, at 4:09 and at 4:26, the listener can hear Michael Stipe singing the following lines in the background: "Here's a little agit for the never-believer, here's a little ghost for the offering". Both lines were taken from the 1992 R.E.M. song "Man on the Moon", also about Andy Kaufman, from which the movie took its title.

The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

The song's video was directed by Liz Friedlander. It originally featured footage of Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman, yet for the In View: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003 DVD (which accompanied In Time and collected R.E.M.'s major videos from 1988 to 2003) the video was remixed to feature archived footage of Kaufman himself (similar to the video for "Man on the Moon").

The song was covered by The Fray in 2007 for the compilation album Radio 1: Established 1967.

A live version of this song is included on R.E.M. Live.

Track listing

Cassette / US CD

1. "The Great Beyond" (radio edit) - 4:14
2. "Man On The Moon" - 5:24

UK CD

1. "The Great Beyond" (radio edit) - 4:14
2. "Everybody Hurts" (live) - 6:20
3. "The One I Love" (live) - 3:10

Maxi-CD

1. "The Great Beyond" (radio edit) - 4:14
2. "The One I Love" (live) - 3:10
3. "Everybody Hurts" (live) - 6:20
4. "Man On The Moon" (live) - 5:24

Charts

References