“With the sad news about Lou Reed’s passing last week, it seemed the right time to share this particular scene, of R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe singing ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ by the railroad tracks.” So says the YouTube description for this clip from Just Like a Movie, “an improvisational project involving a group of friends who shared a love of creativity for the sake of creativity (and fun).” The film was made in the fall of 1983, featured R.E.M. (who had recently released Murmur), and was directed by Laura Levine, who uploaded this clip. The guitar part here, by the way, is played by Matthew Sweet. The song was recorded earlier that day on a Walkman.
You can read more about Just Like a Movie at Dangerous Minds.
