Now the radio stutters, snaps to life.
Some sour song that sets it right.
And when London falls
He'd like to call
But the stars collide.
They're beautiful and much maligned.
In a universe where you see the worst,
And it's up to you to fix it.

Now you've worked it out
And you see it all
And you've worked it out
And you see it all
And you want to shout
How you see it all

It's easy to dismiss the "what's it all about" crowd.
There is no doubt. it's this, here, now.
And you close your eyes.
He's not coming back.
So you work it out, overfeed the cat.
And the plants are dry and they need to drink.
So you do your best. and you flood the sink.
Sit down in the kitchen and cry.

Now you've worked it out
And you see it all
And you've worked it out
And you see it all
And you want to shout
How you see it all

Now the universe left you for a runners lap.
It feels like home when it comes crashing back.
And it makes you laugh
And it makes you cry,
When London falls
And you're still alive.
The radio stutters,
It makes you laugh
And the aftermath,
Open up your eyes.
You're so alive.

Now you've worked it out
And you see it all
And you've worked it out
And you see it all
And you want to shout
How you see it all
How you've worked it out
And you see it all
How you've worked it out
And you see it all



Lyrics submitted by Lyra

Track duration: 03:53

"Aftermath" as written by Peter Lawrence/mills Buck

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Aftermath song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:i'd have to agree with kierra, that's how i've always interpreted this song.

    "the universe left you for a runner's lap, it feels like home when it comes crashing back" describes, to me, the feeling of the world being all up in the air after someone has left, like nothing is the same and there' no more anchor to hold onto. but then, as time goes by, your world slowly descends upon you because it's never really left... and you realise you're home.
    Flag coffeebreath89on March 29, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this is about a failed suicide attempt. Overfeeding the cat, flooding the sink. things you do because you don't expect anyone to come around for a while.
    Flag Babbooon May 24, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love this song.
    Flag tiagreon February 16, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love this song.
    Flag tiagreon February 16, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think "when London falls" is a reference to a much earlier historical event. . .the Blitz during World War II. London never did fall to the Nazis, so in this song it is a metaphor for the unthinkable happening.

    I think the song is about coping after a devastating loss (a death, a broken relationship, etc.) At first the subjct has trouble with ordinary tasks. But ultimately he works through his emotions and finds something to be passionate about. . .a reason to go on. "In a universe, where you've see the worst, and it's up to you to fix it. . .When London Falls and your still alive"

    I think it is also about how moments of great loss and tragedy can also lead to great insights "You've worked it out and you've seen it all and you want to shout how you've seen it all." its fundamentally a very hopefuland uplifting song.

    "And you've worked it out
    And you see it all
    And you want to shout
    How you see it all"
    Flag GeneralDisorderon December 16, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it's about a failed relationship rather than politics.

    "And it makes you laugh
    And it makes you cry,
    When London falls
    And you're still alive."

    I also think the lines about "london falls" is a euphemism for a relationship falling. When you first loved this person you thought that the love was as great and powerful as any city and now that it's disentegrating the destructive power it has in your life feels like a city fell down around you. It reminds me of the feelings I had after the last time I had my heart broken. You hurt so much and you feel like the pain of losing this person would kill you but the relationship fell apart, your love is gone and you're still alive no matter how much emotional pain you're in. You're a mix of emotions and you laugh and you cry.

    "He's not coming back.
    So you work it out, overfeed the cat.
    And the plants are dry and they need to drink.
    So you do your best. and you flood the sink.
    Sit down in the kitchen and cry."

    This verse reminds me of the typical aftermath after a relationship. All you want to do is cry and feel sorry for yourself because the other person is gone but life goes on. You still have to do the mundane tasks like feeding the cat and watering your plants but you're so distracted from your unhappiness that you mess up doing the simplest tasks.


    "And you've worked it out
    And you see it all
    And you want to shout
    How you see it all "

    You're sitting around lying to yourself that you've figured everything out and you're so much wiser from this heartbreak even though maybe deep down you still hurt like hell but you want to say "hey world don't feel sorry for me because i got dumped because i've figured it all out and I'm ok"
    Flag kierraon November 27, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I know it was written before this happened, but my first thought on hearing it was that it was about the 7/7/05 bombings in London.

    Strange. I suppose he was just predicting the inevitable though.
    Flag bayberry_moonon May 04, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's a bit hard to see anything beyond a politcal meaning for this song. But before reading this, I always imagined it was someone who's love has left them after some sort of row. Thats my interpretation of the song anyway
    Flag Burkezillaron February 07, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It seems to me to be a sequel to 'Belong'. A woman in the kitchen listening to the radio...A nameless threat on the way. Here the threat arrives but she survives it. Made me think of the blitz.
    Flag Almost Realon October 29, 2005   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I'm fairly certain that this song is telling the listener to vote for John Kerry (or rather, "anyone but Bush"). As you know REM is very anti-Bush, and they made it a point to rush-release this CD before the election -- Stipe is quoted that he "wouldn't have it any other way." Also, this single was released not too long before Nov. 2.

    "In a universe where you see the worst and it's up to you to fix it" -- there are liberal extremists that thought that another Bush victory would have spelled out doom for the world, and this line can totally be interpreted about that. This is sort of the same thing at the end when he repeats "how you've worked it out and you see it all."

    The "what's it all about crowd" (which includes me, lol) are those who don't have much of an opinion on who won the presidential election, or politics in general.

    The lines about how "he's not coming back" is about losing a soldier probably in Iraq. And "when London falls" was an eerily true prediction about the terrorists attacking London due to their support on the war in Iraq.
    Flag radical347on July 26, 2005   Link

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