Just arrived Singapore, San Sebastian, Spain, 26-hour trip
Salt Lake City, come in spring
Over the salt flats a hailstorm brought you back to me
Salt Lake City, come in spring
Over the salt flats a hailstorm brought you back to me

Here it comes (I'm carried away)
Here it comes (I'm carried away)
Here it comes

Departure, godspeed, bless his heart, good lord
What a fuck-up, what a fighter
A free-fall, motorcycle, hang-glider
Hung on the line like a poison spider
Win a eulogy from William Greider
Car crash, ptomaine, disposable lighter
A bus plunge, avalanche, a vinegar cider
Free-fall, motorcycle, hang-glider

Here it comes (I'm carried away)
Here it comes (I'm carried away)
Here it comes, back, back

Go, go, go, go, yeah
Go, go, go, go, yeah
Go, go, go, yeah

Well, everybody is young forever
There's so much to tell you, so little time
I've come a long way since the whatever
Shit, I still see a word, think of you
There is so much that I can't do, yeah
You will be young forever
There's so much that I can't do
There is so much that I can't do

Here it comes (I'm carried away)
Here it comes (I'm carried away)
Here it comes, back, back

Here it comes (I'm carried away)
Here it comes (I'm carried away)
Here it comes, back, back


Lyrics submitted by xpankfrisst

Departure Lyrics as written by Peter Buck Bill Berry

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Departure song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    Moving from one place to another, not seeing anything yet seeing everything.

    SwagBagon July 28, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    In a 30 July, 1995 show, Michael said it's "about passage, it's about life...and part of life is death, and that's what this song is about."

    Cheers

    2ndMouseon August 29, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    great song... really!

    Elan Morin Tedronaion July 06, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    YAY ... so touring.

    simsfreqon January 15, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I should think more about my comments and avoid double-posting but... yes, about a band touring, everyone is young forever... and he gets carried away when on stage

    simsfreqon January 15, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Aye, touring. Apparently they flew from Singapore to San Sebastian (Spain) on the Monstor tour (via SLC it seems). When they arrived it was hailing and the Basque separatists were bombing the town and it was on fire in places, and the song references that chaos.

    charliereayon April 12, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Gotta love that farfisa in the verses. Beautiful.

    Low Feedbackon September 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion

    While I certainly agree with the common interpretation relating to travel and touring (given the context of the album and band comments) I also think there is an alternative reading possible here as well, it very well could be about a man Stipe had a crush on or relationship with...

    "Here it comes" referring to the feeling of seeing him again after a long journey, this fits with the first verse.

    The second verse is describing the man followed again by the chorus which describes the oncoming of the feeling Stipe gets and then the third verse is Michael talking directly to the lover.

    It also sounds like in many of the live cuts of this song that Stipe changes the final chorus to "Here HE comes" but thats just my own observation

    And of course a queer reading fits in with other noted homoerotic themes in REM's lyrics (see Kirk Read on Chronic Town) and the fact that Michael admitted to having multiple same sex relationships in his interview with Christopher Bollen (Interview Magazine). But then again who knows, it's Michael Stipe....he his the king of philosophical ambiguity....

    SmithStipeon August 13, 2012   Link

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