Let the sun beat through the clouds
Let me kiss you on the mouth
All my childhood toys with chew marks in your smile
Let me hold your syrup close to mine
Let me watch you, Hollywood and Vine
And I want you like the movies, touch me now

I love you crazy, just keep on
I love you madly, just keep watch
You wipe my lips
You turn me on
My attentions are turned to you

Did I dream you were a tourist
In the Arizona sun?
I can see you there with lunar moths
And watermelon gum
I woke up in the sleeping bag
With nowhere else to run
You're standing in the bathroom
Telling me it's all in fun

I love you crazy, just keep on
I love you madly, just keep watch
You wipe my lips
You turn me on
My attentions are turned to you

I can whisper in your ear
I can write a calendar year
I can wing around your Saturn smile, shout at the moon
I walked the tension wire line
And I learned to disrespect the signs
And I want you like a Pisces rising, even though

I love you crazy, just keep on
I love you madly, just keep watch
You wipe my lips
You turn me on
My attentions are turned to you, you, you, you


Lyrics submitted by ojms, edited by SanibelMan

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13 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    This song continues to grow on me even now, 20 years later. Dark ugly mean lusty seedy semen. This is the ugly side of sexuality.

    peacefrogxon January 21, 2014   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is about Stipe's relationship with River Phoenix apparently. "Did I dream you were a tourist, in the Arizona sun?" is a typically oblique reference from Stipe. The album (Monster) is dedicated to him as well.

    charliereayon April 12, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Monster is one of their best albums, and the best they did in the 90s (along with Automatic For The People)

    Wild Wolfon December 20, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I both agree and disagree with charlieray's and Marquez's interpretations of this song, above:

    Yes, Monster is filled with songs that can be described as "mean and creepy", but I DON'T necessarily think "You" is one of them. It could be about River Phoenix; guess we'll never know, but in any case Stipe confirmed he wrote it to a man. (No big surprise there)

    To me, this song is like a lust-drenched dream from which the singer wakes up yearning for the person he was dreaming of - someone who seems to be unavailable to him in real life for whatever reason.

    Maybe the object of the singer's love/lust has died or changed dramatically somehow. Or maybe it's an unrequieted love situation or a relationship that's already broken up. Regardless, the singer stills wants this person desperately and is feeding his fantasies with past memories.

    Lantaon August 21, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    what album is this on?

    ralph2869on April 01, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's on the "Monster" album, which came out in 1994

    intothegrinder2on August 05, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song is so hot.

    i think i am one of very few people who love this album.

    starbrightgirrlon November 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I don't see how anyone could not like this album even in the least bit. Automatic, Monster, and Hi-Fi are their best works.

    charliethemanon December 14, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    no, murmur, Reckoning, document, automatic, & Hi-Fi are the best they've ever done. but regardless this album is still quite solid, just requires a few more spins than most of their albums to grasp its depth.

    ralph2869on March 01, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think its a song about lust, only one thats drenched in dirty guitar. maybe thats symbolic - that sort of relationship. one of monsters high points in my opinion. i love the line 'i learned to disrespect the signs' - makes me think that he no longer trusts his instinct

    ramshotelon June 19, 2007   Link

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