LYRICS
 R.E.M. COVER VERSIONS

 
Many lyrics appear courtesy of Kipp Teague - please visit his R.E.M. page, where I got the lyrics from
 
Sponge / Dark Globe / Academy Fight Song / Baby Baby / See No Evil / Ghost Rider /
Funtime / Moon River / The After Hours / Arms of Love / Love is All Around /
First We Take Manhattan / Wall of Death / The Lion Sleeps Tonight /
Future 40s / All I Have To Do is Dream

Sponge

(by Vic Chestnut - from "Sweet Relief II" benefiting Vic Chestnut)

pleasure is melting like chocolate
my blue ribbon gumption is gone
all my gravy must have soaked into something
and the world...
the filthy steps, the cold concrete
the phony earth below my feet
the ancient odor of the streets
yes the world it is a sponge
and when the crisis passes
when the coast is clear
I'll be buffed down to a liquid
and the world it is a sponge
throughout this entire ugly outing
I've been mumbling the convex of what I should be shouting
but I'll soon be silent you'll soon hear nothing
'cause the world it is a sponge

Dark Globe

(Syd Barrett)

Oh where are you now?
Pussy willow that smiled on my sleeve
When I was alone, you promised a stone from your heart
My head kissed the ground,
I was half the way down, treading the sand
Please... please lift a hand, I'm only a person
Whose armbands beat on his hands hang tall

Won't you miss me? Why don't you miss me at all?

My head touched the ground, I was half the way down,
Strumming the sand
Please lift a hand, I'm only a person
With eskimo chain, you tattered my brain all the way

Won't you miss me? Why don't you miss me at all?

Academy Fight Song

(Mission of Burma original - Stipe's variation below)

Walk into my room
Ask me jerky questions
Don't mean what you say
Immaculate Conception

Play by the rules
So close to the chest, chest
Show that all's not lost
This is not a test.

Stay just as far from me as me from you.
Make sure that you are sure of everything I do.
'Cause I'm not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not
Your academy

The halls are like piss
The rooms are underlit
Still it must be nice
Such a perfect fit, fit

What's that I hear?
The sound of marching feet
It has a strange alure,
Has a strange alure

Stay just as far from me as me from you.
Make sure that you are sure of everything I do.
'Cause I'm not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not
Your academy

Your academy

Maybe you're right,
I shouldn't judge
What's wrong or right,
It's all too much

I'm not judging you,
I'm judging me.
My academy.
Your academy
My academy.
Your academy

Baby Baby

(The Vibrators)

Mmmm...You're so pretty
Not to talk to you would be a crime
Let me put my arms around you
Just wanna use up a little of your time

And I'm going...
Baby baby baby
Baby baby baby
Baby baby baby
Won't you be my girl?

You're eyes, they're so pretty
The clothes you wear, so fine
Won't you come around to my place
Just wanna use up a little of your time

And I'm going...
Baby baby baby
Baby baby baby
Baby baby baby
Won't you be my girl?

Come on, come on, come on

[SOLO]

Baby baby baby
Won't you be my girl?

(repeat above six times)

See No Evil

(Television originaly - Stipe's variation below)

What I want, I want now
And it's a whole lot more, anyhow
I wanna climb a mountain
I wanna jump, jump, jump, jump a mountain

I understand all destructive urges
It's seems so perfect
I see, I see no evil

I get ideas, notions
I want a nice little boat made out of ocean
I get your point, you're so sharp
Gettin good reactions with 'BeBo' talk

I understand all destructive urges
It's seems so perfect
I see, I see no evil

[SOLO]

I understand all destructive urges
It's seems so perfect
I see, I see no evil

Walkin' hand in hand with the one I love (I see no evil)
Walkin' through Manhattan with the one I love (I see no evil)
Walkin' hand in hand with the one I love (I see no evil)
Walkin' in Jackson with the one I love (I see no evil)
Walkin' in the world with the one I love (I see no evil)
Walkin' and talkin' with the one I love (I see no evil)
Walkin', walkin' and talkin' with the one I love.

Ghost Rider

(Johnny Rev/Alan Vega)

Ghost rider motorcyle hero
Baby baby baby baby he's a blazin' away
Like the star star stars in the universe.

Ghost rider motorcyle hero
Baby baby baby baby he's a blazin' the truth

Ghost rider motorcyle hero
Baby baby baby baby he's a lookin' so cute
Sneakin round round round in a blue jumpsuit

Ahh!
Ahh!

Ghost rider motorcyle hero
Baby baby baby baby he's a blazin' away
Like the star star stars in the universe.
Baby baby baby baby he's a screamin' the truth
Like the star star stars in the universe.
Baby baby baby baby he's a screamin' the truth
America America is killing its youth.

Ahh!
Ahh!

Ghost rider motorcyle hero
Baby baby baby baby he's a screamin' away
Like the star star stars in the universe.
Baby baby baby baby he's a lookin' so cute
Sneakin round round round in a blue jumpsuit
Baby baby baby baby he's a screamin' the truth
America America
America America is killing its youth.

Ahh!
Ahh!

Ghostrider
Ghostrider
Ghostrider

Ahh!

Funtime

(Iggy Pop/David Bowie)

(Fun!) baby, baby, we like your pants
(Fun!) baby, baby, we love your lips
All aboard for Fun Time

(Fun!) baby, baby, we ham to Dracula
(Fun!) oh, and his hips
All aboard for Fun Time

(Fun!) baby, baby, we want in
(Fun!) we want some, we want some
All aboard For Fun Time

(Fun!) baby, baby, we want in
(Fun!) we want some, we want some
All aboard for Fun Time

All aboard for Fun Time
All aboard for Fun Time
All aboard for Fun Time

Fun!

Moon River

(Jerry Butler)

Moon River, wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style some day
You dream maker
You heartbreaker
Wherever you're going
I'm going your way

Two drifters off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end
Waitin' round the bend
My Huckleberry friend
Moon River and me

The After Hours

(Velvet Underground original - Stipe's variation below)

If you close the door
the night could last forever.
Say goodbye to now
and say hello to never.
I've said it before, I'll say it again.
You know it can happen to me.
But if we close the door
I'll never have to see the world again.

Arms Of Love

(Robin Hitchcock)

Maybe tonight you're achin'
For someone you're dreamin' of
Tomorrow you'll be wakin
Into the Arms, into the arms of Love

Maybe tonight you're cryin
Like a poor wounded dove
Tell me you'll soon be flying
Into the Arms, into the arms of love

Maybe tonight you're takin
You couldn't get enough
Honey you'll soon be wakin'
Into the Arms, into the arms of Love

Maybe the world is falling
It wasn't strong enough
Tell me you'll soon be crawling
Into the Arms, into the arms of Love
(repeat to end)

Love Is All Around

(originaly by The Troggs, covered by Wet Wet Wet)

I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes
Love is all around me and so the feeling grows
It's written on the wind, it's everywhere I go
So if you really love me, come on and let it show

You know I love you I always will
My mind's made up by the way that I feel
There's no beginning, there'll be no end
'Cause on my love you can depend

I see your face before me, as I lay on my bed
I kinda get to thinking of all the things we said
You gave a promise to me, and I gave mine to you
I need someone beside me in everything I do

You know I love you I always will
My mind's made up by the way that I feel
There's no beginning, there'll be no end
'Cause on my love you can depend

It's written on the wind, it's everywhere I go
So if you really love me, come on and let it show
Come on and let it show

First We Take Manhattan

(Leonard Cohen)

They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
For trying to change the system from within
I'm coming now I'm coming to reward them
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

I'm guided by a signal in the heavens
I'm guided by this birthmark on my skin
I'm guided by the beauty of our weapons
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

I'd really like to live beside you, baby
I love your body and your spirit and your clothes
But you see that line there moving through the station
I told you I told you I told you I was one of those

You loved me as a loser but now your worried that I just might win
You know the way to stop me but you don't have the discipline
How many nights I prayed for this: to let my work begin
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

I don't like your fashion business, mister
I don't like these drugs that keep you thin
I don't like what happened to your sister
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin (chorus)

And I thank you for those items that you sent me
The monkey and the plywood violin
I practiced every night and now I'm ready
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

Remember me, I used to live for music
Remember me, I brought your groceries in
It's Father's Day and everybody's wounded
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

Wall Of Death

(Richard Thompson)

Let me ride on the wall of death one more time
Let me ride on the wall of death one more time
You can waste your time on the other rides
but this is the nearest to being alive
Let me take my chances on the Wall of Death

You can go with the crazy people in the crooked house
You can fly away on the rocket or spin in the mouse
The tunnel of love might amuse you
And Noah's Ark might confuse you but
Let me take my chances on the Wall of Death

On the Wall of Death
All the World is far from me
On the Wall of Death
It's the nearest to being free

Well you're going nowhere when you ride on the carousel
And maybe you're strong, but what's the use of ringing a bell
The switchback will make you crazy
Beware of the bearded lady
Oh let me take my chances on the Wall of Death

You are going nowhere when you ride on the carousel
And maybe you're strong, but what's the use of ringing a bell
The switchback will make you crazy
Beware of the bearded lady
Let me take my chances
Let me take my chances
Let me take my chances

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

(lyrics by G. Weiss/L. Creatore/H. Peretti -
song is traditionaly a.k.a. "Wimoweh")

In the jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight

In the village, the quiet village, the lion sleeps tonight
In the village, the peaceful village, the lion sleeps tonight

Hush my darling, don't cry my darling, the lion sleeps tonight
Hush my darling, don't cry my darling, the lion sleeps tonight

Future 40'S (String Of Pearls)

(Syd Straw/Michael Stipe/Jody Harris)

Hey man I'm making moves
and I am so much stronger than you.
I am so much stronger,
I am so much stronger than you.
Everybody thinks the way that we thought,
we thought ahead and look what we got.
I did not invent this world,
Call my words a string of pearls.
But you will find the sheen
loses all its luster.

All I Have To Do Is Dream

(Everly Brothers)

Dream, dream dream dream, dream, dream dream dream

When I want you in my arms, when I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you, all I have to do, is

Dream, dream dream dream

When I feel blue in the night, and I need you to hold me tight
Whenever I want you, all I have to do, is

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine, any time, night or day
Only trouble is, gee wiz, I'm dreamin' my life away

I need you so that I could die, I love you so, and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do, is

Dream, dream dream dream, dream

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine, any time, night or day
Only trouble is, gee wiz, I'm dreamin' my life away

I need you so that I could die, I love you so, and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do, is

Dream, dream dream dream (repeats out)