“Harborcoat” by R.E.M.

"Harborcoat" comes from Reckoning, the second R.E.M. album, released on I.R.S. in 1984, and the writing credit goes to all four of them: Michael Stipe singing lead, Peter Buck on guitar, Mike Mills on bass, Bill Berry on drums. Mitch Easter and Don Dixon produced it during a fast session at Reflection Sound Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina, 16 days spread over December 1983 and January 1984, with the two producers chasing the charge of the band on a stage rather than the gloss of a studio.

Stipe was writing darker by then, and water kept seeping into his imagery across the record; a song called "Harborcoat" wears that mood right in its title, and keeps the rest of its secrets close, the way early R.E.M. liked it.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.