Music video description
"Man on the Moon" is a song by American rock bandR.EM., which was released as the second single from their 1992 album Automatic for the People. The lyrics were written by lead singer Michael Stipe, while drummer Billy Berry and guitarist Peter Buck were responsible for the composition. The song was very warmly received by critics and debuted at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. Undoubtedly, it remains one of the band's most popular hits to this day.
The lyrics of the song "Man on the Moon" tell the story of comedian Andy Kaufman and contain many references to his stage career. The song's title and lyrics allude to conspiracy theories about the moon landing and drop a hint that the comedian's death may have been faked. Milos Forman created a film of the same title, which also tells the story of Kaufaman's life. Peter Carea is responsible for directing the video for "Man on the Moon," and the pictures were shot in the Lancaster desert in the Antelope Valley region of California. In it you can see Michael Stipe dressed in a cowboy hat, who goes on many adventures. The whole thing is punctuated with NASA footage of the moon landing, footage in which Kaufman impersonates Elvisa Presleya or a wrestler. The video was named iconic and one of the 100 best music videos ever by Rolling Stone magazine.