R.E.M. - Automatic for the People Album Lyrics

Smack, crack, bushwhacked.
Tie another one to the racks, baby.

Hey kids, rock and roll.
Nobody tells you where to go, baby.

What if I ride? What if you walk?
What if you rock around the clock?
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
What if you did? What if you walk?
What if you tried to get off, baby?

Hey, kids, where are you?
Nobody tells you what to do, baby.

Hey kids, shake a leg.
Maybe you're crazy in the head, baby.

Maybe you did. Maybe you walked.
Maybe you rocked around the clock.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
Maybe I ride. Maybe you walk.
Maybe I drive to get off, baby.

Hey kids, shake a leg.
Maybe you're crazy in the head, baby.

Ollie, ollie.
Ollie ollie ollie.
Ollie ollie in come free, baby.

Hey, kids, where are you?
Nobody tells you what to do, baby.

Smack, crack. Shack-a-lack.
Tie another one to your back, baby.

Hey kids, rock and roll.
Nobody tells you where to go, baby.

Maybe you did. Maybe you walk.
Maybe you rock around the clock
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
Maybe I ride. Maybe you walk.
Maybe I drive to get off, baby.

Hey kids, where are you?
Nobody tells you what to do, baby.

Hey kids, rock and roll.
Nobody tells you where to go, baby, baby, baby.

I will try not to breathe.
I can hold my head still with my hands at my knees.
These eyes are the eyes of the old, shiver and fold.

I will try not to breathe.
This decision is mine. I have lived a full life
And these are the eyes that I want you to remember. Oh.

I need something to fly over my grave again.
I need something to breathe.

I will try not to burden you.
I can hold these inside. I will hold my breath
Until all these shivers subside,
Just look in my eyes.

I will try not to worry you.
I have seen things that you will never see.
Leave it to memory me. I shudder to breathe.

I want you to remember. Oh. (you will never see)
I need something to fly (something to fly)
Over my grave again. (you will never see)
I need something to breathe. (something to breathe)
Baby, don't shiver now.
Why do you shiver now? (I will see things you will never see)
I need something to fly (something to fly)
Over my grave again. (I will see things you will never see)
I need something to breathe. Oh. Oh. Oh.

I will try not to worry you.
I have seen things that you will never see.
Leave it to memory me. Don't dare me to breathe.

I want you to remember. Oh. (you will never see)
I need something to fly (something to fly)
Over my grave again. (you will never see)
I need something to breathe. (something to breathe)
Baby, don't shiver now.
Why do you shiver now? (I will see things you will never see)
I need something to breathe. (something to breathe - I have seen things ou will never see)
I want you to remember.

This here is the place where I will be staying
There isn't a number, you can call the pay phone
Let it ring a long, long, long, long time
If I don't pick up, hang up, call back, let it ring some more

If I don't pick up, pick up
The sidewinder sleeps, sleeps, sleeps in a coil

Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her

There are scratches all around the coin slot
Like a heartbeat, baby, tryin' to wake up
But this machine can only swallow money
You can't lay a patch by computer design
It's just a lot of stupid, stupid signs

Tell her
Tell her she can kiss my ass then laugh and say
That you were only kidding
That way she'll know that
It's really, really, really, really me, me

Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her

Baby, instant soup doesn't really grab me
Today I need somethin' more sub-sub-sub-substantial
A can of beans or black eyed peas, some nescafe and ice
A candy bar, a fallin' star or a readin' of doctor Seuss

Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her

The cat in the hat came back, wrecked a lot of havoc on the way
Always had a smile and a reason to pretend
But their world has flat backgrounds and little need to sleep but to dream
The sidewinder sleeps on his back

Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her
I can always sleep standin' up, call me when you try to wake her

Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her
I can always sleep standin' up, call me when you try to wake her

Call me when you try to wake her up, call me when you try to wake her
I can always sleep standin' up, call me when you try to wake her
I can always sleep standin' up, call me when you try to wake her

We've got to moogie, moogie, move on this one

When the day is long and the night
The night is yours alone
When you're sure you've had enough
Of this life, well hang on

Don't let yourself go, 'cause everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes

Sometimes everything is wrong
Now it's time to sing along
When your day is night alone
(Hold on, hold on)
If you feel like letting go
(Hold on)
When you think you've had too much
Of this life, well hang on

'Cause everybody hurts take comfort in your friends
Everybody hurts

Don't throw your hand oh, no don't throw your hand
If you feel like you're alone, no, no, no, you are not alone

If you're on your own in this life
The days and nights are long
When you think you've had too much
Of this life to hang on

Well, everybody hurts sometimes, everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes

And everybody hurts sometimes so, hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on
Everybody hurts
No, no, no, no, you are not alone

[Instrumental]

Readying to bury your father and your mother,
What did you think when you lost another?
I used to wonder why did you bother,
Distanced from one, blind to the other?

Listen here my sister and my brother
What would you care if you lost the other?
I always wonder why did we bother,
Distanced from one, deaf to the other.

Oh, o, but sweetness follows

It's these little things, they can pull you under.
Live your life filled with joy and wonder.
I always knew this altogether thunder
Was lost in our little lives.

Oh, oh, but sweetness follows.
Oh, oh, but sweetness follows.

It's these little things, they can pull you under.
Live your life filled with joy and thunder.
Yeah, yeah we were altogether
Lost in our little lives.

Oh. Oh. Ah.

Oh, oh, but sweetness follows.
Oh, oh, but sweetness follows.

Monty this seems strange to me.
The movies had that movie thing,
But nonsense has a welcome ring
And heroes don't come easy.

Now, nonsense isn't new to me.
I know my head, I know my feet,
But mischief knocked me in the knees.
Said, Just let go. Just let go.

I saw the ocean meet the man.
I saw you buried in the sand.
A friend was there to hold your hand,
Said, Walk on by.

So, I went walking through the street.
I saw you strung up in a tree.
A woman knelt there said to me,
Said, Hold your tongue, man. Hold your tongue.

You don't owe me anything.
You don't want this sympathy. [waste your breath]
Don't you waste your breath. [waste your breath]
For the silver screen.

That nonsense doesn't mean a thing,
They tried to bust you in a sting,
But virtue isn't everything
So, don't waste time.

Now, here's a rhyme that you can steal.
Put this on your reel to reel.
Mischief threw a rotten deal.
Monty's laying low, man.
He is laying low.
Just let go, y'all.
Just let go.

You don't owe me anything.
You don't want this sympathy. [waste your breath]
Don't you waste your breath. [waste your breath]
Monty this seems strange to me.

These bastards stole their power
From the victims of the Us v Them years
Wrecking all things virtuous and true
The undermining social democratic downhill slide into abysmal
Lost lamb off the precipice into the trickle down runoff pool
They hypnotized the summer, ninteen-seventy-nine
Marched into the capital brooding duplicitous
Wicked and able, media-ready
Heartless, and labeled
Super US citizen, super achiever
Mega ultra power dosing, relax
Defense, defense, defense, defense

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Ignoreland
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Ignoreland
Yeah, yeah, yeah

The information nation took their
Clues from all the sound-bite gluttons
1980, eighty four, eighty eight, ninety two too, too
How to be what you can be
Jump jam junking your energies
How to walk in dignity with throw up on your shoes
They amplified the autumn, ninteen-seventy-nine
Calculate the capital
Up the republic my skinny ass
TV tells a million lies
The paper's terrified to report
Anything that isn't handed on a presidential spoon
I'm just profoundly frustrated by all this
So, f*ck you, man (f*ck 'em)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Ignoreland
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Ignoreland

If they weren't there we would have created them
Maybe, it's true
But I'm resentful all the same
Someone's got to take the blame
I know that this is vitriol
No solution, spleen-venting
But I feel better having screamed
Don't you?
They desecrated winter, ninteen-seventy-nine
Capital collateral
Brooding duplicitous, wicked and able, media-ready
Heartless, and labeled

Super US citizen, super achiever
Mega ultra power dosing, relax
Defense, defense, defense, defense

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Ignoreland
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Ignoreland
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Ignoreland

Yeah, yeah, yeah
I did not do the revolution
Thank you

Keys cut, three for the price of one.
Nothing's free but guaranteed for a lifetime's use.
I've changed the locks
And you can't have one.
You, you know the other two.

The brakes have worn so thin that you could hear,
I hear them screeching through the door from our driveway.
Hey love, look into your glovebox heart.
What is there for me inside? This love is tired.
I've changed the locks. Have I misplaced you?
Have we lost our minds?
Will this never end?
It could depend on your take.

You. Me. We used to be on fire.
If keys are all that stand between,
Can I throw in the ring?
No gasoline.
Just f*ck me kitten.
You are wild and I'm in your possession.
Nothing's free so, f*ck me kitten.

I'm in your possession.
So, f*ck me kitten.

Mott the Hoople and the Game of Life, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Andy Kaufman in the wrestling match, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Monopoly, twenty-one, checkers, and chess, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mister Fred Blassie in a breakfast mess, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Let's play Twister, let's play Risk, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'll see you in heaven if you make the list yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Now, Andy, did you hear about this one?
Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Andy, are you goofing on Elvis?
Hey baby, are we losing touch?

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

Moses went walking with the staff of wood, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Newton got beaned by the apple good, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Egypt was troubled by the horrible asp, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mister Charles Darwin had the gall to ask, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Now, Andy, did you hear about this one?
Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis?
Hey baby, are you having fun?

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

Here's a little agit for the never-believer, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Here's a little ghost for the offering, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Here's a truck stop instead of Saint Peter's, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mister Andy Kaufman's gone wrestling, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Now, Andy, did you hear about this one?
Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis?
Hey baby, are we losing touch?

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believed there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believed there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool

Nightswimming deserves a quiet night

The photograph on the dashboard taken years ago
Turned around backwards so the windshield shows
Every streetlight reveals a picture in reverse
Still it's so much clearer, I forgot my shirt
At the water's edge, the moon is low tonight

Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
I'm not sure all these people understand
It's not like years ago, the fear of getting caught
The recklessness and water, they cannot see me naked
These things they go away, replaced by every day

Nightswimming, remembering that night
September's coming soon, I'm pining for the moon
And what if there were two side by side in orbit
Around the fairest sun, that bright, tight, forever drum
Could not describe nightswimming

You, I thought I knew you, you I cannot judge
You, I thought you knew me, this one laughing quietly
Underneath my breath, nightswimming

The photograph reflects, every streetlight a reminder
Nightswimming, deserves a quiet night
Deserves a quiet night

Hey now, little speedyhead,
The read on the speedmeter says
You have to go to task in the city
Where people drown and people serve.
Don't be shy. Your just deserve
Is only just light years to go.

Me, my thoughts are flower strewn
Ocean storm, bayberry moon.
I have got to leave to find my way.
Watch the road and memorize
This life that pass before my eyes.
Nothing is going my way.

The ocean is the river's goal,
A need to leave the water knows
We're closer now than light years to go.

I have got to find the river,
Bergamot and vetiver
Run through my head and fall away.
Leave the road and memorize
This life that pass before my eyes.
Nothing is going my way.

There's no one left to take the lead,
But I tell you and you can see
We're closer now than light years to go.
Pick up here and chase the ride.
The river empties to the tide.
Fall into the ocean.

The river to the ocean goes,
Afortune for the undertow.
None of this is going my way.
There is nothing left to throw
Of Ginger, lemon, indigo,
Coriander stem and rose of hay.
Strength and courage overrides
The privileged and weary eyes
Of river poet search naivete.
Pick up here and chase the ride.
The river empties to the tide.
All of this is coming your way.