My mother loved soda when we were kids. One of the sodas she bought was Orange Crush. We loved that. Later I discovered other flavors that I would also love. First, it was Grape Crush. Strawberry Crush was just OK. But then I tried Pineapple Crush. That was my favorite. I remember it was difficult to find. I don’t think I’ve had a pineapple soda since high school. I may have to make a trip to the grocery store.
REM released Orange Crush in 1988. Michael Stipe said the song was about the Vietnam war. Peter Buck is still confused.
“I must have played this song onstage over three hundred times, and I still don’t know what the f*** it’s about. The funny thing is, every time I play it, it means something different to me, and I find myself moved emotionally. [Playwright/composer] Noel Coward made some remark about the potency of cheap music, and while I wouldn’t describe the song as cheap in any way, sometimes great songwriting isn’t the point. A couple of chords, a good melody and some words can mean more than a seven-hundred-page novel.
I was a rather stupid kid. First time I heard this song I wondered why someone would write a song about orange soda
– YouTube comment by davcuts2897
If that makes you stupid, I guess I was stupid back then, too.
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(Follow me, don't follow me)
I've got my spine, I've got my orange crush
(Collar me, don't collar me)
I've got my spine, I've got my orange crush
(We are agents of the free)
I've had my fun and now it's time
To serve your conscience overseas (over me, not over me)
Coming in fast, over me
(Follow me, don't follow me)
I've got my spine, I've got my orange crush
(Collar me, don't collar me)
I've got my spine, I've got my orange crush
(We are agents of the free)
I've had my fun and now it's time
To serve your conscience overseas (over me, not over me)
Coming in fast, over me
(Follow me, don't follow me)
I've got my spine, I've got my orange crush
(Collar me, don't collar me)
I've got my spine, I've got my orange crush
(We are agents of the free)
I've had my fun and now it's time
To serve your conscience overseas (over me, not over me)
Coming in fast, over me
MyGenXerLife 
Okay Orange Crush is good but I’m on team Fanta 🙂
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Oh yes… Fanta is good, too. I liked Grape Fanta…
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I wasn’t picturing your teacher mom as a soda lover. Curve ball!
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Haha… this was her guilty pleasure! She’s cut way back as she got older.
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Love this story. I have enjoyed seeing how several of us mentioned Orange Crush today. I didn’t even know strawberry and pineapple crush even existed!
Funny comment someone made about your mom. My mom was an absolute health food nut and she loved Orange Crush. Didn’t drink a whole lot of it but she really liked it.
A little presumptuous of me to think I understand the song better than one of the band members, but I think it’s a play on Agent Orange and how individuals got crushed in the ill-advised Vietnam War.
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Pineapple Crush was difficult to find. I mostly saw it at a soda machine when I played baseball as a kid. Back then, if we saw pineapple crush or cactus cooler we got pretty excited!
I think you’re probably right about agent orange. Interpreting REM lyrics are always a crap shoot
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tee hee. Good take on the prompt.
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Thanks!
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Nice! We used to drink Fanta. Grape was my favorite. I’ll have to try the pineapple, if I ever find it.
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I don’t remember ever having Orange Crush when I was a kid. I loved Shasta sodas – they had a bunch of flavors, including orange. The only time we had it was when we went camping – a big treat!
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Yes, we had Shasta, too!
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