10 Genuine Reactions That Made Songs Better
8. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite - REM
During the recording of their bestselling album Automatic For The People, REM knew that they needed a catchy, lighthearted song on the record. As most of the songs dealt with heavy subjects, such as mortality, suicide and the passage of time, it was seen as a wise move to break up the prevailing bleak mood. They decided to record The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite.
On the 4th line of the 3rd verse you can hear Michael Stipe laughing as he mentions Dr. Seuss. His laughter is a response to his own inability to pronounce the children's author‘s name right. Although he had been a big fan since he was a child, Stipe had always had trouble saying the name properly. Even the continued efforts of bass player Mike Mills couldn’t help him with his error. No matter how hard Stipe tried, he kept pronouncing the name wrong.
Afterwards, the band decided to keep Stipe’s laughter in the final version. The result is a rather charming accident which fits in with the nonsensical nature of the song.