Orange Crush

"Orange crush" è una canzone antimilitarista. In particolare qui si fa riferimento alla guerra del Vietnam in quanto l'Agente Arancione era un particolare composto chimico che disintegrava la vegetazione in modo da stanare i viet-kong ("we are agents of the free..." è un riferimento a questi agenti arancioni sarcasticamente definiti "agenti della libertà"). Il composto era anche più dannoso del Napalm ed ha lasciato danni irreparabili sia sugli uomini che sulla natura. Se non vado errato, sempre nel "Green World Tour", Michael introduceva questa canzone con parole di scherno contro i militari: "be all that you can be in the army...". E' una presa in giro ironica nei confronti dello slogan dell'esercito che con quelle parole incita i giovani americani all'arruolamento. Significa "nell'esercito puoi realizzare tutti i tuoi desideri"
(da R.E.M. Fanzine)

Orange Crush was an orange flavored soft drink. In this case, though, it was meant to refer to Agent Orange, a chemical used by the US to defoliate the Vietnamese jungle during the Vietnam War. US military personnel exposed to it developed cancer years later and some of their children had birth defects.
The song does not refer to any single Vietnam-related experience for lead singer Michael Stipe, but simply that he lived in that era of American history.
Stipe's father served in Vietnam in the helicopter corps.
Stipe sometimes introduced this in concert by singing the US Army jingle, "Be all that you can be, in the Army."
The drill sergeant heard in the background during the middle is just an imitation by Stipe. In the traditional Michael Stipe way, the words he says during the imitation are complete nonsense.
This was not the first R.E.M. song to deal with the Vietnam War. That distinction goes to "Body Count," an early unreleased song that they played live many times.

On a show stipe claims that people misunderstand what it's about and it has nothing to do with his dad.
- peter, fort worth, TX

The song is a look back at the pointlessness of Vietnam and how Agent Orange killed so many of the innocent. It's 1 of several REM political hits, along w/ Stand, End Of The World, and Bad Day.
- EPP, Pittsburgh, PA

(From "Songfacts")