The Letter
R.E.M. & Patti Smith Lyrics

Look up and what do you see? All of you and all of me
Look above and you'll see us both, our essence and existence.

Fluorescent and starry, some of them, they surprise
Some among them are strikingly bright and beautiful.

The bus ride, I went to write this, 4:00 a.m, this letter
I wrote this letter while travelling on a bus at an ungodly hour.

Fields of poppies, little pearls, all the boys and all the girls
The landscape was adorned with poppies, symbolizing both innocence and death.

Sweet-toothed, each and every one a little scary
Their desire for sweetness was terrifyingly insatiable.

I said your name, I wore it like a badge of teenage film stars
I uttered your name with reverence and felt like an adoring teenage fan.

Hash bars, cherry mash and tinfoil tiaras
The place was filled with hashish, candy, and makeshift headgear made of foil.

Dreaming of Maria Callas, whoever she is
I dreamt of a woman called Maria Callas, unaware of who she might be.

This fame thing, I don't get it
I do not understand the concept of fame.

I wrap my hand in plastic to try to look through it
I obscure my vision by wrapping my hand in plastic, attempting to gain insight.

Maybelline eyes and girl-as-boy moves
My eyes seemed even more dramatic with Maybelline makeup and crossdressing.

I can take you far, this star thing, I don't get it
I can lead you to great heights, but the cult of celebrity still eludes me.

(I'll take you over there)
Let me guide you to new places.

(I'll take you over there)
Let me lead you to where you've never been.

Aluminum tastes like fear
The taste of aluminum resembles a sense of dread.

Adrenaline, it pulls us near
The rush of adrenaline draws us closer.

(I'll take you over there)
I'll take you to a place where we can feel alive.

It tastes like fear
The taste is like that of trembling anxiety.

(I'll take you over)
Let me bring you on this journey.

Will you live to eighty-three? Will you ever welcome me?
Will you live long and open your arms to me?

Will you show me something that nobody else has seen?
Will you reveal to me something that no one else knows?

Smoke it, drink, here comes the flood, anything to thin the blood
They indulge in smoking, drinking, or other vices to dull their pain.

These corrosives do their magic slowly and sweet
These destructive substances work their way insidiously but pleasantly.

Phone, eat it, drink, just another chink
Phoning, eating, drinking - every one a tiny reminder of their shortcomings.

Cuts and dents, they catch the light
The scars on their skin are illuminated by the light.

Aluminum, the weakest link
Aluminum is the weakest and most vulnerable part of the machinery.

I don't want to disappoint you, I'm not here to anoint you
I do not wish to let you down, nor do I treat you as Messiah.

I would lick your feet, but is that the sickest move?
Is it strange to express adoration for you by kissing your feet?

I wear my own crown of sadness and sorrow
I carry my own pain and suffering like a badge of honor.

And who'd have thought tomorrow would be so strange?
Who could have predicted that things would turn out so bizarrely the next day?

My loss, and here we go again
Once again I am forced to witness my own failures and losses.

Over, baby
We'll go beyond what we know and experience something new.

There, there
We'll find something in that place.

I'll take you there
I will bring you with me.