The "Monty" in this song is the actor Montgomery Clift, who starred in The Misfits, From Here to Eternity, and A Place in the Sun. But unlike other songs about him (see the Clash's "The Right Profile"), this one doesn't specifically mention his last name, his movies or his pill and alcohol problems. Michael Stipe wrote the lyrics to be more of a contemplation on movies vs. reality.
Michael Stipe got the idea for this song after speaking with a photographer who took pictures of Clift when he was filming The Misfits.
According to Craig Rosen's R.E.M. Inside Out - The Stories behind the Songs, Peter Buck composed the music on a bouzouki in a hotel room in New Orleans. While he composed it, there was a quite amorous (read: loud) couple in a adjoining room.
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