Album: Out Of Time (1991)

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• One, two, three, four
  Oh
  This flower is scorched
  This film is on
  On a maddening loop
  These clothes
  These clothes don't fit us right
  I'm to blame
  It's all the same
  It's all the same
  
  You come to me with a bone in your hand
  You come to me with your hair curled tight
  You come to me with positions
  You come to me with excuses
  Ducked out in a row
  You wear me out
  You wear me out
  
  We've been through fake-a-breakdown
  Self hurt
  Plastics, collections
  Self help, self pain,
  EST, psychics, fuck all
  I was central
  I had control
  I lost my head
  I need this
  I need this
  A paper weight, junk garage
  Winter rain, a honey pot
  Crazy, all the lovers have been tagged
  A hotline, a wanted add
  It's crazy what you could've had
  It's crazy what you could've had
  It's crazy what you could've had
  I need this
  I need this
  It's crazy what you could've had
  It's crazy what you could've had
  I need this
  I need this
  It's crazy what you could've had
  It's crazy what you could've had
  I need this
  I, I need this
  It's crazy what you could've had
  I need this, I need this
  It's crazy what you could've had
  Crazy what you could've had
  I need this
  I need this
  
  Crazy what you could've had
  Crazy what you could've had Writer/s: John Michael Stipe, Michael E. Mills, Peter Lawrence Buck, William Thomas Berry
  Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 12

• Janet Gimarelli from FloridaIt's such a. Beautiful love song. I've always wondered who wrote it.
  Was it
  written because of a sad breakup between Michael and the love of his life,? I've seen it at many concerts and he comes across as remembering someone.. I'm an empath I can feel what he feels. By the way it's horrible to be an empath. Peace and Love Always..love, Janet
• Yak Boy from Central Washington State The lyrics are raw, genuine and provoke an emotional response from deep within. The Bridge School version with Neil Young leaves me speechless everytime.
• Adam from Copenhagen, DenmarkI love the version of the song live from Wiesbaden, Germany from 2003. For it's intensity and beauty. It was included on the bonus disc with rarities and b-sides on the Best of R.E.M. In Time album. That live version is my favorite R.E.M. song of all time.
• Ekristheh from HalathThis was assembled in a practice session and initially intended as a demo. It was based on a chord progression Peter Buck was experimenting with. After various tracks were recorded, Michael Stipe sang the lyrics. He had written a rough draft but was really making up the words as he went along. It was so good they decided to use the demo as the finished track.
  
  This is called Country Feedback because it uses country and feedback style overdubs.
• Anthony from Niles, OhVomit or not, this is a wonderfully crafted song all around. One of the best in the REM catalogue. Stipe couldn't have conveyed the emotions behind this song any better. The singer is in a bad co-dependent relationship where the dominant partner has grown bored with the submissive one, who is worn out and at his witts end trying to re-gain the other's interest, often with superfulous material gifts. Peter Buck's accompaniment on this number is hauntingly good.
• Brad from Lexington, KyI agree with Michael that this is the single greatest R.E.M. song ever recorded.
• Warwick from London, EnglandI echo previous comments that AFAIK this is Stipey's favourite song. The live acoustic version that Ekristheh refers to is amazing, with an awesome 90 second solo by Peter Buck at the end. The song ends with Michael saying, "Peter Buck! How 'bout that?"
• Pete from Barnstaple, EnglandThis is what R.E.M are all about. Never mind singles sales, never mind chart positions, Michael Stipe sings so eloquently and so honestly on this song, it makes me well up every time I hear it. Pete, Barnstaple.
• Paul from Redditch, EnglandMichael Stipe said at various concerts, mainly on the "monster tour", that this was his favourite song! The live versions of this are certainly without equal.
• Ekristheh from Halath, United StatesR.E.M. played an acoustic version of this with Neil Young on second guitar at the 1998 Bridge School benefit concert. Peter said they chose this to play with Neil because it is slow and reflects Neil's personal, emotional style. This heartfelt performance has assumed legendary status among fans and tape traders.
• Mandy from Smalltown, NyIn response to Billy's comment, I have to admit that although I never knew that fact about this song, it doesn't surprise me. I've always loved when Stipe sings "I need this. I need this." because you can literally hear the emotion in the word 'need'. It's raw, and your explanation of this song only makes me love it more.
• Billy from Liverpool, EnglandVarious sources, including Michael Stipe, refer to this as a "vomit song" - that is, an occassion where he just sung away and let whatever he had inside of him spill out onto tape.
  Peter Buck quite famously recalled that, at the time of recording, M

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