Lyric discussion by el_h 

Cover art for Perfect Circle lyrics by R.E.M.

Now I could be wrong, but to me, the imagery of "standing too soon, shoulders high in the room" suggests someone ill at ease, uncomfortable - shoulders hunched up - getting up before they should.

Could be way off here, but I always thought the song was about someone uncomfortable in a particular social setting - maybe said ex-girlfriend, whom the song is supposedly about.

I agree that at least for me parts of this song are about being uncomfortable in social situations: standing too soon, asking someone to stay close to you, drinking, trying to sound clever by coining a phrase. For me it also about trying to make yourself look good and not talk about anything hard or difficult that you're experienceing. The lines in that song that say this most strongly for me are, "Try to win and suit your needs. Speak out sometimes but try to win". These lines send shivers down my spine. For...