Released: October 5, 1992
Songwriter: Michael Stipe Bill Berry Mike Mills (R.E.M.) Peter Buck
Producer: R.E.M. Scott Litt
[Verse 1]
Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
The photograph on the dashboard, taken years ago
Turned around backwards so the windshield shows
Every streetlight reveals the picture in reverse
Still, it's so much clearer
I forgot my shirt at the water's edge
The moon is low tonight
[Verse 2]
Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
I'm not sure all these people understand
It's not like years ago
The fear of getting caught
Of recklessness and water
They cannot see me naked
These things, they go away
Replaced by everyday
[Verse 3]
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
[Verse 4]
You, I thought I knew you
You, I cannot judge
You, I thought you knew me
This one laughing quietly
Underneath my breath
Nightswimming
[Outro]
The photograph reflects
Every streetlight a reminder
Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
Deserves a quiet night
Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
The photograph on the dashboard, taken years ago
Turned around backwards so the windshield shows
Every streetlight reveals the picture in reverse
Still, it's so much clearer
I forgot my shirt at the water's edge
The moon is low tonight
[Verse 2]
Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
I'm not sure all these people understand
It's not like years ago
The fear of getting caught
Of recklessness and water
They cannot see me naked
These things, they go away
Replaced by everyday
[Verse 3]
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
[Verse 4]
You, I thought I knew you
You, I cannot judge
You, I thought you knew me
This one laughing quietly
Underneath my breath
Nightswimming
[Outro]
The photograph reflects
Every streetlight a reminder
Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
Deserves a quiet night
In Time - The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003
- Everybody Hurts
- The Great Beyond
- All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star)
- 2JN
- Country Feedback (Live from Wiesbaden, Germany / 2003)
- Drive (Live from Atlanta / 1992)
- Chance (Dub)
- The Lifting (Demo)
- Fretless
- It’s A Free World Baby
- Revolution
- Leave (Alt. Version)
- Star Me Kitten (Alternate Version)
- Pop Song 89 (Acoustic Version)
- Animal
- Daysleeper
- Orange Crush
- What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?
- Losing My Religion
- Man on the Moon
- Nightswimming
- Bad Day
- All the Right Friends
- Stand
- The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
- E-Bow the Letter
- Electrolite
- At My Most Beautiful
- Imitation of Life
- Turn You Inside-Out (Live from Orlando / 1989)
- 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