Perfect Circle

This is an incredibly moving tune. I figure it may be about wishing your life away, or finding yourself suddenly an adult with responsibilities when seemingly only yesterday you felt like a child still. "Standing too soon"? Or perhaps a loss of innocence before being mature enough to make that step.

Apparently, Michael Stipe said it's just a song about an ex-girlfriend. Peter Buck claims they were on tour in '81, and staying in a motel. He was stood at the door of his cabin during twilight and watching a group of kids play touch-football. According to Mr Buck he was so moved by it that he cried for hours, and asked Michael to capture that emotion.

Mike Mills said the feeling he wanted to capture in the song was when you're staying in a strange hotel room and it's late at night, and somewhere in the far distance, you here a train go past.

And after I heard ALL those interpretations, on VH-1 Storytellers in 1999, Michael Stipe said it was actually written by former drummer Bill Berry!!!

...So who knows?

Has anyone else noticed Michael's obsession with sleeves? "Wear that on your sleeve" - Bad Day, "There's nothing up your sleeve" - Man On Moon, "nothing up my sleeve" - Great Beyond, "Fastened on your sleeve" - All The Way To Reno, "put that on your sleeve" - Pretty Persuasion, "eleven gallows on your sleeve" - Perfect Circle... "smiled on my sleeve" - Pussy Willow... does he not get jumpers for Christmas or what?!

To me this song is just about capturing the moment-a beautiful moment. Whether it's love or a breakup or odd occurrences you just don't understand and they get to you. It's one of the most beautiful song ever written.

to me it's about the three stages of life:

childhood: Put your hair back, we get to leave - instructions to a young girl Eleven gallows on your sleeve - ? Shallow figure, winner's paid - ? Eleven shadows way out of place - nice call on the "kids playing football - poorly"

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room - when you're a kid - trying to be big, trying to impress

College years: Pull your dress on and stay real close - sex and after Who might leave you where I left off? - ? A perfect circle of acquaintances and friends - college friends Drink another, coin a phrase - out at bar, being clever

Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room - your confidence in the future

early career: Try to win and suit your needs Speak out sometimes but try to win - i can just picture this young person, trying to impress

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room - again you're a kid, trying to be big

They were maybe at the early career stage when they wrote this, so to me it kind of fits

Now I could be wrong, but to me, the imagery of "standing too soon, shoulders high in the room" suggests someone ill at ease, uncomfortable - shoulders hunched up - getting up before they should.

Could be way off here, but I always thought the song was about someone uncomfortable in a particular social setting - maybe said ex-girlfriend, whom the song is supposedly about.

Doing some research and found this "Buck says that, after a long day recording, he was sitting on his porch, watching a game of touch football; as dusk drew in, feeling quite frazzled from his hectic schedule, he just burst into tears; he described that feeling to Stipe, and that's what the song is about. Stipe claims to have written the song about an ex girlfriend; but that it's about the same feeling that Buck described." The more I think about this song I think it's about how certain moments in your life are perfect in time. You are happy because all is well. Moments where there is laughter, health, love and warmth between friends and family members. It's fleeting though because it never lasts because life catches up with these moments and eventually time moves them to death, separation or other moments. You cry at the beauty of your happiness and contentment because you know it's fleeting and will never last.

Unlike most of my posts; fact-based and directly from the mouth of the artists. I'm just going say how the song ALWAYS makes me feel.

Regardless of the intricacies and riddles woven throughout the lyrics, this song never fails to remind me both of a time in my life and the girl who shared that time (seven years) with me.

We both worked very hard at University and carried on jobs at the same time, when we got a chance we tried to get together and enjoy a nice dinner and finish the evening either with our mutual friends at a bar with live music or dancing at a club.

We always dressed appropriately for these occasions and I would usually finish getting ready first.

During this time I'd just sit back quietly and watch as she did last-minute touchups or whatever girls do when you're going out someplace special and they're dressed to kill. It's these moments which come to mind immediately when I hear the song; just sitting quietly, admiring how gorgeous she is. She looked especially beautiful to me while applying a little makeup, doing her hair, putting on earrings and other jewelry. It was just a peaceful quiet time, with very little talking but a lot of thoughts going through my mind.

I'd be thinking about the two of us as a couple and where were we headed after college; marriage, kids, buying a house, would we get hired and have a path to jobs we wanted and had been working very hard toward for many years.

I guess the biggest question or thought that was going through my mind during that time was; would we last? Were we going to do share our lives together?

The answer turned out to be no as she followed her career to the West Coast while I stayed on the East Coast where I had started to and have now been established in business for many, many years now.

The thoughts associated with the song are not about the one that got away or regretful, if anything the opposite is true. Because when I remember, I smile looking back at the time and the hopes and dreams of two kids. And that's what we were - I clearly see that now because I've lived a longer while also surviving and thriving.

That's more than enough from me ... thanks for letting me share my memory.

This is an amazing song! I can't really describe it, or explain it. For me it's just capturing a moment. I'm afraid I can't do better than that!

This is such a beautiful song. No idea what it means though. One of the all-time classics

PS- About the kids playing touch-football in the twilights- "Eleven shadows way out of place,"!! Kind of emotive eh?