Released: February 19, 1991

Songwriter: Michael Stipe Bill Berry Peter Buck Mike Mills (R.E.M.)

Producer: R.E.M. Scott Litt

[Instrumental Intro]

[Verse 1]
Oh, 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

[Pre-Chorus]
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

[Chorus]
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

[Verse 2]
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, fool
Oh no, I've said too much, I set it up

[Pre-Chorus]
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?
And now, I've said
Too much

[Chorus]
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

[Bridge]
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream

[Pre-Chorus]
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

[Chorus]
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

[Outro]
But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try?
That was just a dream, just a dream
Just a dream, dream

R.E.M.

R.E.M. were an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry.

Berry quit the band in April 1997, as they were getting together to record demos for the album Up. He was not replaced on a permanent basis, but the band used an assortment of drummers in his place.