R.E.M....The One I Love

I was about 12 years old or so when I was introduced to R.E.M. (thanks uncle Dean!).  It didn't take me long to be hooked on albums such as Document and Green.  When Dean told me about their upcoming concert I of course couldn't contain my little 12 year old self and saved up my money so I could tag along with him to the Omni in downtown Atlanta.  I remember the night well.  We had pizza before the concert and made it to our seats in time to hear the opening act.  The openers were a couple girls just getting popular at the time...you may have heard of the Indigo Girls??!!  They did wonderful.  One of the highlights from the IG's was their song "Kid Fears".  In the middle of the song a young Michael Stipe (lead singer of R.E.M. for those that don't know) stepped up on the stage and sang with them in what was a perfect way to start the evening.  Later R.E.M. came out and tore the place apart.  Their encore was "Stand" and everybody in the place just about popped out of their skin.  It was fantastic and also my first real concert...I was in Heaven.

I've since listened to their music for years and years and heard recently they are hanging it up.  Well it's ok with me because the music they've written has already been implanted inside and I'll always be a fan.

One of my favorite tunes they ever wrote was actually a hidden track on the Green album.  It's unofficially called "This World is Big".  I must have played this album until the CD cracked in half, and I always waited till this hidden gem came popping out of the quiet moments after the last official track on the CD was over.  But at some point, years later on one of my road trips between GA and TX going to college, I would hear the song in a different way.  As soon as I heard it in this new way, there was no turning back.  You see, the song kinda doesn't make a lot of sense.  It's really sweet and melodic and I just liked it.  But when I heard it one day as a conversation between the Creator and the created...I was changed forever.

Now I have no idea what R.E.M. really meant when they wrote this song, and I don't really care.  I know what it means to me.  Enjoy the lyrics, and if you like I've embedded a player at the bottom so you can enjoy the song too.  The song is sung in kind of a "round".  For me, the Creator is the main voice and the created are the echoes (or lyrics in parentheses).

Thanks R.E.M....and yes, I feel fine.   

This World is Big

This world is big (this world is big) and so-awake (and so-awake)
I stayed up late (I stayed up late) to hear your voice
This light is here (this light is here) to keep you warm (to keep you warm)
This song is here (this song is here) to keep you strong


I made a list of things to say
But all I really want to say (But all I want)
All I really want to say is (That's all I want)
Hold her and keep him strong (I made a list of things to say)
While I'm away from here (But all I want, that's all I want)
Hold her and keep her strong (This world is big and so-awake)
While I'm away from here (I stayed up late to hear your voice)
Hold him and keep him strong (This light is here to keep you warm)
While I'm away from here (This song is here to keep you strong)


I've seen the world and so-awake
And stay up late to hear me sing (keep her strong)
Just hold her
I've seen the world and so-awake
And stay up late to hear me sing (keep him strong)
Just hold him


Hold her and keep her strong (I've seen the world and so-awake)
While I'm away from here (So stay up late to hear me sing)
Hold him and keep him strong (I've seen the world and so-awake)
While I'm away from here (So stay up late to hear me sing)

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(sorry iphone users and other mobile devices...I'm not sure if this will work on anything other than desktops and laptops...maybe I'll get more tech savy one day : )