R.E.M. Sesame Street (Guardian Guide)

From US television

Sesame Street meets REM

Last week, Sesame Street in the US (brought to you by the letter B and the number 19) featured a guest appearance from REM.

Here is the full shooting script and transcript, revealing the stadium rock stars’ contribution
to cognitive emotions and early learning

Title: REM Song: Furry, Happy Monsters
Goals: Emotions, happy/sad
Music/Lyrics: B Berry, P Buck, M Mills, M Stipe
Scenic: Limbo
Talent: REM, Monsters, Two-headed monster
Music: Track to song Shiny Happy People

[As REM starts the tune, we see a group of happy, laughing monsters and the two-headed monster.
Their joy is over the top. They skip, jump, run, whoop and high-five each other.
Music: track to song Shiny Happy People]
REM sings: Furry happy monsters, laughing...
Monsters having fun, happy, happy,
See them jump and run, happy, happy
Laughing all the while, cheerful, cheerful,
Flashing a big smile, that’s a perfect sign
That they’re feelin’ fine!
Furry happy monsters feeling glad
Furry happy monsters laughing
[The monsters and the two-headed monster abruptly stop celebrating and begin to moan
and cry, and hide their heads in their hands. Their misery is uncontrollable.]
REM sings: But something has gone wrong, sighing, sighing
Faces have turned long, crying, crying
Hear them sob and whine, tearful, tearful
That’s a real good sign that they’re feelin’ glum
Sad, sad times have come!
[As the band plays a brief instrumental section, the lead singer, Michael Stipe, speaks to the
monsters, with the idea of cheering them up.]
Michael Stipe [spoken, paraphrasing original lyrics of Shiny Happy People]: Monsters,
monsters...This is no time to cry...Happy, happy!
Monsters: Oh, OK!
[The monsters immediately become the fabulously happy bunch we saw at the beginning of the piece.]
REM sings: Furry, happy monsters, feeling glad!
[With unheard-of speed, the celebrating monsters and the two-headed monster suddenly become miserable again. They burst into tears.]
REM sings: Uh oh, Furry sobbing monsters feeling sad, furry sobbing monsters crying
[In a flash, the monsters are hysterically happy again.]
Rem: Furry happy monsters, feeling glad!