When your day is long and the night
The night is yours alone
When you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on
Don't let yourself go
Everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes

Sometimes everything is wrong
Now it's time to sing along
When your day is night alone (hold on, hold on)
If you feel like letting go (hold on)
When you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on

Everybody hurts
Take comfort in your friends
Everybody hurts
Don't throw your hand Oh, no
Don't throw your hand
If you feel like you're alone, no, no, no, you are not alone

If you're on your own in this life
The days and nights are long
When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on

Well, everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes
And everybody hurts sometimes
So, hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
(Hold on, hold on)

Everybody hurts
You are not alone



Lyrics submitted by Novartza

Track duration: 05:18

"Everybody Hurts" as written by William/stipe Berry

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Everybody Hurts song meanings
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122 Comments

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  • -6
    General Comment:Sorry but to me, REM are a bunch of boring whiny alterna-nerds. I never liked any of their songs. I feel they are to blame for beginning the whole "alternative rock" non-movement. Mediocrity on a massive scale.

    Just my opinion.
    Flagged NomadMonadon May 20, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Please tell me how in the world R.E.M. managed to write this song and get it exactly RIGHT. The message is clear. It's the only song that I can take any lyric and actually have it comfort me in whatever situation. How did they know just what to say? Amazing song.
    Flag EnduringChillon October 07, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is so incredibly nostalgic to me, especially now. It's like the past and the present collide. An instrumental that just drips with thoughts of better days long since gone, with lyrics of encouragement that we all need to deal with what our world has turned into and become now.
    Flag envysinnocenceon March 11, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The past few weeks it seems like I've hit a rough patch because of this damn weather and seems like nobody can/wants to listen or help me and get mad. I just listened to this song and made me happier because you don't know what others are going through either and it makes me feel like others may be going through the same thing and may not want to talk about it!
    Flag aimyank24on January 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Here in Victoria, Australia this song was used in a recent Traffic Accident Commission television ad. It featured the family of a young driver who was killed earlier this year. It showed everyone from the boys parents to football coach, and how his death effected them all. I'm always reminded of that advertisment when I hear the song now.

    The song is one of my favourites because of the message it sends - everybody hurts. It's simple, but one that needs to be remembered. It makes you stop and think that your actions effect more than just you - they can hurt everybody around you.
    Flag sloantorreson November 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song actually helped me this morning.

    My girlfriend is a stripper, so she works nights, which means we only get to see each other about 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening 5 out of 7 days a week. Well this morning she was not in the best of moods, because she didn't make any money and I know when she's in this kind of mood, she just want's to be left alone and go to bed. In return this makes ME feel blue and frustrated that I can't help her in someway. She often has these kind of mood swings, so being with her feels kinda like a roller-coaster ride sometimes.

    Well this morning "Everybody Hurts" played on my ipod, as I was going to work and it actually made me feel better.

    I can especially relate to the first line: "When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone"

    All I cant to do in the daytime is go home and be with her and the nights....
    The nights can get very lonely, laying in the bed alone, while she's at work.

    But I love her unconditionally and I wouldn't want to be with anybody else, even on the difficult days.
    For me love is about giving and being unselfish. I believe that what you give, you shall receive again one day.
    Until than, I guess I'll just go on hurting.
    Flag Tyler2004durdenon October 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This album, and this song in particular, has helped me through so many bad times, and a horrible depression I went through. Thanks R.E.M., for being a stepping stone to help me
    Flag TheLongingon July 29, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is to me is what a bottle cap is to Sam Malone.
    Flag ThatsInterestingon July 20, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:This song means that everybody hurts,that everybody cries, that we all get sad sometimes. And that we can get through it all, to stay strong. it's a really good song, i reccomend it.
    Flag PenguinChild17on May 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:"Everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends."

    So true.
    Flag thesonglessbirdon February 13, 2010   Link

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