Songwriter: Mike Mills (R.E.M.) Bill Berry Peter Buck Michael Stipe
[Verse 1]
Looking at your watch a third time
Waiting in the station for the 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
[Verse 2]
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
[Chorus]
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year
[Verse 3]
At night, I drink myself to sleep
And pretend I don't care that 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
[Chorus]
Don't go back to Rockville, don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville and waste another year
[Verse 4]
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
[Chorus]
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year
Looking at your watch a third time
Waiting in the station for the 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
[Verse 2]
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
[Chorus]
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year
[Verse 3]
At night, I drink myself to sleep
And pretend I don't care that 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
[Chorus]
Don't go back to Rockville, don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville and waste another year
[Verse 4]
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
[Chorus]
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year
Complete Rarities: Warner Bros. 1988–2011
- Pretty Persuasion (Live at the Olympia)
- West of the Fields (Live from London)
- Fall On Me (Live from London)
- Supernatural Superserious (Live from London)
- Hollow Man (Live from London)
- Auctioneer (Live from London)
- Living Well is the Best Revenge (Live from London)
- Shiny Happy People (Hip Mix)
- Shiny Happy People (Pop Mix)
- You Are the Everything (Live in Greensboro, 1989)
- Turn You Inside-Out (Live from Orlando / 1989)
- Losing My Religion - Live in Dublin / 2005
- King of Comedy (Remix)
- Mandolin Strum
- Shiny Happy People (Dance to the Music Mix)
- Pop Song 89 (Acoustic Version)
- Horse to Water (Live from London)
- Man-Sized Wreath (Live from London)
- Man On the Moon (Live from London)
- Second Guessing (Live at the Olympia)
- Letter Never Sent (Live at the Olympia)
- Harborcoat (Live at the Olympia)
- Horse to Water (Live in Vancouver)
- Sweetness Follows (Live in Cincinnati, October 27, 2004)
- Wanderlust (Live in Santa Barbara, CA, 2004)
- (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville (Live in Oslo NRK P1 National Radio, October 25, 2003)
- These Days (Live in Toronto, September 30, 2003)
- Drive (Live, 1994)
- Love is All Around (Live)
- Losing My Religion (Acoustic Live at KFOG, San Francisco)
- The One I Love (Live in Sydney)
- That Someone Is You (Live at Hansa Studios)
- Houston (Live in London)
- Mr. Richards (Live in Vancouver)
- Star Me Kitten (Alternate Version)
- Funtime (Live in Athens, 1992)
- Orange Crush (Instrumental)
- Chance (Dub)
- Funtime
- Yellow River
- Redhead Walking
- Dark Globe
- Favorite Writer
- First We Take Manhattan
- The Lion Sleeps Tonight
- Ghost Rider
- Love Is All Around
- Sponge
- Wall of Death
- 2JN
- Arms of Love
- The Great Beyond
- The Lifting (Demo)
- Fretless
- It’s A Free World Baby
- Nola-4/26/10
- Indian Summer
- Adagio (Unused Tune)
- Out In The Country
- 165 Hillcrest
- Surfing The Ganges
- Emphysema
- Tricycle
- Rotary Eleven
- Skin Tight
- Memphis Train Blues
- Leave (Alt. Version)
- Winged Mammal Theme
- Revolution
- Wichita Lineman (Live)
- Monty Got a Raw Deal
- Losing My Religion
- It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
- Man on the Moon
- Everybody Hurts
- Orange Crush
- The One I Love
- Nightswimming
- The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
- Shiny Happy People
- What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?
- Drive
- Imitation of Life
- Stand
- Find the River
- Radio Free Europe
- (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville
- E-Bow the Letter
- Country Feedback
- The Great Beyond
- Let Me In
- Fall on Me
- Try Not to Breathe
- So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
- Ignoreland