It is better not to explain the true meaning of individual songs, which the authors put into them. For their charm is lost, which arises when you enjoy a beautiful composition, not knowing what the author had in mind, or not understanding the word at all.
What can a Russian-speaking music lover imagine when he first heard Losing My Religion (literally “Losing his religion”) by REM?
The meaning of the song Losing My Religion
So what is it about in the words of the work? The title of the composition opens up a huge scope for imagination, and the video clip and text only increase the desire to indulge in philosophical reasoning.
But Michael Stipe ruined everything by explaining that Losing My Religion has nothing to do with faith and religion. Say, this is nothing more than “a classic pop song about a passion for someone.”
Where did such a mysterious name come from? Everything is simple. In the dialect of the inhabitants of some southern US states, the expression “to lose one’s religion” means “to be taken to the extreme”, “to lose patience”.
The history of the song Losing My Religion
Losing My Religion’s main riff was composed by Peter Buck in the summer of 1990. He bought a mandolin and tried to master a new instrument for him, along the way fixing what happened on a tape recorder.
The next day, Peter listened to the recording and came to the conclusion that one of the tunes could be used for a song.
REM recorded Losing My Religion in New York’s Bearsville Studios with the participation of all members of the band, as well as guest guitarist Peter Holsaple. Bassist Mike Mills admitted that he borrowed his part from Fleetwood Mac because he couldn’t come up with anything original. The song originally featured an organ, but was later replaced by an Atlanta symphony orchestra.
Release and achievements
The band chose Losing My Religion as the lead single for Out of Time, although this was opposed by record company management. MTV also did not recognize the potential hit and criticized the song.
But the listeners were of a different opinion. Losing My Religion peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, number nineteen on the UK Singles Chart, won two Grammys and was ranked number 169 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
Clip Losing My Religion – R.E.M.
Only here is the video clip, filmed by Singh Tarsem, absolutely does not correspond to what Stipe said about the meaning of the song. It is full of biblical allusions, evokes memories of the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and evokes associations with the films of Andrei Tarkovsky. So it’s not easy to discern passionate unrequited love in him.
Interesting Facts
- REM performed Losing My Religion for the first time in public at the 40 Watt club located in their hometown of Athens, Georgia.
- There is a common misconception that Losing My Religion is supposedly dedicated to John Lennon, and the lines What if all these fantasies Come flailing around refer to his Double Fantasy album.
- The song’s working title was Sugar Cane.
- The video clip sparked protests from some Catholic groups.
- This video was the first in which Michael Stipe dances.
Losing My Religion Lyrics
Ooooh
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
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
Losing My Religion Lyrics
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Life is more
She’s bigger than you
And you are not me
Distances that I will walk to
Indifference in your eyes
Oh no I’ve said too much
I’ve had enough
It’s me in the corner
This is me in the spotlight
Losing my patience
I’m trying to keep up with you
And I don’t know if I can do it
Oh no, I’ve said too much
But not enough
I thought you were laughing
I thought you were singing
I guess I just thought you tried
Every moment
When I am awake, I
I choose words of confession
I try not to take my eyes off you
Like a wounded, misguided and blinded fool
Oh no, I’ve said too much
I’ve had enough
Think about it
Think about it
Advice for the Ages
Think about it
The one that put me
On your knees, no more
What if all these fantasies
Will embrace me completely
But I’ve said too much
I thought you were laughing
I thought you were singing
I guess I just thought you tried
But it was just a dream
It was only a dream
Song quote
Some people still think that the song is about religion, but it’s not. It’s just about being infatuated with someone.
Michael Stipe
