In Time: The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003

Your eyes are burning holes through me.
I'm gasoline. I'm burnin' clean.
Twentieth century go to sleep.
You're Pleistocene.
That is obscene.
That is obscene.

You are the star tonight.
Your sun electric, outta sight.
Your light eclipsed the moon tonight.
Electrolite.
You're outta sight.

If I ever want to fly.
Mulholland Drive.
I am alive.
Hollywood is under me.
I'm Martin Sheen
I'm Steve McQueen
I'm Jimmy Dean

You are the star tonight.
Your sun electric, outta sight.
Your light eclipsed the moon tonight.
Electrolite.
You're outta sight.

If you ever want to fly.
Mulholland Drive.
Up in the sky.
Stand on a cliff and look down there.
Don't be scared.
You are alive.
You are alive.

You are the star tonight.
Your sun electric, outta sight.
Your light eclipsed the moon tonight.
Electrolite.
You're outta sight.

Twentieth century go to sleep.
Really deep.
We won't blink

Your eyes are burning holes through me.
I'm not scared
I'm outta here
I'm not scared
I'm outta here.

A Public service announcement followed me home the other day
I paid it nevermind. Go away.
Shits so thick you could stir it with a stick
free Teflon whitewashed presidency
We're sick of being jerked around
Wear that on your sleeve

Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times,
lord, Count your blessings.
We're sick of being jerked around
We all fall down.

Have you ever seen the televised St. vitus subcommittee prize
Investigation dance? Those-ants-in- pants glances.
Well, look behind the eyes
It's a hallowed, hollow anesthesized
"save my own ass, screw these guys"
smoke and mirror lock down

Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times,
lord, Count your blessings.
the papers wouldn't lie!
I sigh. Not one more

Its been a bad day.
Please dont take a picture
Its been a bad day...Please.
Its been a bad day.
Please don't take a picture
It's been a bad day ...Please

We're dug in the deep the price is steep.
The auctioneer is such a creep.
The lights went out, the oil ran dry
We blamed it on the other guy
Sure, all men are created equal.
Heres the church, heres the steeple
Please stay tuned--we cut to sequel
ashes, ashes, we all fall down.

Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times,
lord, Count your blessings.
Ignore the lower fears
Ugh, this means war.

Its been a bad day.
Please don't take a picture
Its been a bad day...Please.
Its been a bad day.
Please don't take a picture
Its been a bad day...Please.

...i saw the light , it can't be right....

Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times,
lord, Count your blessings.
We're sick of being jerked around
We all fall down.

Its been a bad day.
Please don't take a picture
Its been a bad day...Please.
Its been a bad day.
Please don't take a picture
Its been a bad day...Please.

Its been a bad day.
Please don't take a picture
Its been a bad day...Please.
Its been a bad day.
Please don't take a picture
Its been a bad day...Please.

hummin'
all the way to Reno
you've dusted the non-believers
and challenged the laws of chance

now sweeter
you're so sugar sweet
you may as well have had Kick Me
fastened on your sleeve

you know what you are,
you're gonna be a star.
you know what you are,
you're gonna be a star,

wing is written on your feet
your achilles heel
is the tendency
to dream
but you've know that from the beginning
you didn't have to go so far
you didn't have to go.

you know what you are,
you're gonna be a star.
you know what you are,
you're gonna be a star.

you know who you are
you know who you are
you know who you are

hummin'
all the way to Reno,
you've written your own directions.
and whistled the rules have changed.

you know what you are,
you're gonna be a star (star).
you know what you are,
you're gonna be a star (star).
you know what you are,
you're gonna be a star (star).
you know what you are,
you're gonna be a star (star).

hummin'
all the way to Reno
all the way to Reno.
all the way to Reno.

you're gonna be a star
you're gonna be a star
you're gonna be a star
you're gonna be a star

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.

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.

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.

You, I thought I knew you.
You I cannot judge.
You, I thought you knew me,
this one laughing quietly underneath my breath.
Nightswimming.

The photograph reflects,
every streetlight a reminder.
Nightswimming deserves a quiet night, deserves a quiet night.

charades, pop skill
water hyacinth, named by a poet.
imitation of life
like a koi in a frozen pond
like a goldfish in a bowl
I dont want to hear you cry

thats sugarcane that tasted good
thats cinnamon thats hollywood
c'mon c'mon no one can see you try

you want the greatest thing
the greatest thing since bread came sliced.
you've got it all, you've got it sized.
like a friday fashion show teenager
freezing in the corner
trying to look like you dont try

thats sugarcane that tasted good.
thats cinnamon thats hollywood
c'mon c'mon no one can see you try

no one can see you cry

thats sugarcane that tasted good
thats freezing rain thats what you could
c'mon c'mon no one can see you cry

this sugarcane
this lemonade
this hurricane, i'm not afraid.
c'mon c'mon no one can see me cry
this lightning storm
this tidal wave
this avalanche, i'm not afraid.
c'mon c'mon no one can see me cry

thats sugarcane that tasted good
thats who you are, thats what you could
c'mon c'mon no one can see you cry

thats sugarcane that tasted good
thats who you are, thats what you could
c'mon c'mon no one can see you cry

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

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
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

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

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
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
That was just a dream

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
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
Try. Cry. Fly. Try.
That was just a dream
Just a dream
Just a dream
Dream...

Dee Dee Dee Dee
Dee Dee Dee Dee

This here is the place where I will be stayin'.
There isn't a number. You can call the pay phone.
Let it ring a long, long, long, long time.
If I don't pick up, hang up, call back, let it ring some more. Oh....
If I don't pick up, pick up... The sidewinder sleep, sleep, sleeps in a coil

Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Oh...

There are scratches all around the coin slot
like a heartbeat, baby, trying to wake up,
but this machine can only swallow money.
You can't lay a patch by computer design.
It's just a lot of stupid, stupid signs.

Tell her,
tell her she can kiss my ass, then laugh and say that you were only kidding.
That way she'll know that it's really, really, really, really me, me

Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Oh...

Baby, instant soup doesn't really grab me.
Today I need something more sub-sub-sub-substantial.
A can of beans or black-eyed peas, some Nescafe and ice,
a candy bar, a fallin' star, or a reading from Doctor Seuss : )

Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Oh...

The cat in the hat came back, wrecked a lot of havoc on the way,
always had a smile and a reason to pretend.
But their world has flat backgrounds and little need to sleep but to dream.
The sidewinder sleeps on his back.

Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
I can always sleep standing up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Oh...

Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
I can always sleep standing up. Call me when you try to wake her.
Oh...

Call me when you try to wake her up. Call me when you try to wake her.
I can always sleep standing up. Call me when you try to wake her.
I can always sleep standing up. Call me when you try to wake her.

We've got to moogie, moogie, move on this one.