Last week, in one of those moments that reminds me direct access to celebrities through social media can still feel fun and special, Michael Stipe logged onto Bluesky and decided to clear up some rapid-fire lyrics from R.E.M.'s "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" that have often been transcribed inaccurately online. This was a marginally big deal because Stipe famously refused to publish his lyrics in R.E.M.'s liner notes, and many relied-upon sources like Genius had the words wrong.
Since then, Stipe has returned to Bluesky several times with more lyrical clarifications. Wednesday, he offered humorous instructions for any R.E.M. imitators: "Any other lyrics— don’t even try chronic town murmur or reckoning btw— just form vowels and syllables, and mean it." Friday, he shifted focus to "Driver 8," noting that the bridge lyric "a way to shield the hated heat" was a superior replacement for some other line. He also pointed out that Mike Mills wrote the lyrics to "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville": "I just sang it."
Then it was back to "It's The End Of The World As We Know It." Per Stipe, one line early in the song goes like this: "feed it off an aux, speak, grunt no strength, the ladder start to clatter with fear fight down height, wire in a fire representing seven games, a government for hire and a combat site." Sunday, Stipe offered another one: "Uh-oh, overflow, population ‘common food, but it’ll do’, save yourself, serve yourself, world serves its own needs—listen to your heart bleed, dummy with the raptured and the revered and the right, right." He also shared this disclaimer: "And let it be said I’m of the lets eat grandma school of punctuation, so."
Perhaps eventually the entire song will be written out in fragments via Michael Stipe skeets.
Any other lyrics— don’t even try chronic town murmur or reckoning btw— just form vowels and syllables, and mean it
— Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe.bsky.social) September 3, 2025 at 9:55 AM
I actually changed it to ‘a way to shield the hated heat’ because that was much better
— Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe.bsky.social) September 5, 2025 at 12:00 AM
And Mike Mills wrote the lyrics to Rockville I just sang it
— Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe.bsky.social) September 5, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Ok its ‘feed it off an aux, speak, grunt no strength, the ladder start to clatter with fear fight down height, wire in a fire representing seven games, a government for hire and a combat site’.
— Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe.bsky.social) September 5, 2025 at 12:13 AM
“Uh-oh, overflow, population ‘common food, but it’ll do’, save yourself, serve yourself, world serves its own needs—listen to your heart bleed, dummy with the raptured and the revered and the right, right”
And let it be said I’m of the lets eat grandma school of punctuation, so
— Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe.bsky.social) September 7, 2025 at 11:30 AM
