The One I love ( R.E.M. Song ) - wikipedia The One I love ( R.E.M. Song ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2014 ) `` The One I Love '' Single by R.E.M. from the album Document B - side `` Maps and Legends '' ( Live ) Released August 1987 Format 7 '' 12 '' cassette CD Recorded Genre Alternative rock Length 3 : 17 Label I.R.S. Songwriter ( s ) Bill Berry Peter Buck Mike Mills Michael Stipe Producer ( s ) Scott Litt R.E.M. R.E.M. singles chronology `` Superman '' ( 1986 ) `` The One I Love '' ( 1987 ) `` It 's the End of the World as We Know It ( And I Feel Fine ) '' ( 1987 ) Music video `` The One I Love '' on YouTube `` The One I Love '' is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was released on the band 's fifth full - length studio album, Document, and also as a 7 '' vinyl single in 1987. The song was their first hit single, reaching # 9 in the US Billboard Hot 100, # 14 in Canada, and later reached # 16 in the UK singles chart on its UK release ( 1991 ). The song was included in Activision 's Guitar Hero World Tour and is in Guitar Hero On Tour : Decades, as well as Harmonix 's Rock Band 4. The accompanying video 's director was artist Robert Longo. The director of photography was Alton Brown, who later became a Food Network personality. In March 2005, Q magazine placed `` The One I Love '' at number 57 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the song as the 38th best single of the 1980s. The song is included on R.E.M. Live. Contents 1 Lyrics and meaning 2 Track listing 2.1 12 `` : IRS / IRS - 23792 ( US ) 2.2 12 `` : IRS / IRMT 146 ( UK ) 2.3 1987 CD : IRS / DIRM 146 ( UK ) 2.4 1988 CD : IRS / DIRM 173 ( UK ) 2.5 1991 Limited Edition CD : IRS / DIRMT 178 ( UK ) 2.6 1991 Limited Edition CD : IRS / DIRMX 178 ( UK ) 3 Charts 4 References 5 External links Lyrics and meaning The record has become a popular radio dedication to loved ones, relying on a misinterpretation of its refrain, `` This one goes out to the one I love. '' However, subsequent lyrics in the same verse contradict the love song interpretation and suggest a darker, more manipulative theme ( `` A simple prop to occupy my time '' ). Stipe related in 1987 to Rolling Stone, `` I 've always left myself pretty open to interpretation. It 's probably better that they just think it 's a love song at this point. '' However, in an interview in the January 1988 issue of Musician magazine, he said that the song was `` incredibly violent '' and added, `` It 's very clear that it 's about using people over and over again ''. The song contains only three verses, the first two of which are identical ; the third verse changes the line `` A simple prop to occupy my time '' to `` Another prop has occupied my time. '' The chorus consists of just the word `` fire '', repeated over the backing vocal of `` She 's coming down on her own now / Coming down on her own '' ( sung by Mike Mills ). Track listing All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe unless otherwise indicated. `` The One I Love '' -- 3 : 16 `` Maps and Legends '' ( Live ) -- 3 : 15 12 `` : IRS / IRS - 23792 ( US ) Side one `` The One I Love '' -- 3 : 16 Side two `` The One I Love '' ( Live ) -- 4 : 06 `` Maps and Legends '' ( Live ) -- 3 : 15 12 `` : IRS / IRMT 146 ( UK ) Side one `` The One I Love '' -- 3 : 16 Side two `` Last Date '' ( Floyd Cramer ) -- 2 : 16 `` Disturbance at the Heron House '' -- 3 : 26 1987 CD : IRS / DIRM 146 ( UK ) `` The One I Love '' -- 3 : 16 `` Last Date '' ( Floyd Cramer ) -- 2 : 16 `` Disturbance at the Heron House '' -- 3 : 26 1988 CD : IRS / DIRM 173 ( UK ) `` The One I Love '' -- 3 : 16 `` Fall on Me '' -- 2 : 50 `` So. Central Rain '' -- 3 : 14 1991 Limited Edition CD : IRS / DIRMT 178 ( UK ) `` The One I Love '' -- 3 : 16 `` This One Goes Out '' ( Live ) -- 4 : 01 `` Maps and Legends '' ( Live ) -- 3 : 13 1991 limited edition cd : irs / dirmx 178 ( UK ) `` The One I Love '' -- 3 : 15 `` Driver Eight '' ( Live ) -- 3 : 27 `` Disturbance at the Heron House '' ( Live ) -- 3 : 40 `` Crazy '' -- 3 : 02 Recorded at McCabe 's Guitar Shop, Santa Monica, California, May 24, 1987. Certain releases list the live recording of `` The One I Love '' as `` This One Goes Out '' instead. Charts Chart ( 1987 / 1991 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 84 Canadian Hot 100 11 Dutch Singles Chart 69 German Singles Chart 81 Irish Singles Chart 5 UK Singles Chart 16 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 9 U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks - The single originally reached # 51 in the UK. It reached # 16 in 1991 after the song was re-released. - Only charted in 1991 after the song 's re-release. References Jump up ^ http://remhq.com/albums.php Jump up ^ `` Rock Band 4 Core Soundtrack ''. Retrieved 21 April 2018. Jump up ^ `` Best Singles of the 1980s ''. Slant Magazine. 2012 - 08 - 20. Retrieved 2013 - 05 - 12. Jump up ^ Pond, Steve. `` In the Real World : R.E.M. ''. Rolling Stone. December 3, 1987. Jump up ^ Dennis Sullivan, song review on allmusic.com Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 1993 ). Australian Chart Book 1970 - 1992. St Ives, NSW, Australia : Australian Chart Book. p. 244. ISBN 0 - 646 - 11917 - 6. N.B. The Kent Music Report chart was licensed by ARIA until the commencement of the in - house produced ARIA Chart on 26 June 1988. External links Video clip at REMhq.com Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics R.E.M. Bill Berry Peter Buck Mike Mills Michael Stipe ( Bertis Downs IV Jefferson Holt ) Nathan December Buren Fowler Peter Holsapple Barrett Martin Scott McCaughey Bill Rieflin Ken Stringfellow Joey Waronker Studio albums Murmur Reckoning Fables of the Reconstruction Lifes Rich Pageant Document Green Out of Time Automatic for the People Monster New Adventures in Hi - Fi Up Reveal Around the Sun Accelerate Collapse into Now Compilations Dead Letter Office Eponymous The Best of R.E.M. The Automatic Box Singles Collected In the Attic In Time iTunes Originals And I Feel Fine Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982 -- 2011 Complete Rarities : I.R.S. 1982 -- 1987 Complete Rarities : Warner Bros. 1988 -- 2011 7IN -- 83 -- 88 EPs Chronic Town Not Bad for No Tour Vancouver Rehearsal Tapes Live from London Reckoning Songs from The Olympia Other albums Man on the Moon r.e.m. IX R.E.M. Live Live at The Olympia Unplugged : The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions Singles `` Radio Free Europe '' `` Talk About the Passion '' `` So. Central Rain ( I 'm Sorry ) '' `` ( Do n't Go Back To ) Rockville '' `` Cant Get There from Here '' `` Driver 8 '' `` Wendell Gee '' `` Fall on Me '' `` Superman '' `` The One I Love '' `` It 's the End of the World as We Know It ( And I Feel Fine ) '' `` Finest Worksong '' `` Orange Crush '' `` Stand '' `` Pop Song 89 '' `` Get Up '' `` Losing My Religion '' `` Shiny Happy People '' `` Near Wild Heaven '' `` Radio Song '' `` Drive '' `` Man on the Moon '' `` The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite '' `` Everybody Hurts '' `` Nightswimming '' `` Find the River '' `` What 's the Frequency, Kenneth ? '' `` Bang and Blame '' `` Strange Currencies '' `` Crush with Eyeliner '' `` Tongue '' `` E-Bow the Letter '' `` Bittersweet Me '' `` Electrolite '' `` How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us '' `` Daysleeper '' `` Lotus '' `` At My Most Beautiful '' `` Suspicion '' `` The Great Beyond '' `` Imitation of Life '' `` All the Way to Reno ( You 're Gonna Be a Star ) '' `` I 'll Take the Rain '' `` Bad Day '' `` Animal '' `` Leaving New York '' `` Aftermath '' `` Electron Blue '' `` Wanderlust '' `` # 9 Dream '' `` Supernatural Superserious '' `` Hollow Man '' `` Man - Sized Wreath '' `` Until the Day Is Done '' `` Mine Smell Like Honey '' `` Überlin '' `` Oh My Heart '' `` We All Go Back to Where We Belong '' Other songs `` Sitting Still '' `` Gardening at Night '' `` Perfect Circle '' `` Pretty Persuasion '' `` Begin the Begin '' `` Cuyahoga '' `` Ages of You '' `` Turn You Inside - Out '' `` Texarkana '' `` Country Feedback '' `` First We Take Manhattan '' `` Ignoreland '' `` Dark Globe '' `` Star 69 '' `` New Test Leper '' `` All the Right Friends '' `` Out in the Country '' Videos Succumbs Tourfilm Pop Screen This Film Is On Parallel Road Movie In View Perfect Square When the Light Is Mine R.E.M. Live This Is Not a Show R.E.M. Live from Austin, TX REMTV Related articles Discography List of songs Tours Peter Buck Hindu Love Gods The Minus 5 Tuatara The Baseball Project Tired Pony Filthy Friends Athens Andover `` I Belong to You '' Hib - Tone Surprise Your Pig : A Tribute to R.E.M. Drive XV : A Tribute to Automatic for the People Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_One_I_Love_(R.E.M._song)&oldid=853216030 '' Categories : R.E.M. songs 1987 singles 1980s ballads Songs written by Bill Berry Songs written by Peter Buck Songs written by Mike Mills Songs written by Michael Stipe I.R.S. Records singles Song recordings produced by Scott Litt Song recordings produced by Mike Mills Song recordings produced by Michael Stipe Song recordings produced by Peter Buck Song recordings produced by Bill Berry Rock ballads 1987 songs Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from July 2014 All articles needing additional references Use mdy dates from August 2017 Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Français Italiano Português Slovenčina Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 3 August 2018, at 05 : 50 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who sings this goes out to the one i love
Answer: R.E.M.