I tried multiple times to understand what the Michael Stipe lyrics are all about in R.E.M's albums Automatic For The People, Out of Time, Adventures in Hi-Fi and Monster. I remember reading somewhere that all their albums where linked to River Phoenix and his death.I just noticed that the late Leonard Cohen apparently contributed to the lyrics of this song, which I like, but I do wonder if he, Michael Stipe and others from REM had been either watching David Icke videos or know of, well, unorthodox medical procedures unavailable to the masses ...
I guess everybody knows him as a...peculiar artist. If he's on drugs in that video I wouldn't be surprised, though.And I, for my part, have tried to determine what if any drug Stipe is possibly, I emphasize possibly, on in this live, and good, video. I have only tentatively concluded that it both looks and feels like the muted, subdued, overly sleepy sixth night into a pensive and emotional meth mission. At any rate, and drugs aside, I would have enjoyed attending this concert ...