Listen to soul icon Al Green’s heartfelt cover of R.E.M.’s ‘Everybody Hurts’

Reverand Al Green has shared a soulful cover of R.E.M‘s ‘Everybody Hurts’. Check it out below.

The American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer has released a handful of covers in recent years. In 2020 he shared his version of Freddy Fender’s ‘Before the Next Teardrop Falls’, followed by a cover of Lou Reed’s ‘Perfect Day’ in 2023.

Now, he’s taken on R.E.M.’s seminal 1992 hit from their eighth studio album ‘Automatic for the People’. Green’s version strays from the sombre tones in the original, introducing a more optimistic energy into the song.

“While we were in the studio recording ‘Everybody Hurts’,” he says, ”I could really feel the heaviness of the song and I wanted to inject a little touch of hope and light into it. There’s always a presence of light that can break through those times of darkness.”

It’s R.E.M.-approved, too. Frontman Michael Stipe gave the cover the green light, saying: “Speaking on behalf of the entire band—we could not be more honoured, more flattered, more humbled. This is an epic moment for us.”

Check it out below.

One of R.E.M.’s most recognisable hits, ‘Everybody Hurts’ has been etched into pop culture since its release. In 2019, the group reacted to Trump’s use of their song ‘Everybody Hurts’ in a meme which positioned his State of the Union address against down-cast-looking politicians including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders.

Recently, R.E.M. shared a new lyric video for their 1986 hit ‘I Believe’, to encourage people to vote in the recent US election. It followed the release of ‘We Are Hope Despite The Times’, a digital compilation of songs to mark National Voter Registration Day.

In other news, last December, Stipe revealed he was still working on his debut solo album after being delayed for 12 months due to family emergencies, house moves and a bout of Covid.

He also shared he had suffered “terrible” symptoms but added that after meeting with his mother, he now feels pressure to deliver. “I have a deadline now,” he said. “I could keep working on this record for a decade and let my insecurities get the better of me.”