45 replies to this topic

[chrome3d]

It was kinda easy to see where this was going when it was started.

I never thought JMS was gay in the old days. When he came out it wasn´t a big revelation though. I could never see them "that" way as the songs never had any direct one meaning and gay-issues have never been that close to me.

To me the lyrics of Uberlin read more like getting ready for an evening in the clubs. Waking up really late, taking some groovy drugs to make it easier and getting ready for work in a club. Maybe she is a stripper or hooker who works nights. Her nights have become the day and she sleeps the days. Just another night in the entertainment industry, in a big city like Berlin.

Just my take on it. Nothing more.

[hikerdeb]

Somebody in an earlier post said every verse of the song starts with "Hey, man." Actually, only the final verse starts that way; the others start with "Hey, now."

"Uberlin" is my favorite song on the album and I loved it from the moment I first heard it. But I admit that I, too, interpreted it as being about gay cruising. Not at the beginning -- it starts out as a sort of pleasant fantasy about traveling through a big city. But when it gets to the last verse, and you have a singer who happens to be a gay man asking, "Hey, man, do you want to go with me tonight?", it's hard not to jump to the conclusion that he's trying to pick up someone.

This doesn't mean that I like "Uberlin" any less than I did before. It's Michael's prerogative to write about whatever he wants. And to me, lyrics are not the most important part of an R.E.M. song. It's all about the music.

[wagtail]

this thread is weird.

just seems to be a song about social isolation.  someone looking for a connection;  it could be an emotional/intellectual/physical/sexual connection.  to me the gender and sexuality aren't that relevant.  it's just a simple human song, on occasions I find it incredibly sad, but mostly I just find it kinda pretty and nice.

[Nightingale]

Überlin reminds me of The Beatles' A Day in the Life


"Woke up, fell out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
And looking up I noticed I was late.
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in second fllat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke,
and Somebody spoke and I went into a dream"

[ALPHA EC]

I've always thought of this song as living under a communist government.

[MilosMolis]

Bahahahah.... Well I think we know whats the song is about, as michael spoke about it its clear. Its about ordinary person who heal its wounds by having little adventure- little breaking the habits- strolling through town. And about the homosexual aspect, why not, if you want the character could gay and maybe thinking about having some adventure with other man, doesnt have to be sex, its all just search for intensity of life, something that would throw him out out of despair- romance or imaginary romance does it as well for hetero as for gay people