Released: May 14, 2001
Songwriter: Mike Mills (R.E.M.) Peter Buck Michael Stipe
Producer: Pat McCarthy R.E.M.
[Verse 1]
Hey there now young wholly, swing along
Quote the scriptures, keep them guessing
Which pit you crawled from
Just defy it, just deny it
Was it fun?
Your time has come
What have you done?
What have you done?
[Chorus]
That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine of God singing
[Verse 2]
It's the poison that in measures brings
Illuminating vision
It's the knowing with a wink that we expect in Southern women
It's the wolf that knows which root to dig to save itself
It's the octopus that crawled back to the sea
[Chorus]
That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine of God ring
[Verse 3]
Hammered, shooting plywood in the backyard
Laughing cause the racket makes the blackbirds sing
Write the holy terror
Suck the marrow from the bones
Singe your own wings burning books
You got the chorus and the ring
[Chorus]
That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine sings
That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine sings
That's when the calibration brittle
As a stick gets you the gold ring
And the tar museum Che Guevara wink
Gold ring
Gold ring
[Outro]
Sing
Sing
Sing
Sing
Hey there now young wholly, swing along
Quote the scriptures, keep them guessing
Which pit you crawled from
Just defy it, just deny it
Was it fun?
Your time has come
What have you done?
What have you done?
[Chorus]
That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine of God singing
[Verse 2]
It's the poison that in measures brings
Illuminating vision
It's the knowing with a wink that we expect in Southern women
It's the wolf that knows which root to dig to save itself
It's the octopus that crawled back to the sea
[Chorus]
That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine of God ring
[Verse 3]
Hammered, shooting plywood in the backyard
Laughing cause the racket makes the blackbirds sing
Write the holy terror
Suck the marrow from the bones
Singe your own wings burning books
You got the chorus and the ring
[Chorus]
That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine sings
That's when the insults start to sting
You can't remember anything
The chorus chime in, the Greek chorus
The machine sings
That's when the calibration brittle
As a stick gets you the gold ring
And the tar museum Che Guevara wink
Gold ring
Gold ring
[Outro]
Sing
Sing
Sing
Sing
- Reveal (2001)
- 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