(Don't Go Back to) Rockville - R.E.M. - MP3 instrumental karaoke

Part-fiction and partly inspired by real life, "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" was written by R.E.M. band member by Mike Mills in 1980 as a sonic plea for his then-girlfriend Ingrid Schorr, who was also at the University of Georgia, to stick around for the summer. Although composed by Mike Mills, Michael Stipe's bittersweet baritone gives the track its distinctive personality. In the song, he envisions her 'winding up in some factory' and 'sitting around all by herself', although it was later clarified that this is an inaccurate depiction of Rockville. Nonetheless, "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" is evidence of the band's knack for bringing stories to life through song. “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville" was featured on R.E.M.'s second studio album Reckoning (1984)—also known as File Under Water—which made it to number 27 in the US, certified gold by the RIAA in 1991, and reached number 91 in the UK.