Be Mine
R.E.M. & Thom Yorke Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Uh, speed zone up here, Tim

I never thought of this as funny
It speaks another world to me
I wanna be your Easter bunny
I wanna be your Christmas tree
I'll strip the world that you must live in
Of all its godforsaken greed

I'll ply the tar out of your feathers
I'll pluck the thorns out of your feet

You and me
You and me

And if I choose your sanctuary
I want to wash you with my hair
I want to drink of sacred fountains
And find the riches hidden there
I'll eat the lotus and peyote
I want to hear the caged bird sing
I want the secrets of the Temple
I want the finger with the ring

You and me
You and me
You and me

And if you make me your religion
I'll give you all the room you need
I'll be the drawing of your breath
I'll be the cup if you should bleed
I'll be the sky above the Ganges
I'll be the vast and stormy sea
I'll be the lights that guide you inward
I'll be the visions you will see
The visions you will see
You will see
You will see

You and me
You and me
You and me
You and me

You and me
You and me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to R.E.M. & Thom Yorke's song "Be Mine" are a vivid expression of romantic devotion. The song speaks of a desire to be intimately connected with one's partner, to protect and nurture each other in a world that is often harsh and oppressive. The line "I wanna be your Easter bunny, I wanna be your Christmas tree" suggests a desire to be all things to the beloved, to bring joy and surprise to their lives at every turn.

The singer pledges to strip away the negative influences of the world, to "ply the tar out of your feathers" and "pluck the thorns out of your feet." This imagery suggests a willingness to do whatever it takes to make the beloved feel safe and secure, to ease their journey through life's difficulties. The lines "I want to hear the caged bird sing, I want the secrets of the Temple" speak of a desire for knowledge and transformation, to share in the mysteries of existence and to explore the depths of the self.

Ultimately, the song is a celebration of the power of love to heal and transform, to create a sanctuary of intimacy and connection between two people. The repeated refrain of "You and me" reinforces the idea that love is a bond that transcends all else, a place of profound devotion and mutual respect.

Line by Line Meaning

Uh, speed zone up here, Tim
Opening line, non-sensical phrase, without significant meaning to the song

I never thought of this as funny
The singer has a different perspective on the world

It speaks another world to me
The singer finds significance in the world, outside of the humorous approach of others

I wanna be your Easter bunny
The artist desires to bring joy to their partner, regardless of the holiday

I wanna be your Christmas tree
The artist desires to bring light and festivity to their partner, regardless of the holiday

I'll strip the world that you must live in / Of all its godforsaken greed
The singer wants to help remove the negative influence of greed in their partner's life

I'll ply the tar out of your feathers
The singer wants to help their partner remove any negative aspects that are weighing them down

I'll pluck the thorns out of your feet
The artist wants to help their partner by removing any obstacles or painful experiences

You and me
Repeating affirmation of unity between the artist and their partner

And if I choose your sanctuary / I want to wash you with my hair
If the artist joins their partner in their sanctuary, they want to provide comfort and care through natural means

I want to drink of sacred fountains / And find the riches hidden there
The singer desires to experience the beauty and abundance of their partner's inner world

I'll eat the lotus and peyote / I want to hear the caged bird sing / I want the secrets of the Temple / I want the finger with the ring
The artist wants to experience and share in all the spiritual and emotional aspects of their partner's life

And if you make me your religion / I'll give you all the room you need / I'll be the drawing of your breath / I'll be the cup if you should bleed
If the singer is to be their partner's guiding force, they will be there to give them space, support, and care

I'll be the sky above the Ganges / I'll be the vast and stormy sea / I'll be the lights that guide you inward / I'll be the visions you will see
The singer wants to be a symbol of nature, guidance, and enlightenment for their partner

You and me
Closing affirmation of unity between the singer and their partner

You and me
Closing affirmation of unity between the artist and their partner

You and me
Closing affirmation of unity between the singer and their partner

You and me
Closing affirmation of unity between the artist and their partner

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Michael Mills, Michael Stipe

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

No Related Genres

More Genres

No Artists Found

More Artists Load All

No Albums Found

More Albums Load All

No Tracks Found

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

@gaelleko

14y↑11

Stipe and Yorke are similar arists in my opinion and they perfectly compliment each other's songs. I love Stipe's voice, it's so unique despite its imperfections when live (coming from a BIG fan) and I love Yorke's voice's raw sensitivity. Great bands, great songs.

@alestipe

16y↑11

i love this song, i love this version, i love REM, i love thom yorke, thank you so much for this!

@gonza55558

5y↑2

I really love this song and i love the voice of Thom on it. If only there's a version with good audio, to hear the amazing voice of Thom and the powerful guitar of this magic piece. Even REM never played this song live, or almost. I don't know any show of REM playing it

@zerochance01

15y↑1

amazing....Thom's voice....its as close as we can hear the sounds of Heaven

@mikelly1981

16y

Thank you to whoever posted this. I was at this show and have been looking for this performance to appear somewhere ever since.

@jeffc2u

16y

thanks, it is beautiful.

@heidigretel

16y↑1

Yes I also very much like this song. Should have been a hit. :)

@olivershagnastyjr7665

Thank you OP

@heidigretel

16y↑1

I also like Thom's voice with this song. :)

@mokuho

11y↑1

Big song!

@AlternatifEksen

13y↑2

R.I.P. R.E.M.

@heidigretel

16y

You are both very welcome! :)

@heidigretel

16y↑1

You are very welcome. :)

@tommysandal6930

8y↑4

Thinking about music and the way it's vastly changed for worse since this time period while watching and listening.

Almost sounds like a B side from OK Computer era here. Can barely hear Thom tho.

@gustavopadron-rivera4824

4 Dany!

@gpeddino

9y↑4

So Thom and Joey Waronker had already played together...

@Alianger

15y

woah, the melody sounds a lot like Let Down in the beginning.

@lyonslaforet

13y↑3

Isn't Peter Buck on bass instead of guitar on this heartfelt version?

@xxiamfreexx

I think so

@heidigretel

16y↑2

Both cd and dvd are difficult to hear singer. Everybody wants perfect video, sometimes we are lucky to have the video we have. :)

@lexgw

14y↑1

I wanna be your Easter bunny I wanna be your Christmas tree I'll strip the world that you must live in Of all its godforsaken greed I'll ply the tar out of your feathers I'll pluck the thorns out of your feet And if I choose your sanctuary I'll want to wash you with my hair I'll want to drink of sacred fountains And find the riches hidden there I'll eat the lotus and peyote I'll want to hear the caged-bird sing I'll want the secrets of the temple I'll want the finger with the ring

@juliananicole1880

6y↑1

Any place I can see/hear this better? This is wonderful and I am grateful but I am sooo wanting more of this and wish sound quality were better :(

@markwulfe8524

There’s this https://youtu.be/GM0m7xiGssI at 23:15

@zerochance01

15y↑2

who the hell gave me a minus? THOM YORKE RULES!!!!

@NickJunoJr

16y↑1

they have rarely played it live and never released as a single, why ? i still don't understand, it could have been a hit...is it because Mike Mills plays lead guitar ?

@just4fun6671

because its an REM song

@glezoc

8y↑2

Fucking VHS' quality !

@BarryBriercliffe

16y↑1

this is no way a critism of your video but who ever mixed the sound at that gig wants shooting!!! You can't hear Thom for the first verse at all! Thanks for sharing tho, interesting to see

@dsignrdane

16y↑2

not to into REM but i love me some Thom Yorke... mmm yummy, lol

@Kendanskylife

15y↑1

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Don't think so!

@kilgoretrout321

If Peter is playing bass, who is on guitar?

@pandaoneproductionsd9765

Bassist resembles Matt Sharp from weezer

@haddingtonbb41

15y

joke? Its simply not possible to think this is a better version than the one sung by stipe. Yorke suit some songs, like sulk, there there, 2+2=5. But this is wa way to big for him. Buck looks lost throughout the song as he's not sure yorke is still singing.