"The One I Love" (R.E.M.)

"The One I Love" from Document (1987) was the moment I began paying attention to R.E.M.  And while there were many fine moments both before and after it, it still stands as my favorite track by the Athens, GA, band.  Frontman Michael Stipe intoning the word Fire! with bassist Mike Mills harmonizing She's comin' down on her own now gets me every time.  It's like some sort of Gregorian chant over one of the crunchiest, Byrds-esque riffs of the mid-80s.  It's angelic and ugly, all at once.
Which reminds of a conversation I once had with a wedding DJ.  He was venting about having to play "inappropriate music" at wedding receptions: U2's "One"; The Police's "Every Breath You Take"; and, of course, "The One I Love."
"Do people not listen to lyrics?" I remember him asking rhetorically.
Contrary to what some might think, "The One I Love" is not some romantic ballad about pining for love across the miles, as Mills told VH1 back in 2008.
"'The One I Love' is not a love song.  'The One I Love' is a very vicious breakup song.  It's very cold and cruel.  Which is, you know, I hate to break or burst anyone's bubble, but I always look out and see couples hugging and dancing to that song.  That's fine.  It doesn't matter.  Michael (Stipe) writes a song about whatever he thinks it's about, and then whatever you think it's about is what it's about...Whatever it means to us isn't nearly as important as what it means to you."

(Little bar trivia for you: Food Network personality Alton Brown of Good Eats fame served as director of photography on the video for "The One I Love.")