Green Light
Toback Jeremy Lyrics

I remember when the first REM record
I remember a time when the first REM record had me choosing it over Shakespeare.

Had me blowing off Shakespeare
I stopped caring so much about Shakespeare and other literary works due to the impact the first REM record had on me.

For a shooting star and a bass guitar
The first REM record introduced me to new ideas and sensations like those of a shooting star and a bass guitar.

I remember exchanging all that fervor
I eventually gave up my excitement and enthusiasm for those new experiences.

For a postmodern method
Instead, I adopted a more modern and sophisticated approach.

To practice war in a coffee bar
I used this approach to be more provocative and to stir up controversy while in a coffee shop.

I remember all the ways I evaded my heart
I recall all the times I avoided my own feelings and emotions.

And told that girl she would not be mine
I remember rejecting a girl who I knew had feelings for me.

I remember receiving her letter that said
I then received a letter from her which stated,

Wake up, little boy
Wake up to what's important, young man,

Before you lose your lifeline
before you lose what matters most and what keeps you grounded.

Here's to the rise and the fall
Let's raise a glass to both the good times and bad times we've faced.

What feels so wrong
Things that initially seem bad or uncomfortable,

Turns out all right
Can end up being alright in the end.

What feels so right
Things that seem good and easy,

Can turn a green light to a yellow light
Can cause you to hesitate, slow down, or become uncertain because of unforeseen issues that arise.

Turns out all right
Even when things don't feel like success at first,

Can turn a yellow light to a red light
they could ultimately cause the situation to be no longer feasible due to changes or external factors.

Red light
A halt or stop to a situation occurring.

I was busy avoiding obligation
I was preoccupied with avoiding responsibility or commitment to anything.

Imagined myself as the next man in town
I was envisioning myself as the next big thing in the area.

To wear a crown of absolute adulation
To be celebrated and admired by everyone.

'Cause if everybody knows you
Because if you're well-known by everyone,

Then you've reached the high crowd
You've gained the approval of the highest echelons of society.

But love can get lost on that cloud
But, love and affection can become obscured in that upper echelon.

Hey, have you heard the new world record?
Have you heard about the latest groundbreaking achievement?

Sounds like we're ready to release and unwind
It seems like we're prepared to unveil something incredible and relax after doing so.

All that wisdom that's been hiding in the open
All the insight that's been in plain sight but never truly understood before.

Since the beginning of myth
Since the very beginning of time.

Since the first note of time
From the very beginning of the chronological aspect of existence.