Well, I would imagine that, coming from a band like R.E.M., that it refers to the idea of losing one's place in the limelight, as all bands eventually do. The fact is, Michael Stipe wanted to keep putting out hits like Man On The Moon and The One I Love, but due to creative differences between conflicting sides of his artistic background (and foreground), the best he could come up with was something like this: new, vibrant, yet labeled with an old name. People get tired of hearing old band names, so no matter how hard an artist tries, they just can't emulate the power of their first hit single (nor the innocence of their first record).
Well, I would imagine that, coming from a band like R.E.M., that it refers to the idea of losing one's place in the limelight, as all bands eventually do. The fact is, Michael Stipe wanted to keep putting out hits like Man On The Moon and The One I Love, but due to creative differences between conflicting sides of his artistic background (and foreground), the best he could come up with was something like this: new, vibrant, yet labeled with an old name. People get tired of hearing old band names, so no matter how hard an artist tries, they just can't emulate the power of their first hit single (nor the innocence of their first record).