Okaaay, no-one has bothered to comment on one of Stipe's finest lyrical achievements! Nevermind, I will give it a go.
The song is very ominous and foreboding.
The main storyline is how he has killed his lover/girl "i watched you fall, i think i pushed" and his following descent into a spiral of guilt and madness. "maybe I'm crazy" The song tremendously describes his downfall, along with his feelings.
The most amazing impact is belted towards the listener as in the verse whereby he relives the killing, he claims "baby i loved you" several times. He then changes his line after realising his punishment "Baby I'm finished". Here he knows how the jury will not believe his crazed self. His insanity causes him to sing, which is his the main evidence of his descent into madness. He sits in a bubble of denial as he consults his conscience "I have never hurt anything". The sad ending to this song is how we don't hear how the trial ends -because it is so obvious. But seen from the viewpoint of the man, I can sympathise so much, as it has destroyed his own life enough - without the added punishment of a prison sentence.
As a listener, I can't put my interpretation fully into words but this song brings my sympathy levels to their highest, because, after all that has happened - he has lost his love and therefore his life.
The lyrics for this song go on into a sequel on my version, the mood is calmer and only a faint guitar can be heard strumming away. I beleive this part is where he has been sentenced to a mental institution, as the vicious contrasting lyrics juxtapose themselves against the padded walls of the cell. The main focus of his lyrics are "I'm not over you" - how moving.
Okaaay, no-one has bothered to comment on one of Stipe's finest lyrical achievements! Nevermind, I will give it a go.
The song is very ominous and foreboding.
The main storyline is how he has killed his lover/girl "i watched you fall, i think i pushed" and his following descent into a spiral of guilt and madness. "maybe I'm crazy" The song tremendously describes his downfall, along with his feelings.
The most amazing impact is belted towards the listener as in the verse whereby he relives the killing, he claims "baby i loved you" several times. He then changes his line after realising his punishment "Baby I'm finished". Here he knows how the jury will not believe his crazed self. His insanity causes him to sing, which is his the main evidence of his descent into madness. He sits in a bubble of denial as he consults his conscience "I have never hurt anything". The sad ending to this song is how we don't hear how the trial ends -because it is so obvious. But seen from the viewpoint of the man, I can sympathise so much, as it has destroyed his own life enough - without the added punishment of a prison sentence.
As a listener, I can't put my interpretation fully into words but this song brings my sympathy levels to their highest, because, after all that has happened - he has lost his love and therefore his life.
The lyrics for this song go on into a sequel on my version, the mood is calmer and only a faint guitar can be heard strumming away. I beleive this part is where he has been sentenced to a mental institution, as the vicious contrasting lyrics juxtapose themselves against the padded walls of the cell. The main focus of his lyrics are "I'm not over you" - how moving.