In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Oh, life is bigger
It's bigger
Than you and you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper
Of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
Consider this
Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees, failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around?
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
Try, cry
Why try?
That was just a dream, just a dream, just a dream
Dream
It's bigger
Than you and you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper
Of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
Consider this
Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees, failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around?
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
Try, cry
Why try?
That was just a dream, just a dream, just a dream
Dream
Lyrics submitted by parsprototo, edited by togardenofeden
Losing My Religion Lyrics as written by Peter Lawrence Buck William Thomas Berry
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The meaning of this song (officially, according to Mike Stipe of REM) is about unrequited love, meaning unreturned love. (the person recounting this song loves somebody, who has no interest in him).
It is quite a sad song, and a has a very lonely feeling to it.
"Oh, life is bigger It's bigger than you"
Here he is trying to convince himself that the person he loves is NOT larger than life - she doesn't have to be the centre point of his existence. He is trying to push her out of his mind.
"The lengths that I will go to The distance in your eyes"
I can relate to this. Constantly following someone around, clinging to them, trying to make them connect with you or notice you.
"That's me in the corner That's me in the spotlight Losing my religion Trying to keep up with you"
Same thing really. "Losing my religion" is a southern American way of saying "reaching the end of one's rope" or "losing your temper" or "losing your civility". Basically these verses mean that he is getting angry and frustrated trying to stay ahead of the game and keep up with the competition over this woman. He's behind the game, in the spotlight, failng.
"Every whisper Of every waking hour I'm Choosing my confessions Trying to keep an eye on you Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool Oh no I've said too much I set it up"
Here he pours his heart out to a greater extent. He obsesses over the person, constantly watching them - he can't think of anything else but this person, and he feels "lost" and "blinded" when not knowing what she's doing or who she's with. "He said too much" but he "hasn't said enough" - he's telling his mates and friends more than he should say about his feelings for this person, but not the person herself.
I CBA to write more interpretations of the rest of the song, but I could leave you guys to that :)
@Mausman I believe you're correct about all that. Also, in the part that goes<br /> <br /> "That's me in the corner<br /> That's me in the spotlight"<br /> <br /> I think it's him trying to get her to notice him. He's exclaiming to her that it's him in the corner, in the spotlight, look at him.<br /> Also in the part that goes<br /> <br /> "Oh no I've said too much<br /> I set it up"<br /> <br /> I think this is him worrying about what he said to her when he attempted to strike a conversation. It's just typical worrying about what to say to a girl and what not to say, how it should go and he thinks he's messed it up. And then he confesses that the conversation wasn't started naturally but that he set it up.
@Mausman All true except with Michael Stipe, it's probably not a "her."
@Mausman You're absolutely right, you can't deny that it's about unrequited love because that's what the artist actually said it was about! <br /> <br /> Does anyone remember that time in their life when they had the biggest crush on someone who just was not reciprocating? <br /> <br /> "I thought that I heard you laughing... I thought that I heard you sing. I think I thought I saw you try...but that was just a dream"<br /> <br /> Don't we all dream of the ideal situation, but in reality, nothing becomes of it?
@Mausman this is so accurate..i havent seen a better explanation.
anyone who can't relate to this song clearly has something wrong with them
@Mausman Michael Stipe is guy so that person would be a ‘he’ :)
@Mausman sorry he’s gay.