Released: May 6 1991 This track by American alternative rock band REM, featuring guest vocals by Kate Pierson of B-52's fame, is often construed by those who listen to it without analysing it to be one of the group's happier efforts. This is mostly due to the upbeat guitar played throughout and the repetition of the line "Shiny Happy People" being mistaken as a serious statement of joy and optimism. This view can also by understood should your first listen of it be accompanied by the video (included below) which looks like it came straight from an early morning children's cartoon. However, when faced with the reality of what the song is about, it becomes apparent that this was an intentional choice by the band to add to the irony of the title. The title and chorus of the song is taken directly from a Chinese propaganda poster which when translated had written on it "Shiny happy people holding hands". The reason for using this was mostly due to the timing, a mere two years after the Tienanmen Square uprising, where the same government who were promoting their citizens to become "Shiny Happy People" slaughtered hundreds of student demonstrators. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCQ0vDAbF7s
