Put your hair back, we get to leave
Eleven gallows on your sleeve
Shallow figured winner's paid
Eleven shadows way out of place

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room

Pull your dress on and stay real close
Who might leave you where I left off?
A perfect circle of acquaintances and friends
Drink another, coin a phrase

Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room
Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room
Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room

Try to win and suit your needs
Speak out sometimes but try to win

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room


Lyrics submitted by xpankfrisst

Perfect Circle Lyrics as written by Michael E. Mills John Michael Stipe

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Perfect Circle song meanings
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    General Comment

    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?

    driver08ukon February 17, 2005   Link

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