REM lyrics part 3

R.E.M. LYRICS VERSION 3.2, PART 3

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Document
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FINEST WORKSONG

The time to rise has been engaged
You're better best to rearrange
I'm talking here to me alone
I listen to the finest worksong
Your finest hour

Another chance has been engaged
To throw Thoreau and rearrange
You are following this time
I beg you not beg to rhyme
Your finest hour

Take your instinct by the reins
Your better best to rearrange
What we want and what we need
Has been confused been confused
Your finest hour

WELCOME TO THE OCCUPATION

Hang your collar up inside
Hang your dollar on me
Listen to the water still
Listen to the causeway you are
Man educated primitive and wild
Welcome to the occupation
Here we stand and here we fight
All your fallen heroes
Held and died and skinned alive
Listen to the Congress fire
Offering the educated primitive and loyal
Welcome to the occupation
Hang your collar up inside
Hang your freedom higher
Listen to the buyer still
Listen to the Congress
Where we propagate confusion
Primitive and wild
Fire on the hemisphere below

Sugar cane and coffee cup
Copper steel and cattle
An annotated history the forest for the fire
Where we open up the floodgates
Freedom reigns supreme
Fire on the hemisphere below
Listen to me

EXHUMING MCCARTHY

You're beautiful more beautiful than me
You're honorable more honorable than me
Loyal to the Bank of America

It's a sign of the times

You're sharpening stones walking on coals
To improve your business acumen

Vested interest united ties lend a gentry rationalize
Look who bought the myth buy a jingle buy America

It's a sign of the times it's a sign of the times

Enemy sighted enemy met I'm addressing the realpolitik
Look who bought the myth buy a jingle buy America

"Let us not assassinate this man further than the truth,
but you've done enough.  Have you no sense of decency, sir?
At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

You've seen Stalin and you've seen ___
I always thought of you as quick
Exhuming McCarthy

DISTURBANCE AT THE HERON HOUSE (published in NME, sometime in 1989)

"They're going wild," the call came in
At early morning pre-dawn, then
"The followers of chaos out of control
They're numbering the monkeys
The monkeys and the monkeys,"
The followers of chaos out of control

"They're meeting at the monument,"
The call came in the monument
To liberty and honor under the honor roll
"They've gathered up the cages the cages and courageous,"
The followers of chaos out of control

The call came in to Party Central
"Meeting of the green and simple,"
Try to tell us something we don't know

"Disturbance at the Heron House"
A stampede at the monument
To liberty and honor under the honor roll
The gathering of grunts and greens
Cogs and grunts and hirelings
A meeting of a mean idea to hold
"When feeding time has come and gone
They'll lose the heart and head for home
Try to tell us something we don't know"

STRANGE (Wire)  (lyrics taken from the lyric sheet of Wire's _Pink
    Flag_)

There's something strange going on tonight
There's something going on that's not quite right
Michael's nervous and the lights are bright
There's something going on that's not quite right

There's something going on that wasn't here before
Keep your eyes glued to the floor
There's something strange going on tonight
There's something going on that's not quite right

There's something going on that wasn't here before
Keep your eyes glued to the floor
No one's going to say goodnight
There's something going on that's not quite right

IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT (AND I FEEL FINE)

That's great it starts with an earthquake
Birds and snakes and aeroplanes
Lenny Bruce is not afraid
Eye of a hurricane listen to yourself churn
World serves its own needs dummy serve your own needs
Speed it up a notch speed grunt nose street burn
The ladder starts to clatter with dinner fight down height
Wire in a fire room represent the southern gangs
In a government for hire and a combat site
Lefty wasn't coming in a hurry
With the furies breathing down your neck
Team by team reporters grapple trunk tethered crop
Look at that low plane fine then
Uh oh overflow population cornered
But it'll do save yourself serve yourself
World serves its own needs listen to your heartbeat
Tell me that the reds are in the reverend in the right right?
You patriotic patriotic slam fight right might feeling pretty psyched

It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine

Six o'clock TV hour don't get caught foreign tower
Slice and burn return listen to yourself churn lock him in uniform
And book-burning blood-letting every motive escalate
Automotive incinerate light a candle light a motive
Step down step down watching heel crush crush
Uh oh this means no fear cavalier renegade steer clear
A tournament a tournament a tournament of lies
Offer me solutions offer me alternatives and I decline

It's the end of the world as we know it
(It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it
(It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine

The other night I drifted nice continental trip to find
Mount Saint Edelite Leonard Bernstein
Leonid Brezhnev Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs
Birthday party cheesecake jellybeans boom
You symbiotic patriotic slam foot neck right right

THE ONE I LOVE (lyrics taken from the sheet music as published by Hal Leonard)

This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I've left behind
A simple prop to occupy my time
This one goes out to the one I love

Fire

This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I've left behind
Another prop has occupied my time
This one goes out to the one I love

FIREPLACE

Crazy crazy world crazy crazy times
Crazy crazy world crazy crazy times
Hang up your chairs to better sweep
Clear the floor to dance
Shake the rug into the fireplace

Crazy crazy world crazy crazy times
Crazy crazy world crazy crazy times
Hang up your chairs to better sweep
Clear the floor to dance
Sweep the floor into the fireplace

Hang up your chairs to better sweep
Clear the floor to dance
Throw the chairs into the fireplace

Hang up your chairs to better sweep
Clear the floor to dance
Throw the walls into the fireplace

LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS

When I lay myself to sleep pray that I don't go to deep
Lightning won
Because it's cold down cold down there crow

Flat lands low lands on the track
Shows the water pan the track
Lightning won lightning won
Close up hands to silhouette crow

Tambark on the track
Ham crow hold onto your hat
Lightning won lightning won
Low lands timberlands bad lands burn lands

KING OF BIRDS

A thumbnail sketch a jeweler's stone
A mean idea to call my own
Old man don't lay so still you're not yet young
There's time to teach point to point
Point observation children carry reservations
Standing on the shoulders of giants leaves me cold
A mean idea to call my own a hundred million birds fly

Singer sing me a given singer sing me a song
Standing on the shoulders of giants everybody's looking on
Standing on the shoulders of giants leaves me cold

There's time to teach point to point
Point observation children carry reservations
Standing on the shoulders of giants leaves me cold
A mean idea to call my own a hundred million birds fly away

I am king of all I see my kingdom for a voice
Old man don't lay so still you're not yet young
There's time to teach point to point
Point observation children carry reservations
Standing on the shoulders of giants leaves me cold
A mean idea to call my own a hundred million birds fly away

ODDFELLOWS LOCAL 151

Oddfellows local 151 behind the firehouse
Where Peewee sits to prove a sage to teach
Peewee gathered up his proof
Reached up and scratched his head
Fell down and hit the ground again

Firehouse

Why do the heathens rage behind the firehouse
Where Peewee sits upon the wall to preach
This boy and girl they gather pearls
Of wisdom falling from his mouth
Wash off the blood wash off the rum

*****
Green
*****

POP SONG 89

Hello I saw you I know you I knew you
I think I can remember your name...name
Hello I'm sorry I lost myself
I think I thought you were someone else

Should we talk about the weather?   
Should we talk about the government?

Hello my friend are you visible today?
And no one ever knew that it could be so strange...strange
Hello I'm sorry I lost myself
I think I thought you were someone else

GET UP

Sleep delays my life       
Where does the time go...go
I don't know
Sleep sleep sleepy head   
Wake it up...up               
You've got all your life
Way up ahead

Dreams they complicate my life
Dreams they compliment my life

I've seen you laying pined
I've seen you laying pined
Life is rough...rough
I've seen you laying down...down
With the loving kind
I know life is hard...hard
Well now
Where to turn?

This time there's no escape
To dreamtime

YOU ARE THE EVERYTHING

Sometimes I feel like I can't even sing
I'm very scared for this world
I'm very scared for me
Eviscerate your memory
Here's a scene
You're in the back seat laying down
The windows wrap around you
The sound of the travel and the engine
All you hear is time stand still in travel
You feel such peace and absolute
The stillness still that doesn't end
But slowly drifts into sleep
The stars are the greatest thing you've ever seen
And they're there for you
For you alone you are the everything

I think about this world a lot and I cry
And I've seen the films and the eyes
But I'm in this kitchen
Everything is beautiful
And she is so beautiful
She is so young and old
I look at her and I see the beauty
Of the light of music
The voice is talking somewhere in the house
Late spring and you're drifting off to sleep
With your teeth in your mouth
You are here with me
You are here with me
You have been here and you are everything

STAND

Stand in the place where you live
Now face North
Think about direction
Wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you were
Now face West
Think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before

If you are confused check with the sun
Carry a compass to help you along
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around

Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around
If wishes were trees the trees would be falling
Listen to reason
The reason is calling

WORLD LEADER PRETEND (from the _Green_ inner sleeve/booklet/insert)

I sit at my table and wage war on myself
It seems like it's all...it's all for nothing
I know the barricades, and
I know the mortar in the wall breaks
I recognize the weapons, I used them well

This is my mistake. Let me make it good
I raised the wall, and I will be the one to knock it down

I've a rich understanding of my finest defenses
I proclaim that claims are left unstated,
I demand a rematch
I decree a stalemate
I divine my deeper motives
I recognize the weapons
I've practiced them well. I fitted them myself

It's amazing what devices you can sympathize...empathize
This is my mistake.  Let me make it good
I raised the walls, and I will be the one to knock it down

Reach out for me and hold me tight.  Hold that memory
Let my machine talk to me.  Let my machine talk to me

This is my world
And I am the world leader pretend
This is my life
And this is my time
I have been given the freedom
To do as I see fit
It's high time I've razed the walls
That I've constructed

It's amazing what devices you can sympathize...emapathize
This is my mistake. Let me make it good
I raised the walls, and I will be the one to knock it down

You fill in the mortar. You fill in the harmony
You fill in the mortar. I raised the walls
And I'm the only one
I will be the one to knock it down

THE WRONG CHILD

I've watched the children come and go
A late long march into spring
I sit and watch those children
Jump in the tall grass
Leap the sprinkler
Walk in the ground
Bicycle clothespin spokes
The sound the smell of swingset hands

I will try to sing a happy song
I'll try and make a happy game to play

Come play with me I whispered to my new found friend
Tell me what it's like to go outside
I've never been
Tell me what it's like to just go outside
I've never been
And I never will

I'm not supposed to be like this
I'm not supposed to be like this
But it's okay

Hey those kids are looking at me
I told my friend myself
Those kids are looking at me
They're laughing and they're running over here
They're laughing and they're running over here
What do I do?
What can I do? 
What should I do?
What do I say?
What can I say?

I said I'm no supposed to be like this
Let's try to find a happy game to play
Let's try to find a happy game to play
I'm not supposed to be like this
But it's okay...okay

ORANGE CRUSH

Follow me don't follow me
I've got my spine I've got my orange crush
Collar me don't collar me
I've got my spine I've got my orange crush
We are agents of the free
I've had my fun and now its time to
Spread your conscience overseas
Coming in fast over me
Paid in full

TURN YOU INSIDE-OUT

Divide your cultured pearls in haste
I'm looking for to lay to waste
Of all the things I cannot taste
This is not the wasted race
They spoke loud

I believe in what you do
I believe in watching you
It's what you do

I could turn you inside-out
But I choose not to do

Given the choice
Given the heart
Given the tool
Given the word
Given the cheers

HAIRSHIRT

I am not the type of dog
That could keep you waiting
For no good reason
Run a carbon-black test on my jaw
And you will find it's all been said before

I can swing my megaphone and long arm the rest
It's easier and better
To just beat it from the chest
Of desire

I could walk into this room
And the waves of conversation are enough
To knock you down in the undertow
So alone so alone in my life
Feed me banks of light
And hang your hairshirt on the lowest rung
It's a beautiful life
And I can hang my hairshirt
Away up high in the attic of the wrong dog's life chest
Or bury it at sea
All my life I've searched for this

Here I am here I am in your life
It's a beautiful life
My life
It's a beautiful life
Your life

I REMEMBER CALIFORNIA

I remember redwood trees, bumper cars and wolverines
The ocean's Trident submarines
Lemons, limes and tangerines
I remember this
I remember traffic jams
Motor boys and girls with tans
Nearly was and almost rans
I remember this

History is made
History is made to seem unfair
I recall that you were there
Golden smile and shining hair
I recall it wasn't fair
Recollect it wasn't fair
Remembering it wasn't fair outside

The willow at high tide
The lowest ebb and highest tide
The simple wave I must confide
I guess we took a slow ride
I guess it's just a gesture

I remember this defense
Progress fails pacific sense
All those sweet conspiracies
I remember all these things
I remember traffic jams
Motor boys and girls with tans
Nearly was and almost rans
I remember this
This

At the end of the continent
At the edge of the continent

(UNTITLED) (Bits and pieces printed in the 1988 fan club holiday card)

This world is big and so-awake
I stayed up late to hear your voice
This light is here to keep you warm
This song is here to keep you strong

I made a list of things to say
But all I really want to say
All I really want to say is
Hold her and keep him strong
While I'm away from here
Hold her and keep her strong
While I'm away from here

I've seen the world and so-awake
And stay up late to hear me sing
Just hold her
I've seen the world and so-awake
And stay up late to hear me sing
Just hold him
Hold her and keep her strong
While I'm away from here
Hold him and keep him strong
While I'm away from here

***********
Out Of Time
***********

RADIO SONG

Hey, I can't find nothing on the radio
Ah, you'll turn to that station

The world is collapsing
Around our ears
I turned up the radio
But I can't hear it

When I got to your house
And I called you out
I could tell that you had been crying, crying
It's that same sing song on the radio
Makes me sad
I meant to turn it off
To say goodbye
To leave it quiet
Radio song
Hey hey hey

I've everything to show
I've everything to hide
Look into my eyes
Listen

When I got to the show
Yo ho ho
I could tell that you had been crying, crying
It's that same sing song, DJ sucks
Makes me sad
I tried to turn it off
To say goodbye my love
That radio song
Hey hey hey

The world is collapsing
Around our ears
I turned up the radio
But I can't hear it
Yeah

I tried to sing along
But damn that radio song
Hey hey hey

I've everything to show
I've everything to hide
Look into my eyes listen to the radio
I turned up the radio
But I can't hear it
Now I can't hear it
Hey hey hey

Check it out
What are you saying
What are you playing
Who are you paying
Day after day
Baby baby baby
That stuff is driving me crazy
DJs communicate to the masses
Sex and violent classes
Now our children grow up prisoners
All their lives radio listeners

LOSING MY RELIGION (printed in _Sassy_ magazine shortly after the
                          release of the album)

Life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no I've said too much
I set it up

That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper
Of every waking hour I'm
Choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool
Oh no I've said too much
I set it up

Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
That was just a dream

LOW

Dusk is dawn is day
WHere did it go?
I've been laughing
Fast and slow
Moving in a still frame
Howling at the moon
Morning found me laughing
Up and down, down
Low low low
Night suits me fine
Morning suits me fine
I've been so happy
Way up high, high
In between
Down below
Low low low

I skip the part about love
It seems so silly and low
Low low low
Low low low

I said the morning
It isn't your time
Barefoot naked
I can see your lines
It doesn't bother me
That you are white
Your grass is grassy wet
Your light white is bright
Light white light

I skip the part about love
It seems so shallow and low
Low low low
Low low low

You and me
We know about time
We know how things go
They come and go
They live and grow
They pass and go
And glow and glow
Up and down
High and low
Low low low
Low low low

I skip the part about love
It seems so silly and low
I skip the part about love
It seems so shallow and low
Low low low
Low low low

I like your hands
All full of glory
All full of glory

NEAR WILD HEAVEN

Whenever we hold each other
We hold each other
There's a feeling that's gone
Something has gone wrong
And I don't know how much longer I can take it
House made a heart break it
Take my hand in your hands and shake it
In near wild heaven
Not near it now

Living inside
Living inside
Near wild heaven

Whatever it takes I'm giving
It's just a gift I'm giving
Try to live inside
Trying to move inside
And I always thought that it would make me smarter
But it's only made me harder
My heart thrown open wide
In this near wild heaven
Not near it now

Living inside
Living inside
Near wild heaven

Holding my hands together
Holding my feet together
Holding myself together
In this near wild heaven
Not near it now

ENDGAME

(instrumental)

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE

Shiny happy people laughing
Meet me in a crowd
People people
Throw your love around
Love me love me
Take it into town
Happy happy
Put it in the ground
Where the flowers grow
Gold and silver shine

Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing

Everyone around love them, love them
Put it in your hands
Take it take it
There's no time to cry
Happy happy
Put it in your heart
Where tomorrow shines
Gold and silver shine

Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing

BELONG

Her world collapsed on a Sunday morning
She got up from the kitchen table
Folded the newspaper and silenced the radio
Those creatures jumped the barricades
And headed for the sea, sea

These creatures headed for the sea
She began to breathe
To breathe at the thought of this freedom
Stood and whispered to her child belong
She held the child and whispered
With calm, calm belong

Stood and whispered to her child belong
She held the child and whispered
With calm, calm belong

These barricades can only hold for so long
Her world collapsed on a Sunday morning
She took the child held tight
Opened the window
Breath the song belong
And knew, knew belong

HALF A WORLD AWAY

This could be the saddest dusk
I've ever seen
Turn to the miracle
I alive
My mind is racing
As it always will
My hand is tired my heart aches
>From half a world away
Hear my head swarm
To go it alone
And hold it alone
Haul it alone
And hold it
Go it alone
Hold it alone

Oh lonely deeps and hollows
Half a world
Half the world away
My shoes are gone
And life spent
I had too much to drink
I didn't think
I didn't think of you
I guess that's all I needed
To go it alone
And hold it alone
Haul it alone
And hold it
Blackbirds backwards forwards and fall

Oh this lonely world is wasted
Pathetic eyes high life
The blinded tide is turned to sea
The storm it came up strong
And it shook the trees
And blew away our fear
I couldn't need to hear

To go it alone
And hold it alone
Haul it alone
And hold it
To go it alone
And hold it alone
Haul it along
To go it alone
And hold it alone
Haul it along
And hold it
Blackbirds backwards forwards and fall

This could be the saddest dusk
I've ever seen
Turn to the miracle
I alive
My mind is racing
As it always will
My hand is tired my heart aches
>From half a world away

TEXARCANA

20,000 miles to an oasis
20,000 years will I burn
20,000 chances are wasted
Waiting for the road to turn

I would give my life to find it
I would give it all
Catch me if I fall

Walking through the woods I have faced it
Looking for something to earn
30,000 thoughts have been wasted
Never in my time to return

I would give my life to find it
I would give it all
Catch me if I fall
All alone
Waiting to fall

40,000 stars in the evening
Look at them fall from the sky
40,000 reasons for living
40,000 tears in your eye

I would give my life to find it
I would give it all
Catch me if I fall

COUNTRY FEEDBACK

This flower is scorched
This film is on
On a maddening look
These clothes
These clothes don't fit us right
I'm to blame
It's all the same
It's all the same

You come to me with a bone in your hand
You come to me with your hair curled tight
You come to me with positions
You come to me with excuses
Ducked out in a row
You wear me out
You wear me out

We've been through faith breakdown
Self hurt
Plastics collections
Self help self pain yes
Psychics fuck off
I was central
I had control
I lost my head
I need this
I need this
A paper weight junk garage
Winter rain a honey pot
Crazy, all the lovers have been tagged
Hotline wanted ad
Crazy what you could have had
It's crazy what you could have had
It's crazy what you could have had
I need this
I need this

ME IN HONEY

I sat there looking ugly
Looking ugly and mean
I knew what you were saying
You were saying to me

Baby's got some new rules
Baby said she's had it with me
It seems a shame you waste your time on me
It seems a lot of wasted time for me

Left me alone
What it's doing to me

There's a lot of honey in this world
Baby this honey's for me
Got to do what you do
Do it with me
It seems a shame you waste your time for me

Left me alone
What it's doing to me

Knocked silly
Knock flat
Sideways down
There's things they pick you up
Turn you around
Say your peace
Say you're sweet for me
It's all the same to share the pain with me
It's all the same to save the shame for me

Left me alone
What it's doing to me

Baby's got some new rules
Baby says she's had it with me
There's a fly in the honey
And baby's got a baby with me
That's a part
That's a part of me

Left me alone
What it's doing to me
Left me alone
What it's doing to me
What about me?