Undertow

It's so goofy how people read into the lyricism whatever their personal worldview is. I mean, in no way is this song about finding god or some variation of god. Give me a break. That's ridiculous. It's pretty blatant what the intent is here: "It is cold in heaven" (In other words, the opposite of what most religious people think. It's not a warm place.) "I'm not sprouting wings" (This idea of become angelic and floating away into heaven is going to happen to the person in the song. He doesn't believe it, because it's nonsense.) He looks to nature's example instead: "Brother can you see those birds? / They don't look to heaven. / They don't need religion, they can see." Yes, the song isn't knocking someone's religion -- but it is saying (the speaker of the song) that for him he will NEVER believe that stuff. In fact, if he's drowning or dying of cold -- he doesn't believe in god or the devil coming to get him ("Nothing's coming after me") -- you just end and become part of nature once again: "Breathing ourselves". That last bit is very Walt Whitman like. We all die and fall into the earth to become the leaves of grass, the air, etc. It's quite beautiful.

and if i could add that this is a beautiful song, and for one that seems aimed towards agnostics/atheists is very uplifting and hopeful. when rem are on the are ON.

As an atheist, I think this song has some major points that really makes sense. For instance the focus on being conscious about independence ("I know what I wanted, I know how I wanted this to be"). And the focus on being independent shines through in the last verse, where the narrator is tired, but still he manages to push on through instead of being broken down. Why? Because he knows that he is where he's supposed to be, and he knows that he doesn't need religion. What's important isn't a fictive "god", but the creations inside of yourself.

The metaphor about breathing water makes me think about the way science explains our evolution, and evolution beats religion when it comes to how humans are created. We are, most likely, improved after small molecules in the water (hence the "breathing water" lyric). So, it's a song about knowing yourself and understanding what's around you. At least to me.

"Brother can you see those birds? They don't look to heaven They don't need religion, they can see"

"I don't need a heaven I don't need religion I am in the place where I should be"

How exactly is this about finding god?

Delusional.

Michael stipe is a Baptist. i mean he did have been raised as one. by this he knows jesus'words from when he can remember. in other words he received a consistent religious upbringing. no matter how far one may distance itself from it, it is a part of the personality as a grown up man. and then there we go. this is a a song about a man being baptized, in baptism faith, but as the title suggests, the person is getting doubts about the whole affair. like in the same time he received the faith by immersion, he's getting rid of his illusions about that very religion. now what helps him, to get through the superficial, are jesus words that the author uses as his owns, (something he also does on new test leper, on the same album). these words are : /this is not my time sister. / /brother do you see those birds? they don't need (in the original, jesus said they don't need to worry about tomorrow or food, something like that)./ /no one's coming after me. / there may be a few more, direct references or gospel citations, like // going down on the water and drinking down on the water// // or Peter's calling out I'm drowning. // anyway like many a persons before, in the 19th and 20th century, the teachings of jesus led the author to agnosticism or simply atheism. there's no doubt about that. then what rem became after that is another question. peace guys.

When he talks about drowning, he's referencing the Bible when Jesus walks on water, as so does his disciple Peter. The lesson there is if you have faith in Jesus, you can walk on water/do anything. Michael here is saying he doesn't believe in that. He believes that if he tried walking on water, he would drown, personally. He's making the choice to reject religion and believe this Earth, our universe, is our one and only home. He's honest with himself and us that he does fear death "I can't say I'm not afraid," but at the same time he's not fearful. He trusts that where we are is where we belong, and that we should focus on making the best of our time here. Not worried about making it to heaven or pleasing a god who probably doesn't exist, at least not in any way we've dreamed up. For me, it's a hopeful message, and I take take comfort in feeling I'm where I belong and have permission to live my best life here, enjoy it while it lasts and helping others in the process.

There is only God. Religion is the constructs of men and men alone. Let it fall away with the rest of it all. You don't need heaven as some far off prize or goal just to make you believe in God. Just let it all take you and wash you away, just go drown and let the water clean you as it kills you and let yourself find God and God alone.

theres hopelessness in ther i think, a recognition that faith/religion/god is no good, and that is more alarming than comforting. at least thats my take.

I don't think that the song's saying that God is no good, i thinks it's saying that everytime man tries to interpret or understand God we fuck it up, and terribly too, and that we always have and always will.

i agree it could be about not being able to and not really needing to understand "god" or religion, in that the world itself as we experience it is beautiful and euphoric enough without it. i think it also may be a testament to losing or "drowning" oneself in truth, escaping superstition and the strict confines of religion to embrace life in all it's grand and stark reality, and maybe only in that can we find true escape, enlightenment, and deliverance.