"Automatic For the People" was first seen on a
sign outside of
Weaver D's. The
soul food restaurant became popular in the 80's with the local
college students and the
local bands.
Upon entering Weaver D's, one can expect a
complex aroma of beef and
pork BBQ,
collard greens and
yam casserole. The large black man behind the counter seems at first an
imposing character. He towers over the register and stares down at you and asks, "Help you"?
During your order, between items, he will blurt, "
Automatic!" in an almost
Tourette Syndrome sort of way. At the end of your order, more often than not he will state, "Automatic for the people!"
After the release and success of
Automatic For the People by
R.E.M., the restaurant began selling the band's merchandise and hung a lot of
autographed posters and things. It became packed all the time and not as fun a place to go for
lunch.