What's The Frequency, Kenneth? - R.E.M. 1994

 
 

"What’s the frequency, Kenneth?" is your Benzedrine, uh-huh
I was brain-dead, locked out, numb, not up to speed
I thought I’d pegged you an idiot’s dream
Tunnel vision from the outsider’s screen
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh

I’d studied your cartoons, radio, music, TV, movies, magazines
Richard said, "Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy"
A smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh

"What’s the frequency, Kenneth?" is your Benzedrine, uh-huh
Butterfly decal, rear-view mirror, dogging the scene
You smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh
I couldn’t understand
You said that irony was the shackles of youth, uh-huh
I couldn’t understand
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I couldn’t understand
I never understood, don’t fuck with me, uh-huh

 
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In October 1986, CBS anchorman Dan Rather was walking down Park Avenue, when he was suddenly assaulted by two men, one of whom kept asking "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" The more vocal of the two assailants turned out to be William Tager. This rather unbalanced individual later shot and killed an NBC technician outside of the Today Show studios. According to his Psychiatrist, William believed that the television networks were monitoring him by beaming messages into his head. He also claimed to be from a parallel universe that is 200 years ahead of us.

Before the assailant's identity was eventually revealed, Michael Stipe from the band R.E.M. wrote a song about the incident. In his own words,"It remains the premier unsolved American surrealist act of the 20th century. It's a misunderstanding that was scarily random, media hyped and just plain bizarre." The song was number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks for about a month in 1994.

I wonder - could William Tager sue over the unauthorized use of his quote?