This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
I see your money on the floor I felt the pocket change
Though all the feelings that broke through that door
Just didn't seem to be too real
The yard is nothing but a fence the sun just hurts my eyes
Somewhere it must be time for penitence
Gardening at night, it's never worth
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
The neighbors go to bed at ten
Call the prayer line for a change
The charge is changing every month
They said it couldn't be arranged
We ankled up the garbage sound, but they were busy in the rows
We fell up, not to see the sun, gardening at night just didn't grow
I see your money on the floor, I felt the pocket change
Though all the feelings that broke through that door
Just didn't seem to be too real
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Your sister said that you're too young
They should know they've been there twice
The call was two and fifty one
They said it couldn't be arranged
I see your money on the floor, I felt the pocket change
Though all the feelings that broke through that door
Just didn't seem to be too real
We echoed up the garbage sound, but they were busy in the rows
We fell up not to see the sun, gardening at night just didn't grow
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Though all the feelings that broke through that door
Just didn't seem to be too real
The yard is nothing but a fence the sun just hurts my eyes
Somewhere it must be time for penitence
Gardening at night, it's never worth
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
The neighbors go to bed at ten
Call the prayer line for a change
The charge is changing every month
They said it couldn't be arranged
We ankled up the garbage sound, but they were busy in the rows
We fell up, not to see the sun, gardening at night just didn't grow
I see your money on the floor, I felt the pocket change
Though all the feelings that broke through that door
Just didn't seem to be too real
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Your sister said that you're too young
They should know they've been there twice
The call was two and fifty one
They said it couldn't be arranged
I see your money on the floor, I felt the pocket change
Though all the feelings that broke through that door
Just didn't seem to be too real
We echoed up the garbage sound, but they were busy in the rows
We fell up not to see the sun, gardening at night just didn't grow
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
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I love early REM, the lyrics are so obscure and poetic and their meanings somewhat ambiguous. But driver08uk seems to have got it. I just love this song and the lyrics despite what intended meaning they had. It's very underrated I feel and one of my favorite REM songs.