To paraphrase Michael Stipe: The protagonist of this song is well-meaning but overly naive in their attitude towards a friend who's suffering from a serious issue such as mental illness/depression/drug addiction.
The lyrics are like the equivalent of a person saying "turn that frown upside down" to somebody in the midst of a serious crisis and expecting such a trite platitude to "fix" the person's problem.
The brilliance of this song is that the protagonist's (ultimately) empty message hides behind a sweet melody and a veneer of kindness and concern.
To paraphrase Michael Stipe: The protagonist of this song is well-meaning but overly naive in their attitude towards a friend who's suffering from a serious issue such as mental illness/depression/drug addiction.
The lyrics are like the equivalent of a person saying "turn that frown upside down" to somebody in the midst of a serious crisis and expecting such a trite platitude to "fix" the person's problem.
The brilliance of this song is that the protagonist's (ultimately) empty message hides behind a sweet melody and a veneer of kindness and concern.