Boy In The Well
@ Rock-Weekend: R.E.M. Lyrics
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Look at you drowning, on display.
Every time I've dropped by, I've tried to say
The water is rising.
You don't want to stay.
It's that sinking feeling. you know what it's bringing on.
You might as well say it,
This town is going wrong.
It's turning away.
You wanted me to be someone that I could never be
My new friends are offering things I've never dreamed
It's beautiful,
I'd like for them to take me on...
The track mall gang went off
On the Tennessee goth. a lunar moth,
You chrysalis and flail.
The water is rising. you try to rappel.
A rousing cheer for the boy in the well.
It's that sinking feeling. you know what it's bringing on.
You might as well say it,
I see it, I feel it.
This town is going wrong.
It's turning away.
You wanted me to be someone that I could never be
My new friends are offering things I've never dreamed
It's beautiful,
I'd like for them to take me on...
Here is where I look back.
Here is where you fell.
This is where I got up,
Shaking off my tail
This is where your rope trick
Started to look stale.
A greyhound pass for the boy in the well.
It's that sinking feeling
You know what it's bringing on
I might as well say it.
I see it, I feel it
This town is going wrong.
It's turning away.
You wanted me to be someone that I could never be
My new friends are offering things I've never dreamed
It's beautiful,
I'd like for them to take me on...
You wanted me to be someone that I could never be
My new friends are offering things I've never dreamed
It's beautiful,
I'd like for them to take me on...
"Boy In The Well" is a song by R.E.M. that tells the story of a boy who falls into a well and becomes the center of attention in his small town. The song's narrator sees the townspeople obsessing over the boy, who they see as a symbol of their own fears and anxieties. The singer observes the situation from a distance, feeling alienated from the town and its people, and describes the scene with a mix of detachment and empathy.
The song's opening lines set the scene for the story, with the singer walking away from the well as he sees the boy drowning. The rest of the song is a series of observations and reflections on the situation, with the singer feeling a sense of unease and dislocation from the town and its people. He sees the boy in the well as a metaphor for the town's own anxieties and fears, and notes that the town seems to be turning away from itself.
The song's lyrics are rich in metaphor and imagery, with references to chrysalises, lunar moths, and rope tricks. The imagery suggests a sense of transformation and metamorphosis, as well as a feeling of being caught in a trap or spiral. The song's overall mood is melancholic and introspective, with a sense of longing for a deeper connection to the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at this, it's me, walking away.
I am leaving you behind.
Look at you drowning, on display.
You are struggling and can't hide it.
Every time I've dropped by, I've tried to say
The water is rising.
You don't want to stay.
I have warned you about the danger, but you won't listen.
It's that sinking feeling. you know what it's bringing on.
You might as well say it,
I see it, I feel it.
This town is going wrong.
It's turning away.
Something bad is happening and we both know it. The town is changing for the worse
You wanted me to be someone that I could never be
My new friends are offering things I've never dreamed
It's beautiful,
I'd like for them to take me on...
You had an idealized version of me in mind, but my new friends are showing me things I never knew existed and I want to experience it.
The track mall gang went off
On the Tennessee goth. a lunar moth,
You chrysalis and flail.
The water is rising. you try to rappel.
A rousing cheer for the boy in the well.
The popular crowd attacked the outsider. You are struggling to get out of a difficult situation. Others are watching and cheering, but not helping.
Here is where I look back.
Here is where you fell.
This is where I got up,
Shaking off my tail
This is where your rope trick
Started to look stale.
A greyhound pass for the boy in the well.
I left you behind and moved on. Your tricks no longer work on me. I am free from your control.
You wanted me to be someone that I could never be
My new friends are offering things I've never dreamed
It's beautiful,
I'd like for them to take me on...
You had an idealized version of me in mind, but my new friends are showing me things I never knew existed and I want to experience it.
You wanted me to be someone that I could never be
My new friends are offering things I've never dreamed
It's beautiful,
I'd like for them to take me on...
You had an idealized version of me in mind, but my new friends are showing me things I never knew existed and I want to experience it.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER BUCK, MIKE MILLS, MICHAEL STIPE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Rog-Nature-vs-Nurture
This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I've left behind
A simple prop to occupy my time
This one goes out to the one I love
Fire
Fire
This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I've left behind
A simple prop to occupy my time
This one goes out to the one I love
Fire (she's comin' down on her own, now)
Fire (she's comin' down on her own)
This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I've left behind
Another prop has occupied my time
This one goes out to the one I love
Fire (she's comin' down on her own, now)
Fire (she's comin' down on her own)
Fire(she's comin' down on her own, now)
Fire (she's comin' down on her own)
@bigalwray
Grew up as a black kid in a, shall I say, impoverished neighbourhood. My Mum’s new boyfriend introduced me to REM. Never looked back.
@imnottellingyoumyname3050
What about when you're reversing your car.
@6figureceleryjfs378
Music is the best of humans.
@evelynzlon9492
I'm black too. This song is about the Mona Lisa, a "simple prop" whom Da Vinci cherished and toted with him wherever he went. The Mona Lisa is actually the image of the beast from the sea discussed in the Bible's Revelations. Da Vinci himself was one head of the beast in fact. He's a vampire who can age backwards, and he's also been known as Otto von Bismarck and Adolf Hitler. These 2 statesmen were stylistically different but their underlying bone structure was identical. And the German King at the time voluntarily conferred all of his power and authority to Prince Otto for some strange reason. This unprecedented event parallels the Biblical description of the beast's ascent to power.
Here's the catch: America was originally ordained by God as a free land for whites. For the Gentiles specifically, which is virtually inclusive of all whites. Therefore I have a neutral attitude towards the fact that my great-great-great grandpa Otto is the Devil. This song fills my heart with sentimental nostalgia although I know exactly what it's about.
@rubyfuselier2925
Dude, I'm glad you made it out. I was one of those kid too.
@evelynzlon9492
@@rubyfuselier2925 You've changed. A lot.
@petegarza2025
Ladies and gentlemen this is how it's done...What a powerful haunting song...This is why R.E.M. is in the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME...👏👏👏
@chrisvassiliou889
Hall of Fame it is for the records , it is enormity of the lyrics and music that shutters me
@petegarza2025
@@chrisvassiliou889 I personally think the RRHOF has become nothing more than a fraternity where only a select few are acceptable and I find that very annoying and disturbing...How can you leave out critically acclaimed bands like "BOSTON","BADFINGER,and"THIN LIZZY"...The RRHOF is nothing but a complete SHAM...
@peterninnim2561
Well day