Life is bigger
It's bigger
And you, you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up

That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no I've said too much
I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper
Of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up

Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I've said too much

I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
That was just a dream

That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no I've said too much
I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream, try, cry, why, try
That was just a dream, just a dream, just a dream
Dream



Lyrics submitted by parsprototo

Track duration: 04:27

"Losing My Religion" as written by William/buck Berry

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Losing My Religion song meanings
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  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think the song is about someone who is infatuated with this other person. The other person is kinda giving him mixed signals. It's not obvious if his heart is in it. (like pushing and pulling at the same time) The lover is tired of waiting around and is losing his faith in their love.
    "And you are not me
    The lengths that I will go to
    The distance in your eyes"

    The lover also doesn't want to appear to look like a fool and confess everything to him, cause of his pride or the fear of rejection or ...
    "Oh no, I've said too much
    I set it up
    "

    The lover is pointing out to the other person to notice him, how is trying to keep up with him. again he doesn't want to appear needy and doesn't want to appear so cold and not interested either.
    "
    That's me in the corner
    That's me in the spotlight
    Losing my religion
    Trying to keep up with you
    And I don't know if I can do it
    Oh no I've said too much
    I haven't said enough
    "

    The lover says, he is not so sure, but he thinks that the other person made a move toward him or their love.
    " I thought I saw you try"

    He is saying that every moment he is thinking about to confess his love him like a fool in love .
    "
    Every whisper
    Of every waking hour
    I'm choosing my confessions
    Trying to keep an eye on you
    Like a hurt lost and blinded fool
    "

    He is saying that the other person should consider this song as a hint (the biggest hint of all) that he is in love with him. Then he follows by the phrase now I have definitely said too much"

    At the end the lover says that he's defeated and after trying so many times and failing, now he believes that he was foolishly hopeful and all this love story was a figment of his imagination, all in his head.
    "
    But that was just a dream, try, cry, why, try
    That was just a dream, just a dream, just a dream
    Dream
    "
    Flag magicmeon April 16, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think the song is about someone who is infatuated with this other person. The other person is kinda giving him mixed signals. It's not obvious if his heart is in it. (like pushing and pulling at the same time) The lover is tired of waiting around and is losing his faith in their love.
    "And you are not me
    The lengths that I will go to
    The distance in your eyes"

    The lover also doesn't want to appear to look like a fool and confess everything to him, cause of his pride or the fear of rejection or ...
    "Oh no, I've said too much
    I set it up
    "

    The lover is pointing out to the other person to notice him, how is trying to keep up with him. again he doesn't want to appear needy and doesn't want to appear so cold and not interested either.
    "
    That's me in the corner
    That's me in the spotlight
    Losing my religion
    Trying to keep up with you
    And I don't know if I can do it
    Oh no I've said too much
    I haven't said enough
    "

    The lover says, he is not so sure, but he thinks that the other person made a move toward him or their love.
    " I thought I saw you try"

    He is saying that every moment he is thinking about to confess his love him like a fool in love .
    "
    Every whisper
    Of every waking hour
    I'm choosing my confessions
    Trying to keep an eye on you
    Like a hurt lost and blinded fool
    "

    He is saying that the other person should consider this song as a hint (the biggest hint of all) that he is in love with him. Then he follows by the phrase now I have definitely said too much"

    At the end the lover says that he's defeated and after trying so many times and failing, now he believes that he was foolishly hopeful and all this love story was a figment of his imagination, all in his head.
    "
    But that was just a dream, try, cry, why, try
    That was just a dream, just a dream, just a dream
    Dream
    "
    Flag magicmeon April 16, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is so powerful.
    Meaning: He is so stressed and or angry and instead of just saying he is losing his mind. which if you are going through hell and you say to someone im losing my mind its not as impacting as if you say im losing my religion. if you walk up to someone and say im losing my religion you immediately give that person your full attention its just another way of trying to alert someone that you are going through something tough. Religion is powerful and teh thought of someone being lost is terrifying but he is not talking really about religion just using its powerful impact to drive home the fact that his situation is almost like losing faith and not knowing what to do.
    I like when he said i have said too much so many times, its like me, I never like to talk to anyone about what im going through and if i do tell someone I feel shaky and i feel weak and drained if i tell anyone and i think darn i said too much I shoudllnt have said all that. im going through the same struggle right now and sometimes im losing my mind and realize its like im losing the Faith and drifting further away from my religion and I alway listen this song
    Flag kevkentison April 09, 2013   Link
  • 0
    Song Comparison:Compare 'Losing My Religion' to 13th Floor Elevators' 'Slip Inside This House' from their masterpiece album 'Easter Everywhere'.

    Obviously, REM's song is an 'homage' to Roky Erickson and the Elevators.
    Flag Tangentialon February 13, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Interesting takes that make sense.

    I don't have any idea what the band members were thinking or whose idea it was...I just assumed it was about a relationship that the writer could see was going bad. He was participating in it ,going through the motions,while recognizing the signs of another one going down the tubes. I'd always equated losing my religion with a love relationship losing it's passion... which is similar to the music business interpretation of being an artist outside of himself who doesn't believe in it or think he can continue.
    Flag Xavier624on February 09, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Freddie Mercury could have told you all the meaning of this song.
    Flag elwoood13on January 12, 2013   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning:Ok heres first off this is one of the founding ALTERNATIVE SONGS. I can Rember being like 14 when this came out. And as an college educated man 14 is the age when music has the most impact on you. So with that being said lets get into it. I personally busted up laughing when i saw people making modern day comparatives to current "children" celebs" uh... no guys some of the kids on glee wernt even born yet or were still in literally in diapers when song came out. Likewise katty perry was about my age and just a nobody at the time so i know she had had nothing to do with it so maybe the reference ur looking for would be Modanna back then.

    Ok now that all thats addressed. Here we go. Im in my mid 30s so just a little bit younger than the writer when he wrote the song. My dad was a profession musician from the early 60s and No Im not going to disclose whos kid i am. So yes im a musician as well gutaris keys singer / songwriter etc

    To me this song on a personal level is about him the guy who got everything he wanted and found that the "industry" and the cost was too much to the point it left him letterally broken in a corner. So hes singing about a what some in the field would call "out of body expierence" hes watching himself basically run on autopilot. The first line if you really read into it you can see it right away:
    Oh, life is bigger It's bigger than you And you are not me The lengths that I will go to The distance in your eyes Oh no I've said too much I set it up (HES TALKING TO HIS ALTER EGO. ALL PROFESSIONALS HAVE ONE THEY ON SOME LEVEL TO GO ON STAGE OR ON CAMERA THEY BASICALLY HAVE 2 PERSONALITIES. A PROFESIONAL ONE AND A PRIVATE ONE HES MAKING A REFERANCE THAT HIS PROFESIONAL EGO GOT OUT OF HAND AND TOOK OVER AND HE LOST HIS TRUE SELF SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY THATS WHAT THIS WHO SONG IS ABOUT .)

    the line: "ive said too much, i set it up" (HES REFERENCEING TO HOW HE CANT HANDLE WHO HES BECOME BY THE LINE "NOW IVE SAID TOO MUCH" HES ADMITTING TOO MUCH TRUTH TO HIMSELF THAN HE CAN HE CAN TAKE. LIKEWISE THE LINE; "IVE SET IT UP" HES THE ONE WHO MADE IT HAPPEN HE PUT HIMSELF IN THIS POSITION.)

    It took me my whole life to come up with this inturpration. And i may be way off track. That what i love about music its what it means to the listener. And how it makes you feel.

    How i came up with this. Is i was a big nerd in hs so in college i made up for lost time. I lost a ton of weight dressed nice learned how to be a "playa" slept with actual porn stars (free no money) i met at the local bars. Bc i had a nice car, threw money around on drinks like it was nothing and talked a sick game. Etc

    But after it was all over and as i walked up and received my diploma i realized i still was not happy. And i had turned into the guy i swore i would never be. Bc i let my "alter ego" take over so it wasnt me those girls were sleeping with or everyone wanted to party with it was a made up personality i knew would work. And as i got on the freeway to come home for the next chapter in my life this song came on the radio. And i knew that there was no coincidence. And as i sit here 10 years later and think about who i was this song describes exactly what i was doing. The thing i thought would make me happy i.e. women cars money popularity i ended up selling my soul to get them and i was more miserable than i ever was.


    So to me the line LOOSING MY RELIGION means LOOSING YOUR TRUE SELF!
    Flagged Nobody79on December 28, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Chris Martin and Michael Stipe did an excellent version of this song at the 12-12-12 concert!

    And oh yeah, "losing my religion" is not about losing one's religious belief whatsoever. It means "losing one's temper". I guess people read into things what they want to.
    Flag yada3on December 13, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I used to think this song was about being frustrated with god, however, losing your religion is a term from baptist country that means losing your temper. Basically he's mad cause of a failed relationship.
    Flag PTCGAZon December 12, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"Oh no I've said too much
    I haven't said enough"
    Flag Yazardshiron November 29, 2012   Link

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