Until The Day Is Done

Frontman Michael Stipe told The Daily Mail March 28,2008: "It's a scathing indictment of the state of America. We have barely survived seven years of Bush."

This was chosen as the soundtrack to CNN's documentary about ecological crisis, Planet In Peril.

At a South By Southwest concert at Stubb's BBQ, Michael Stipe dedicated this track as part of a trilogy of political songs with "Final Straw" (from 2004 album Around The Sun) and "Bad Day," (from 2003 album In Time) to the late actor Heath Ledger. The REM frontman said that the late actor had heard the song and liked it when R.E.M. began working on it. He closed the performance with the salutation, "Goodbye Heath, we loved you."