WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump took the stage at a Wednesday tea party rally against the Iran nuclear deal at the U.S. Capitol to the familiar strains of R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It." (Because, you know, if Iran gets the bomb...)
The Athens-bred group did not feel fine.
The band wrote on Facebook that all candidates should "cease and desist" from using R.E.M. music at events. Frontman Michael Stipe was a little saltier, and seemed to direct his vitriol at both Trump and co-headliner Ted Cruz. Via the Daily Beast:
"Go [make love to] yourselves, the lot of you—you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign."
It's not clear whether Trump or the Tea Party Patriots chose his walk-up music; it varied from speaker to speaker. Bassist Mike Mills feared that ultimately the band's response would benefit The Donald.
Here's a deeper look at musicians protesting politicians' use of their work over the years.
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