Sad Professor

The thing I've noticed with Stipe's lyrics is that he likes to write stories with fictional characters to represent a certain emotion, in this case hopelessness, instead of just writing a biographical song about himself. I think that this is a lot more interesting than that, because the other has been done to death. I think that the last 3 albums have seen this a lot more than the older ones, but I'd say that he did it the most on Up.

http://www.freewebs.com/thejakesite

This and Falls to Climb are my favorite tracks on this album.

Up is highly overlooked...

I very much think the line "A lazy eye metaphor on the rocks" is a reference to Thom Yorke, Michael Stipe's friend. This means the whole song could be about Thom Yorke (who is known to over-intellectualize and drink a bit, which fits with other aspects of the character sketch). My thinking: Around the time that "Up" was written, the press was beginning to really obsess about Radiohead. Even if it was "good" press, there were plenty of lazy articles psychoanalyzing Yorke, filled with lazy metaphors. I recall one article which made a point of how Yorke's one paralyzed eyelid (his "lazy eye") was a metaphor for how he always had one part of him looking out at the world, and another part looking inward (his bad eye).

I'm struck by some similarities to Nabokov's "Lolita," narrated by the character Humbert Humbert (who is a professor). It has a similar tone--knowing that what he's doing is self-destructuve, but unable and unwilling to not do it. Also, in the book, Humbert Humbert addresses the reader as "Dear readers"

There's a certain stereotype of the academic who devotes his whole life to his work at the expense of his social life. Stipe seems to be playing on that. The narrator of the song finally realises the mistake he's made at middle-age.

The guitar sounds awesome. Like a steel acoustic that's been distorted.

I took it to mean the Latin meaning of professor "one who professes". In that light - a sad professor is one that professes they are sad in their words and in their actions - such as being a bore and drinking until your face hits the floor. In so much as I could relate to being a sad professor myself, going through a rather grim time in my life - loosing the first man I ever loved, my father, and the latest man I loved, my boyfriend of ten years. I hate where I wound up...

I'm fairly certain its about a proffessor who gets wasted and stuff because hes depressed

What a great song - no more comments?

I agree, it seems to be about a uni professor who's life has not panned out the way he wanted. He thinks/knows people think he's boring, and he drinks himself into a stupor all the time.

His only dialogue is with his readers - maybe in academic journals? Stipe has a real scientist and lawyer fascination, this is one of many recent songs with references to people who have done university degrees in it.