Man on the Moon

"Man on the Moon" is a song by the band R.E.M. from their 1992 album Automatic for the People. The song makes numerous references to the performer Andy Kaufman, including his Elvis impersonation and work with wrestlers Fred Blassie and Jerry Lawler. The song was released as a single in 1993.

The title, video, and lyrics are a reference to the conspiracy theory that the American moon landing was faked. There have also been rumors that Andy Kaufman faked his death. The lyrics make no direct reference to this or a connection between the two, but they do imply that Kaufman should be seen as having "nothing up his sleeve."

The song gave its name to a 1999 film Man on the Moon, and was used in the film's soundtrack.

The song was placed on R.E.M.'s Warner Bros. Records "best of" album In Time - The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003 in 2003. It was one of four songs from Automatic for the People to make the compilation, more than from any other album.

The song was performed on December 11 1999, on Saturday Night Live and on July 2 2005, at Live 8's London concert, along with "Everybody Hurts" and "Imitation of Life". The song was also performed by the original line-up of the band, accompanied by Eddie Vedder, during the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on March 12 2007.

The song is included on R.E.M. Live.