Don't Go Back To Rockville by R.E.M.

Album: Reckoning (1984)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

This song is about Ingrid Schorr, R.E.M. bass player Mike Mills' girlfriend at the University of Georgia in 1980 when the band formed. She was having a great time on the campus in Athens and wanted to stay there for the summer, but her parents insisted she return home to Rockville, Maryland. The song is Mills trying to convince her to stay.
According to Ingrid Schorr, Mike Mills came up with the idea for the song when they were hanging out at a local club called Tyrone's and they were talking about how she was leaving. "I finally meet a girl I like and she's got to go back to Rockville," he said.

"The lyrics, like their author, are endearingly straightforward," Schorr explained in the magazine Hermenaut. "The song isn't so much about me as about my taking off for some other place, leaving him behind: 'I know it might sound strange but I believe you'll be coming back before too long.'"
The song was released as a single from R.E.M.'s second album, Reckoning. It didn't chart but became a fan favorite and got a good amount of airplay after the band became really popular a few years later.
Ingrid Schorr did go back to Rockville, but returned after the summer to the University of Georgia, where she earned a degree in journalism. She went on to work for Brandeis University in their office for the arts.
Rockville gets a bad rap in this song, described as a factory town that's "full-time filth." It's not a factory town and it's not filthy, but that was the description Mike Mills confabulated. Rockville is a suburb of Washington, DC, modern and well-off. But for a college student into music and fun, it couldn't compare to Athens, Georgia, which has perhaps the highest per-capita cultural cachet in America. By 1980, the B-52s had formed there and it was a thriving center for the arts.
"Don't Go Back To Rockville" was the first R.E.M. song with a lead vocal by Mike Mills. Others to follow include "Superman" and "Texarkana." Mills also wrote most of the lyrics to the song.
The band had already been playing this song in a much faster, punk-like style for a long time and didn't even consider it for the Reckoning album until their legal advisor, Bertis Downs, begged them to "at least do one take of it for me ... please!?!?"

Drummer Bill Berry remembers tweaking the song to mess with Downs: "To playfully suggest to him that the song wasn't in contention, we recorded a much slower version than he was accustomed to hearing and we sprinkled it with a Nashville twang to drive the point home. It started out silly, but when Mike added piano, the tune took on new light. Thanks, Bert!" (from the liner notes to Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011)

Comments: 10

Bigg from Rockville MdNot a factory town at all. Its a mecca for DNA and Gene labs, the county seat and too damn many people that don't know how to drive. It's also expensive (2k+ for a 1 bedroom apt.) and where I have lived on and off all my life. Not a bad place really, "just outside the beltway".

**It's also the home of McRuff, the crime fighting dog.
Richard from GaIt's really old news that the song is about Mike Mills's girlfriend, Ingrid Schorr, who was from Rockville. At one point, in an interview in the late 1980s, he claimed it was some girl that he dated but didn't even remember her name. That wasn't true. He was trying to maintain her privacy. When Mills learned the info was going to come out in a book, he let Ingrid know. Not that it was much of a secret even then. I went to school in NC, on the tour route for all the old Southern alt bands of the day, and REM lore was freely traded among the college radio aficionados. Google the article on Hilobrow.
Cody from Madera, CaMichael Stipe sings lead on the song, but in more recent live performances Mike Mills sang lead instead (one instance is on the R.E.M. Live album).
Jeff from Mt. Pleasant, ScThe lyrics suggest that it could be about a bump in a relationship between two band members, one of which has left for a spell. "At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend I don't care that your'e not here with me." -- "Something better happen soon or it's going to be to late to bring you back." rejoin the band? There are no factories in Rockville MD.
Claude from Kingston, MaMike Mills does not sing the lead in this song. He sings the harmony on the chorus and that's it. Stipe sings lead. It's very obvious.
Chris from Newcastle Upon Tyne, United KingdomI don't think the speaker actually loved her, he only wanted her because he couldn't have her, as she was leaving.
'It's not as if I really need you'
'If you were here I'd only leave you'
It's also about sticking to education, as it's what's best, ie ending up in some factory, 'stay another year' is also interesting, it's one year, it may seem a long time, but the benefits will be huge.
Doctor from Birmingham, United KingdomOne of my favourite songs of all time...

MIKE MILLS is my idol! he's a legend!
John from Poprt Washington, WiMichael Stipe is in fact, bi..As if that has anything to do with anything.
Lisa from Herzegova, BosniaMichael Stipe is gay! So I don't think it was him..but I believe it was another band member who was going out with her.. They're not too keen on this song. It's one of my favourites though!
Mark from Lincoln, EnglandAnd Mike had a crush on her and was tempted to throw it all away chasing her and forgoe his chances with the band .....the ' dont go back to rockville' and ' you will wind up in some factory' are references to how close and infactuated he was to this woman

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Black WaterThe Doobie Brothers

The Doobie Brothers' swampy #1 hit "Black Water" is about the Mississippi River, evoking the rafting adventures Mark Twain and Huckleberry Finn.

Radio Free EuropeR.E.M.

Michael Stipe hadn't finished the lyrics when R.E.M. recorded "Radio Free Europe." He calls the vocal "complete babbling."

Midnight RiderThe Allman Brothers Band

A roadie for the Allman Brothers came up with the line "The road goes on forever" for "Midnight Rider," and got a songwriting credit for his contribution.

Pretty VacantSex Pistols

The riff for The Sex Pistols' "Pretty Vacant" was pinched from a very unpunk song, the ABBA ballad "S.O.S."

FireJimi Hendrix

Thirty years after Jimi Hendrix played "Fire" at Woodstock, Red Hot Chili Peppers played it at Woodstock '99, but this time the unruly crowd actually set fires and looted.

Blinded By The LightBruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen wrote "Blinded By The Light," which was a #1 hit for Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The "Madman Drummers" line is a reference to Springsteen's first E-Street drummer, Vinnie "Mad dog" Lopez.