R.E.M - The Best of R.E.M.



CARNIVAL OF SORTS (BOX CARS)

There's a secret stigma, reaping wheel.
Diminish, a carnival of sorts.
Chronic town, poster torn, reaping wheel.
Stranger, stranger to these parts.

Gentlemen don't get caught, cages under cage. Gentlemen don't get caught,
Boxcars (are pulling) out of town. Boxcars (are pulling) out of town.
Boxcars (are pulling) out of town.

(repeat 1st verse and chorus)

Cages under, cages under, cages under cage.
Cages under, cages under, cages under cage.

(repeat chorus)

There's a secret stigma, reaping wheel.
Stranger, stranger to these parts.
Chronic town, poster torn, reaping wheel.
Diminish, stranger.

(repeat chorus)


RADIO FREE EUROPE

 

Beside yourself if radio's gonna stay.

Reason: it could polish up the grey.

Put that, put that, put that up your wall

That this isn't country at all

Raving station, beside yourself

Keep me out of country in the word

Deal the porch is leading us absurd.

Push that, push that, push that to the hull

That this isn't nothing at all.

Straight off the boat, where to go?

Calling on in transit, calling on in transit

Radio Free Europe

Beside defying media too fast

Instead of pushing palaces to fall

Put that, put that, put that before all

That this isn't fortunate at all

Raving station, beside yourself

Calling on in transit, calling on in transit

Radio Free Europe, radio.

Decide yourself, calling all of the medias too fast

Keep me out of country in the word

Disappoint is into us absurd

Straight off the boat, where to go?

Calling on in transit, calling on in transit

Radio Free Europe


PERFECT CIRCLE

Put your hair back, you get to leave

Eleven gallows on your sleeve

Shallow figure, winner's pain

Eleven shadows way out of place

Standing too soon, shoulders higher in the room

Standing too soon, shoulders higher in the room

Standing too soon, shoulders higher in the room

Pull your dress on and stay real close

Who might leave you where I left off?

A perfect circle of acquaintances and friends

Drink another, coin a phrase

Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room

Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room

Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room

Try to win and suit your needs

Speak out sometimes and try to win

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room


Talk about the passion


Empty prayer, empty mouths, combien reaction
Empty prayer, empty mouths, talk about the passion

Not everyone can carry the weight of the world
Not everyone can carry the weight of the world

Talk about the passion
Talk about the passion

Empty prayer, empty mouths, combien reaction
Empty prayer, empty mouths, talk about the passion

Combien, combien, combien du temps?

Not everyone can carry the weight of the world
Not everyone can carry the weight of the world

Combien, combien, combien du temps?

Talk about the passion
Talk about the passion

(repeat)


SO. CENTRAL RAIN (I'M SORRY)

Did you never call? I waited for your call

These rivers of suggestion are driving me away

The trees will bend, the cities wash away

The city on the river has a girl without a dream

I'm sorry

Eastern to Mountain, third party call, the lines are down

The wise man wrote his words upon the rocks

But I'm not bound to follow suit

The trees will bend, the conversation's dimmed

Go build yourself another home, this choice isn't mine

Did you never call? I waited for your call

These rivers of suggestion are driving me away

The ocean sang, the cities wash away

Go build yourself another dream, this choice isn't mine


(DON'T GO BACK TO) ROCKVILLE

Looking at your watch a third time waiting in the station for a bus
Going to a place that's far, so far away and if that's not enough
Going where nobody says hello, they don't talk to anybody they don't know

You'll wind up in some factory that's full time filth and nowhere left to go
Walk home to an empty house, sit around all by yourself

I know it might sound strange, but I believe
You'll be coming back before too long

Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year

At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend
I don't care if you're not here with me
'Cause it's so much easier to handle
All my problems if I'm too far out to sea

But something better happen soon
Or it's gonna be too late to bring you back

Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year

It's not as though I really need you
If you were here I'd only bleed you

But everybody else in town only wants to bring you down and
That's not how it ought to be

I know it might sound strange, but I believe
You'll be coming back before too long

Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year


PRETTY PERSUASION

It's what I want, hurry and buy,
all has been tried, follow reason and buy,
Cannot shuffle in this heat, it's all wrong
Try to put that on your sleeve it's all wrong it's all wrong

He's got a pretty persuasion
She's got pretty persuasionGod damn, pure confusion

She's got pretty persuasion

It's what I want, hurry and buy,

all has been tried, follow reasoning,

And I put that in this heat it's all wrong

Try to wear that on my sleeve it's all wrong all wrong

He's got a pretty persuasion

She's got pretty persuasion

God damn, pure confusion

He's got pretty persuasion

In the line of heart,

All is peeling away,

It's what I want, hurry and buy,

all has been tried, follow reason and buy,

Try to put that in this heat it's all wrong

Cannot wear that on your sleeve it's all wrong it's all wrong

 

GREEN GROW THE RUSHES

 

The wheelbarrow's fallen

Look at my hands

They've found some surplus cheaper hands

Rubbing palms and pick and choose,

who will they choose? Here is the news.

Look at that building, look at this man

Haloed and whitewashed

Gone to find a cheaper hand

he'll offer a pound, offer a pound.

Green grow the rushes go

Green grow the rushes go

Green grow the rushes go

The compass points the workers home

Pay for your freedom, find another gate

Guilt by associate, the rushes wilted a long time ago

Guilty as you go

Stay off that highway, word is it's not so safe

The grasses that hide the greenback

The amber waves of gain again

The amber waves of gain

Green grow the rushes go

Green grow the rushes go

Green grow the rushes go

The compass points the workers home

 

CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE

 

When the world is a monster

Bad to swallow you whole

Kick the clay that holds the teeth in

Throw your trolls out the door

If you're needing inspiration

Philomath is where I go by dawn

Lawyer Jeff he knows the lowdown

He's mighty bad to visit home

I've been there I know the way

Can't get there from here

I've been there I know the way

Can't get there from here

I've been there I know the way

Can't get there from here

I've been there I know the way

When your hands are feeling empty

Stick head jumpin off the ground, 'round

Tris is sure to shirr the deers out

Brother Ray can sing my song

I've been there I know the way

Can't get there from here

I've been there I know the way

Can't get there from here

I've been there I know the way

Can't get there from here

I've been there I know the way

Hands down, Calechee bound

Landlocked kiss the ground

Dirt of seven continents going round and round

Go on ahead Mr. Citywide hypnotized, suit and tied

Gentlemen, testify

If your world is a monster

Bad to swallow you whole

Philomath they know the lowdown

Throw your trolls out the door

I've been there I know the way

Can't get there from here

I've been there I know the way

Can't get there from here

I've been there I know the way

Can't get there from here

I've been there I know the way

Thank you, Ray.

 

DRIVER 8

 

The walls are built up, stone by stone,

the fields divided one by one.

And the train conductor says

"Take a break Driver 8, Driver 8 take a break

We've been on this shift too long"

And the train conductor says

"Take a break Driver 8, Driver 8 take a break

We can reach our destination, but we're still a ways away"

I saw a treehouse on the outskirts of the farm.

The power lines have floaters so the airplanes won't get snagged.

Bells are ringing through the town again,

Children look up, all they hear is sky-blue, bells ringing

And the train conductor says

"Take a break Driver 8, Driver 8 take a break

We can reach our destination, but we're still a ways away"

Way to shield the hated heat.

Way to put myself to sleep.

Way to shield the hated heat.

Way to put myself, my children to sleep.

Violet did this song in a plane like that one.

She is selling faith on the Go Tell crusade.

Locomotive 8, Southern Crescent, hear the bells ring again.

Field of wheat is looking thin

And the train conductor says

"Take a break Driver 8, Driver 8 take a break

We've been on this shift too long."

And the train conductor says

"Take a break Driver 8, Driver 8 take a break

We can reach our destination, but we're still a ways away"

 

FALL ON ME

 

There's a problem, feathers iron

Bargain buildings, weights and pullies

Feathers hit the ground before the weight can leave the air

Buy the sky and sell the sky and tell the sky and tell the sky

Don't fall on me (What is it up in the air for) (It's gonna fall)

Fall on me (If it's there for long) (It's gonna fall)

Fall on me (It's over it's over me) (It's gonna fall)

There's the progress we have found (when the rain)

A way to talk around the problem (when the children reign)

Building towered foresight (keep your conscience in the dark)

isn't anything at all (the statues in the park)

Buy the sky and sell the sky and bleed the sky and tell the sky

(repeat chorus)

Don't fall on me

Well I could keep it above

But then it wouldn't be sky anymore

So if I send it to you you've got to promise to keep it whole

Buy the sky and sell the sky and lift your arms up to the sky

And ask the sky and ask the sky

(repeat chorus, etc.)

 

I BELIEVE

 

When I was young and full of grace

and spirited--a rattlesnake.

When I was young and fever fell

My spirit, I will not tell

You're on your honor not to tell

I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract

Explain the change, the difference between

What you want and what you need, there's the key,

Your adventure for today, what do you do

Between the horns of the day?

I believe my shirt is wearing thin

And change is what I believe in

When I was young and give and take

And foolish said my fool awake

When I was young and fever fell

My spirit, I will not tell

You're on your honor, on your honor

Trust in your calling, make sure your calling's true

Think of others, the others think of you

Silly rule golden words make, practice practice makes perfect,

Perfect is a fault, in fault lies change

I believe my humor's wearing thin

And change is what I believe in

I believe my shirt is wearing thin

And change is what I believe in

When I was young and full of grace

As spirited a rattlesnake

When I was young and fever fell

My spirit, I will not tell

You're on your honor not to tell

I believe in example

I believe my throat hurts

Example is the checker to the key

I believe my humor's wearing thin

And I believe the poles are shifting

I believe my shirt is wearing thin

And change is what I believe in

 

CUYAHOGA

 

Let's put our heads together and start a new country up

Our father's father's father tried, erased the parts he didn't like

Let's try to fill it in, bank the quarry river, swim

We knee-skinned it you and me, we knee-skinned that river red

This is where we walked, this is where we swam

Take a picture here, take a souvenir

This land is the land of ours, this river runs red over it

We knee-skinned it you and me, we knee-skinned that river red

And we gathered up our friends, bank the quarry river, swim

We knee-skinned it you and me, underneath the river bed

This is where we walked, this is where we swam

Take a picture here, take a souvenir

Cuyahoga

Cuyahoga, gone

Let's put our heads together, start a new country up,

Underneath the river bed we burned the river down.

This is where they walked, swam, hunted, danced and sang,

Take a picture here, take a souvenir

Cuyahoga

Cuyahoga, gone

Rewrite the book and rule the pages, saving face, secured in faith

Bury, burn the waste behind you

This land is the land of ours, this river runs red over it

We are not your allies, we can not defend

This is where they walked, this is where they swam

Take a picture here, take a souvenir

Cuyahoga

Cuyahoga, gone

Cuyahoga

Cuyahoga, gone

 

THE ONE I LOVE

 

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 (she's comin' down on her own, now)

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

 

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

 

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, an aeroplane -

Lenny Bruce is not afraid. Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn -

world serves its own needs, don't misserve your own needs. Feed it up a knock,

speed, grunt no, strength no. Ladder structure clatter with fear of height,

down height. Wire in a fire, represent the seven games in a government for

hire and a combat site. Left her, wasn't coming in a hurry with the furies

breathing down your neck. Team by team reporters baffled, trump, tethered

crop. Look at that low plane! Fine then. Uh oh, overflow, population,

common group, but it'll do. Save yourself, serve yourself. World serves its

own needs, listen to your heart bleed. Tell me with the rapture and the

reverent in the right - right. You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright

light, 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 in foreign tower. Slash 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. Watch a heel crush, crush. Uh oh,

this means no fear - cavalier. Renegade and 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 the end of the world as we know it.

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

The other night I tripped a nice continental drift divide. Mount St. Edelite.

Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Breshnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.

Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom! You symbiotic, patriotic,

slam, but neck, right? Right.

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...fine...