Alright, I'm probably completely wrong with this interpretation, especially since firstly I'm making it up on the spot and secondly R.E.M. has claimed before that the songs on their first three albums have no real meaning, but I might as well give it a go, for fun.
The first line is important. It implies "she," most likely the singer's lover, is moving on because she desires new things. The singer is mad at her, or just frustrated as implied by the sudden urgency in the lyrics and music when Stipe sings "Get me to the train on time, here take this nickel make a dime." The person is running away too, probably in order to find someone new as well ("What is at the other end, well I don't know, another friend?). "Another wife" may mean this person has had bad luck with relationships in the past, although I'm not sure what "another morning spent" is supposed to mean. Maybe Stipe is actually singing "mourning," as over the loss of a lover (not necessarily by death).
I really have no idea what the chorus means, or even a good guess, which is probably more proof my interpretation is wrong since the chorus is important enough to the meaning of the song (if there is one) that the title was taken from it.
Okay, my guess for the first two lines of the second verse is that he never really got a good explanation as to why his lover left him, and that while sometimes it was obvious why he lost past lovers, other times he never really knew, like this time. The only thing I can think of for the other two lines is that he found another girlfriend, but he's breaking up with her this time, instead of the other way around. Also, he wants to make his goodbyes short so he can hurry up and... do exactly what he did in the first verse, as evidenced by it being repeated.
Once again, I have no idea what the "Listen to the..." lines mean. I will say that they seem to be pretty important, though, if you consider the way the song is set up around them, so maybe someone else can elaborate on what they mean. I really doubt this song has a particular meaning, though, but it's pretty fun trying to interpret it regardless.
Alright, I'm probably completely wrong with this interpretation, especially since firstly I'm making it up on the spot and secondly R.E.M. has claimed before that the songs on their first three albums have no real meaning, but I might as well give it a go, for fun.
The first line is important. It implies "she," most likely the singer's lover, is moving on because she desires new things. The singer is mad at her, or just frustrated as implied by the sudden urgency in the lyrics and music when Stipe sings "Get me to the train on time, here take this nickel make a dime." The person is running away too, probably in order to find someone new as well ("What is at the other end, well I don't know, another friend?). "Another wife" may mean this person has had bad luck with relationships in the past, although I'm not sure what "another morning spent" is supposed to mean. Maybe Stipe is actually singing "mourning," as over the loss of a lover (not necessarily by death).
I really have no idea what the chorus means, or even a good guess, which is probably more proof my interpretation is wrong since the chorus is important enough to the meaning of the song (if there is one) that the title was taken from it.
Okay, my guess for the first two lines of the second verse is that he never really got a good explanation as to why his lover left him, and that while sometimes it was obvious why he lost past lovers, other times he never really knew, like this time. The only thing I can think of for the other two lines is that he found another girlfriend, but he's breaking up with her this time, instead of the other way around. Also, he wants to make his goodbyes short so he can hurry up and... do exactly what he did in the first verse, as evidenced by it being repeated.
Once again, I have no idea what the "Listen to the..." lines mean. I will say that they seem to be pretty important, though, if you consider the way the song is set up around them, so maybe someone else can elaborate on what they mean. I really doubt this song has a particular meaning, though, but it's pretty fun trying to interpret it regardless.
@Cobblestone
@Cobblestone
@Cobblestone
@Cobblestone
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@Cobblestone