The song's title refers to an incident in New York City in 1986 in which two then-unknown assailants attacked journalist Dan Rather while repeating "Kenneth, what is the frequency?"

I wrote that protagonist as a guy who's desperately trying to understand what motivates the younger generation, who has gone to great lengths to try and figure them out, and at the end of the song it's completely fucking bogus.

[1] The following year, on June 22, 1995, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Dan Rather accompanied the band during a soundcheck performance of the song.

"[11] Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel remarked that Buck's "powerful-but-not-grungy guitar" is the centerpiece on the "satisfying" first single.

[12] Dave Jennings from Melody Maker named it Single of the Week, adding, "It's a breezy, upbeat slice of whimsy that'll undoubtedly be filling rock club dancefloors for months to come; similar in mood and tempo to "Stand", and featuring a truly glorious psychedelic backwards guitar solo.

's back-to-basics record, reviving a few tricks from their early days — notably a great, grimy, garage-band guitar sound and half-buried vocals.

"[14] Alan Jones of Music Week found that it is "the most straightforward rock song the group has done in years, a full-throttle aural assault and very intense.

"[15] Keith Cameron from NME declared it as "a deceptively catchy fellow, loping atop a mellifluous Buckoid drone last spotted somewhere between "Document" and "Green", and grasping onto a Michael Stipe vocal that punctuates yearnsome heights with the hiccuping groans of an old man apparently unable to come to terms with '90s youth culture.

[17] Howard Hampton from Spin noted that it "lifts its catch phrase from the dadaist mugger who attacked Dan Rather a few years back.

The song, wryly straddling the pop-irony curtain dividing Reservoir Dogs from stupid-pet MC David Letterman, revels in a nagging resonance that signifies nothing, but wants to say everything.

was directed by Peter Care, who had previously worked with the band on music videos for "Drive" and "Man on the Moon" in 1992.

It features the band playing along to the song under bright blue, red, yellow and green flashing lights.

Singer Stipe's newly shaven head and bassist Mike Mills's new look (long-hair and the use of Nudie suits), prominent on the 1995 Monster world tour, were given wide exposure in this video.