New R.E.M. song to appear on CNN environmental special

In a stunning departure from past declarations, Michael Stipe does not feel fine about the end of the world as we know it. "I’m deeply concerned with global warming and the environment, and how we’re going to pull ourselves out of that," he said in an interview with the Athens Banner-Herald earlier this year.

So to help push things along, Stipe's band R.E.M. will contribute a new, unreleased song to the upcoming, Anderson Cooper-hosted special Planet in Peril, which airs on CNN Oct. 23 and 24. Entitled "Until the Day Is Done," the song will receive its official debut on Anderson Cooper 360 tonight. As you might have discerned, Cooper is quite the R.E.M. fan. In 2002, the group debuted its video for "Bad Day" on his show.

Stipe is projecting some of that love back.

"We are honored to have our song included in this monumental project," said the singer via a press release. "The images in the film are beautiful, while at the same time heart-breaking and frightening."

Hopefully the song will be up to the task of soundtracking that cinematography. However it turns out, it'll be hard for the group to top this gem.

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