Lyric discussion by driver8ball 

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

I always thought this was about young high school football players practicing in a park after dark (or near dusk).

I don’t know anymore. When I heard the opening line just now (after hearing this about a hundred times at this point), I’m more inclined to believe that he’s talking about a woman who had been awaiting her trial while she was sequestered in a prison cell. Then right before she was finally led back into the courtroom by her defense attorney, that’s where this song basically begins. She is told to put her hair back; she gets to leave now. She was found not guilty. The winners who paid were her wealthy family members who had hired the best attorneys in town to plead her case. The eleven shadows are the eleven jurors.

Kind of reminds me a little bit of Patricia Hearst. I don’t know. I could be as far away as the sun is from the Moon I suppose.

[Edit: Needed Editing]

My Interpretation
Neutral
Subjective
Contemplative
Interpretation
Justice
Speculation