Talk About the Passion

"Talk About the Passion" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the second single released from its debut album Murmur in 1983 and a live performance at Larry's Hideaway, Toronto, Canada, from July 9, 1983 was released on the 2008 Deluxe Edition reissue of that album. It was released in Europe only, on 12" vinyl. This song failed to follow up on the success of "Radio Free Europe" released earlier in the year, as it did not chart.

"Talk About the Passion" is a "hunger song", although the only direct reference in the song is to "empty mouths". Michael Stipe has stated, "Talk About the Passion" was a song about hunger but the lyrics weren't clear enough.[1] The video, made in 1988 and featured on the compilations Pop Screen and When the Light Is Mine, made this meaning of the song more explicit by showing images of homeless people and images of a warship, ending with the caption, "in 1987 the cost of one destroyer-class warship was 910 million dollars."

The song contains a line in French—"Combien de temps?", which means "How much time?" or "For how long?" The song also includes the line "Combien reaction?", which is a blend of English and French that can be taken to mean, "How much reaction?"

The song was included on R.E.M.'s first I.R.S. Records greatest hits album, Eponymous, and released as the only single from that album in 1988.

Track listing[edit]
All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe unless otherwise indicated.
 * 1) "Talk About the Passion" – 3:24
 * 2) "Shaking Through" – 4:30
 * 3) "Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)" – 3:55
 * "1,000,000" – 3:07