Wolves Lower

It must be significant that "Wolves, Lower" and "Carnival of Sorts" both employ the phrase, "Don't get caught".

In the latter song, this is expanded to, "Gentlemen, don't get caught," which (on the surface) refers to hoboes riding the trains at night, warning each other to be discreet. Consider the reference to "boxcars", important enough to be the subtitle of the song.

But words have at least two meanings, as we should be aware when considering the work of a lyricist fond of ambiguity. We can parse "gentlemen" as two words, "gentle men". At the time he wrote this song, Michael Stipe was a gay man in the closet. He was a different kind of man -- more "gentle" perhaps, at least according to conventional wisdom. A stereotype, though one containing at least a kernel of truth.

In addition we are told "suspicion yourself," which seems nonsensical...but in the context I've just described, it could mean Stipe is thinking "I have a secret; it could cause me a lot of trouble if it were discovered. To be vigilant and avoid getting 'caught' I need to be watchful for danger, even if it isn't always there." So, "suspicion yourself" refers to intentional, self-protective paranoia. The phrase is rendered in the imperative mood: indicating Stipe is urging caution not just for himself but also for others with similar leanings, the "gentle men."

In 2007 this interpretation may seem overwrought, but for most gay men and lesbians (except those who--even from a young age--were never really closeted), there was a time in their life when maintaining that secrecy felt very much like self-preservation.

Not merely on an internal, emotional level. Athens, GA is more liberal than other small towns, but it's not New York or Miami or San Francisco. Moreover, gay-bashings happen everywhere: including in large and supposedly-tolerant cities. Back in the early '80s when Chronic Town was released, the atmosphere was considerably more repressive than today. Sodomy laws were still prevalent. California's voters were considering whether it should be illegal to be a teacher if you were homosexual (or even a straight person who failed to condemn homosexuality).

Extending this interpretation, "rounding a posse to ride" doesn't necessarily imply planning to hunt a criminal; it could refer to the Night Riders, the KKK. Blacks were their primary targets, true...but Klansmen and their ilk are somewhat less than tolerant of folks who are different. (White supremacists bombed a Seattle gay bar in '93.)

Fear of "wolves at the door"--and the repeated cage/caging/prison imagery in companion song "Carnival of Sorts"--also seem relevant. I may now be wandering into actual paranoia. Though I can attest, when you're a kid perceived as "sissy": if a group of thuggish types are approaching you, they look like a wolfpack.

The overall impression of "Wolves, Lower" is of someone fearful--imagining the worst--not entirely without justification.

As for the "corner garden" and "house in order", you'll have to ask Michael. He might be the only one who knows.