Music, in my opinion, is most powerful when one sees it as personal and applicable to their own life. This goes along with the opinion that humans are, in essence, selfish beings, though not always blatantly so. That, however, is another subject entirely. Most songs (i.e. non-classical) are composed of two integral parts: the instrumental music and the lyrics. The music sets the tone or the mood and therefore effects the way we receive the lyrics. It is just as important as, and in some cases more so than, the lyrics. As with any verbal expression, lyrics can convey many meanings at once depending on the mood and circumstances of listener, how well the lyrics are written and presented and the tone of the music. When these elements combine in just the right way, we are left with a song that can communicate directly with the human soul. In my experience, one such song is “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M.
A single from the album Out of Time, this was the first R.E.M. song I was ever exposed to. I believe it is because of this that “Losing My Religion” is the song which first comes to mind when I think of R.E.M. and it therefore holds a special place in my heart. I think for many years, however, I’ve misunderstood the meaning of this song. Like many people, I took the title at face value and assumed the song was about someone who is coming to terms with losing his faith in his religion. This, obviously, is not the case. The phrase is actually old Southern slang for losing one’s temper or being at the end of one’s rope. The meaning of the song is best put by an anonymous internet user: As it {the old Southern slang} pertains to the song, it's about an individual obsessed with another and whose feelings about how to approach that other person and how to deal with the whole awkward and rather uncomfortable situation leave the obsessed party to feel as though he is at the end of his rope.
Most R.E.M. songs have a vague quality which allow them to be pertinent to any listener, in that the listener can apply his or her own interpretation, and this song is no exception. However, reading the lyrics in light of the above interpretation makes me tend to agree with that interpretation rather than any other, including my original one.
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
This actually makes this song more relevant to my own life, which is what makes it such a great song, to me at least (like I said before, selfishness is an innate human trait). However, it’s also relevant to anyone who’s ever been in the position of liking someone whose feelings toward you are not quite clear. It’s a song about frustration. God knows I, and others, have experienced enough of that in regards to relationships. Take from this what you will.
CST Approved