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

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.