Though Michael Stipe described the song once as "pretty much a song about oppression," the song is about acid rain and its effects on the environment, hence the first line of the chorus, "Don't fall on me."
In audience patter prior to a performance of the song on VH1 Storytellers in 1998, Stipe mentioned the apocryphal tale of Galileo Galilei dropping feathers and lead weights off the Leaning Tower of Pisa (to test the laws of gravity) as partial inspiration for the first verse:
“I was reading an article in Boston when I was on tour with the Golden Palominos, and Chris Stamey showed me this article about this guy that did an experiment from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, whereby he dropped a pound of feathers and a pound of iron to prove that there was... a difference in the... [struggling]... density. What did he prove? I don’t even know. [A man shouts out from the audience] "What?" asked Stipe. "They fall just as fast," repeated the disembodied voice. “They fall just as fast," echoed Stipe. "Thank you very much. Gentleman on the balcony there! And so there it is... and uhhh. [Officially lost for words, cue laughter] I’ll just shut up and sing it.”
The song was accompanied by a different melody when it started life in 1985, but it had been entirely rewritten by the time of its recording. The counter-melody in the second verse is actually the song's original tune.
The song is something of a duet between Stipe and Mike Mills, with the two of them sharing vocals prominently during the bridge and chorus. Mills takes lead vocals for the bridge.
Fall on Me
R.E.M. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
穿越不安地带 穿越所有危险 来到你身边
我有时相信美丽的预言 却又不想如此心甘情愿
直到你的出现 才了解这一切 因为你而改变
You make me want to fall in love 就在这一刻
Oh~ 也不管明天会如何 只要今生有你左右 陪着我不再寂寞
You make me want to fall in love 就在这一刻
Oh~ 瞬间也可以是永恒 只要每个寂寞时候 爱的回忆留在我心中
直到你的出现 才了解这一切 因为你而改变
You make me want to fall in love 就在这一刻
Oh~ 也不管明天会如何 只要今生有你左右 陪着我不再寂寞
You make me want to fall in love 就在这一刻
Oh~ 瞬间也可以是永恒 只要每个寂寞时候 爱的回忆留在我心中
就算岁月带你走 就算距离淹没我
还是一直守候着 我会永远为了你存在
You make me want to fall in love 就在这一刻
Oh~ 也不管明天会如何 只要今生有你左右 陪着我不再寂寞
You make me want to fall in love 就在这一刻
Oh~ 瞬间也可以是永恒 只要每个寂寞时候 爱的回忆留在我心中
只要每个寂寞时候 爱的回忆留在我心中
The lyrics to R.E.M.'s Fall on Me are a plea for help or a call to action, seemingly about the state of the environment. The first verse brings together the two contrasting images of feathers and iron, symbolizing lightness and heaviness, fragility and permanence. The "bargain buildings, weights, and pulleys" suggest the ongoing construction and destruction of modern society, with new buildings going up and old ones coming down. The line "Feathers hit the ground before the weight can leave the air" represents the instability of a delicate balance that is threatened by human progress. The repetition of "Buy the sky and sell the sky and tell the sky" suggests the way that humans try to own and control the natural world.
The chorus, "Don't fall on me, fall on me, fall on me," is a plea for help or a call to action, depending on how you interpret it. It's unclear what "it" is that the singer is asking not to fall on them. The last verse seems to suggest that "it" is the sky itself, which is in danger of falling apart as humans continue to exploit and destroy the environment. The singer asks the listener to "lift your arms up to the sky and ask the sky" for help, suggesting that they need to connect with nature and listen to its needs in order to prevent a catastrophic collapse.
Overall, Fall on Me can be seen as a warning about the dangers of progress and the importance of taking care of the natural world. It's a deeply emotional and moving song that continues to resonate with audiences today, more than 30 years after it was first released.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a problem, feathers, iron
There is a conflict between lightness and heaviness
Bargain buildings, weights and pulleys
The world is built on economic power relationships
Feathers hit the ground before the weight can leave the air
The consequences of our actions are felt immediately
Buy the sky and sell the sky and tell the sky and tell the sky
We attempt to control even the most uncontrollable aspects of our world
Don't fall on me (what is it up in the air for?) (it's gonna fall)
We fear the consequences of our actions in a chaotic world
Fall on me (if it's there for long) (it's gonna fall)
We recognize the inevitability of destruction
Fall on me (it's over, it's over me) (it's gonna fall)
The destruction we fear will ultimately consume us
There's the progress we have found (when the rain)
Human progress is fleeting and temporary
A way to talk around the problem (when the children reign)
We avoid confronting problems and leave them unresolved for future generations
Building towered foresight (keep your conscience in the dark)
Our progress is built on a foundation of ignorance and denial
Isn't anything at all (melt the statues in the park)
Our achievements are ultimately meaningless in the face of destruction
Well, I could keep it above
We have the power to control the outcome of events
But then it wouldn't be sky anymore
Our attempts to control nature rob it of its beauty and wonder
So if I send it to you, you've got to promise to keep it whole
We must work together to preserve the beauty and wonder of the natural world
Buy the sky and sell the sky and lift your arms up to the sky
Our attempts to control the natural world are ultimately futile
And ask the sky and ask the sky
We must look to the natural world for answers and guidance
Fall on me, don't fall on me
We are simultaneously drawn to and afraid of the destructive power of nature
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIAN NING CHEN, HAN QING HUANG, WEN TING ZHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@josephhunter2346
I’m willing to bet there are few people on this planet that have listened to this song as many times as I have… and I still get chills when I hear it. This is as good as music gets. Thank you. 🙏🏻❤
@tamathawalden2037
FaCT 🎯
@John-kx7vc
There were a bunch of us. You’re not alone.
@TPATRICKT
I challenge you since this was and IS my all time fave song by REM. Good taste bro!
@JOSEMunoz-tc5rq
I'd have to say I'm sorry you'll have to step aside I remember buying this cassette back in 86 and it's still my favorite to this day LOL
@georgecundari2
Agreed 100%.
@StanleyFartson
One of the greatest songs ever recorded. Period.
@Weremoogle
Absolutely agree.
@dannyadamson5580
Can't disagree it's a gem
@e-care-books9867
@@dannyadamson5580 a G.E.M. ... by ... R.E.M.