Good Advices Lyrics
Keep your money in your shoes put your trouble behind
When you greet a stranger look at her hands
Keep your money in your hands put your travel behind
Who are you going to call for, what do you have to say
Keep your hat on your head home is a long way away
At the end of the day, I'll forget your name
I'd like it here if I could leave and see you from a long way away
Keep you memories in your shoes, put your travel behind
Who are you going to call for, what do you have to say
Keep your hat on your head
Home is a long way away
At the end of the day, when there are no friends
When there are no lovers, who are you going to call for
What do you have to change
I'd like it here if I could leave and see you from a long way away
Who are you going to call for, what do you have to say
Keep your hat on your head
Home is a long way away
I think the opening line - "When you greet a stranger, look at his shoes. Put your money in your shoes, put your trouble behind." - is one of the best lyrics not only on this album, not only by R.E.M., but ever written. The whole song is haunting yet strangely beautiful, along with many of the other tracks on this album. I think of it as the real conclusion to the Fables album, with "Wendell Gee" being the epilogue. What a great, great song. I wish R.E.M. still wrote songs this good. They'll never be able to top their peak again, and as far as songwriting goes, Fables was their peak. That being said, I still think Murmur was their best overall, but my favorite changes constantly. I love early R.E.M. The R.E.M. that existed between the years of 1980 and 1987 was the best band ever, in my opinion. Suck it, Beatles.
Being weary of the road and just wanting to find aplace where you can stay and be appreciated.
Infidelity.
definately seems to me a meeting between a man and a prostitute. They are strangers, neither really looking at the other. And, probably for both, home is a long way away. (traveling business man and run-away turned prostiture). The singer is giving the advice to "keep your hat on your head" meaning keep your clothes on. And I think that advice is to both of them. "I'd like it here if I could leave and see you from a long way away" refers to both parties disconecting themselves from their interaction.
Invoking loneliness. Good craftsmanship if you're into that.
"When you greet a stranger look at his shoes, keep your money in your shoes," says people are not to be trusted, although they appear to be trustworthy. "I'd like it if I could leave and see you from a long way away" so that perhaps a person could loosen up and show more of themselves from a safe emotional and physical distance
The "good advices" seem to be safety guidelines like a parent might tell a child when leaving the home, then the song seems to lament the over abundance of meaningless two dimensional relationships along the way... And longs for something deeper.
At the end of the day, I'll forget your name I'd like it here if I could leave And see you from a long way away