some additional thoughts/corrections: 1) If you're wondering what's up with the intro sequence, I talked about it in the announcement video on my side channel: th-cam.com/video/tSenIkc0cR0/w-d-xo.html 2) Another thing to note about the intro (of the song, not the video) is that there's this rising bass line underneath the A chord that makes the return to F major feel almost like a resolution, again emphasizing that, for that part at least, the song's doing its best to feel like it's in a major key even though it's not. 3) Oh also on that note under the F chord the bass does play D a couple times, which would technically make it Dmi7, but it's subtle and the guitar and mandolin don't change and overall I hear it more as a non-harmonic decoration than a real chord change. If you do want to count it as a real chord it gets a bit trickier to analyze, you'd probably have to start viewing the G as setting up a backdoor resolution with the Dmi7 serving as part of a sort of II-V, but to my ears at least, the whole thing feels too subtle for that analysis.
Tfw I never noticed the intro not being there until it played There was certainly some audible confusion But maybe it all the more proves that the movement of the sequence wouldn't bother much, I think?
@gregory brian: It kinda does! Depending on where in the song it's played, they'll often include a pick-up E an 8th-note before it. I left it out of my analysis because it doesn't change much of anything and it doesn't happen on the first statement, so I tend to view it as more an add-on than a proper part of the riff, but it's definitely not wrong to view it as five notes.
I always took the song as him awkwardly trying to get his conflicted feelings across to someone. Any time he starts to say something really personal, he backs off ("I've said too much") and then feels shame that he stopped short of what he needed to say ("I haven't said enough").
It sounds kind of like the one of the symptoms of anxiety; i.e. a constant battle in one's head of whether they've said too much or not enough in any given social interaction. I have experienced this.
@@mikesimpson3207 I came to the same feeling about that passage as you did, HOWEVER, the many great lyrics are ambiguous enough that they are open to personal interpretation. Those writers are the ones that refuse to explain what they meant, and in the case of REM, I seem to remember that Stipe once said they didn't print the lyrics in the album, because what the listener hears is their own interpretation of the song. At least, that was what I interpreted he was saying; someone else might have understood it differently, and I think I've gone 360 degrees now.
Kind of reminds me of Snow Patrol's line in Chasing Cars. "Those three words are said too much, but not enough." I always thought the three words he meant were, "I love you", which is said too much, as it's too often used vapidly and superficially, without any true feeling behind it, but also not said enough, as it's too often neglected where love is felt.
"It's almost like the two instruments aren't listening to each other..." Oh that is perfect, it fits so wall with many of the interpretations of the song: two things or beings that aren't listening or in a proper conversation with each other. Whether that be be interpersonal (argument, unrequited love, etc), or intrapersonal (our own inner thoughts, or that of our thoughts and the world not willing to mesh (which would fit the depression interpretation among others)). Well noticed, that really adds a lot to my appreciation of the song. Thank you for your great analysis!
I really want to see a video of REM watching this video and commenting on how many of these things were concious/deliberate vs. how much just came naturally because it sounded right.
I was in a band that did a cover of Shiny Happy People, I played Mills' bassline note for note, the guitarist used to stop me at a certain point and say "why are you playing that note", my response was that's what Mills plays. I never completely convinced him. Mills is one of the greats, very musical, very melodic.
@@planepantsgames1791 I did not mean to say that grunge boom occured in 89 with this album, just wanted to point out that grunge was underway 2 years prior to the release of Losing my Religion.
i have always seen this song as anxiety and self doubt singing to himself in a mirror. it starts with the first line. oh life it bigger, bigger that you and you are not me. ( here it he is singing to the self every one sees) the lengths i would go to, the distance in you eyes. “Losing my religion” is actually an old southern expression for being at the end of one’s rope, and the moment when politeness gives way to anger.
Not always. There has always been a blend of happy and sad to Stipe's voice. All depends on the song. Listen to Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight, he even laughs in the song because he keeps fucking up Dr. Seuss, he always says it so it sounds like Zeus, and it made him giggle. He brings the gravitas that every song requires.
Stipes had me with "That's me in the corner..." I've never been diagnosed depressive, but believe me, I've been in that corner. Loved this one. Do please talk about he lyrics more. Without the lyrics, half the meaning of the music is missing. And would you please do The Night, by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons? Four chords (sort of), but *man* there is something else going on there!
I felt the urge to disagree with your sentence "without the lyrics, half the meaning of the music is missing". ^^ In my opinion a good song is where the lyrics equally support the message of the tune, not vice versa. In many, many cases I believe that the lyrics are what follows after the music. I kinda feel sad when people put too much effort on lyrics and don't realize the effects and atmosphere the music itself is carrying already! Anyway, I agree on the quality of this analysis of lyrics ;)
First; I was talking about GOOD songs. A bit of disco-rubbish with "Love ya Baby" as it's only lyric - well, that doesn't need Ira Gershwin or Paul McCartney. But for a real song, yes, the lyrics *should* equally support the tune. Otherwise, it might as well be an instrumental. Isn't that what I said?
@@alanbarnett718 Well, maybe I just misunderstood you there - it just sounded a little uncomfortable to give lyrics half of the meaning of the tune. I think my point then is, that it's less than 50%, but that might also be just me as a musician hoping to have a bigger impact to the overall message of a tune.
@@miqla I think it depends on the song. R.E.M. always wrote the whole song together before they started on anything else especially during this time period. So that makes their lyrics more intertwined to me.
I think you did a great job relating the lyrics and what's happening musically. Just like when you said the notes in "Message in a Bottle" never go "home" Bravo!
I know you don't usually break down the lyrics, but I find it exceptionally interesting! Especially when you integrate the instrumentation and the lyrics and look at them together to analyze them. I understand the basics of music, but I'm not a musician by any means, so personally, I relate more to the lyrics. Though I still find the actual music break-down fascinating. When you analyze more music with lyrics, I'd personally love to see more of the analysis of the music and lyrics and how they work together to portray a message. Just a thought! Love this song and I loved learning all the musical elements and how they've worked to create a meaning that I never really understood before. Love the video and your channel!
I agree wholeheartedly! I always really liked this song and have played it more times than I could even count, but learning deeper into a song like this makes me appreciate it on such a deeper level that it is now one of my favorites. And that intertwining of music theory and poetry just adds a whole other level of "wow" to a song
I agree…because when you look at the lyrics; it becomes more complex; you have a musical journey of someone’s emotions about someone who loves someone more than they love him…and that’s crazy
Just to clarify it is just one mandolin part, it is played on two strings, one is the high E string which is just always playing the E note (a "drone" string) and the other notes are just a walk-down on the second string. You sort of implied that it's two parts e.g. overdubbed but it's not. I think a lot of the mandolin parts aren't intentionally a certain way but dictated more by the fact that Peter Buck was just noodling on the mandolin and came up with a couple of riffs and they used them, he's not exactly a virtuoso mandolin player but it works for the song obviously
That's a fair point: I didn't mean to imply that they were two separate tracks, just two separate melodies, but I can certainly see how the way I worded it would make that unclear. Thanks for clarifying!
The arrangement, chord progression and structure of this are a re-tread of "Swan Swan H" from Lifes Rich Pageant (a song that was specifically meant to invoke a Civil War-era folk song (as told by a captured prisoner... or perhaps a a corpse). It's hard for me to hear this song without thinking of that one, which is pretty grim.
...So who else clicked on this from recommendations because they love the song and then had absolutely no idea what the hell anything in this video means? Please tell me it's not just me! 😅
Alice Teague not really. If you took a basic music theory class during high school or college, you can follow along. Maybe try to take an online course or something or read some of the basics of music theory? That might help.
When you analyse a song that i don't know i always go listen to it first. And like the metalhead addicted to tech death that i am, i didn't knew anything from REM. I am glad i did listen to it, it is a very nice song. And your analysis of it is very interesting.
Goodness as a massive R.E.M. fan. I am thoroughly impressed by this. It won tons of awards. Guitarist Peter Buck came up with the idea to switch his Rickenbacker for a mandolin. Totally not popular even for "Alternative" music at the time. You're close about the meaning behind the lyrics. "Losing my Religion" is a southern metaphor for losing a love to the point where your religious beliefs are questioned.
I love all of the subtle and some of the not so subtle references to the song in particular and other videos here- when you go into the lyrics and their interpretations it's absolutely wonderful too!
I love R.E.M. but never really cared for Losing My Religion in particular (the opposite of another comment I've seen), and this video gives me a new appreciation for it. Great work! If you ever decide to tackle more R.E.M. songs, that'd be awesome.
so.... Stipe has said in an interview that the song is about unrequited love, interesting that you got depression out of it... Nick Cave said that once a song is released, it's not the artist's any more, it belongs to the listener... (his quote was in the context of trying to justify still liking the music of an artist who turns out to be an asshole, like Morrissey or michael jackson) i love watching your videos and Rick Beato's videos because i don't have a musical bone in my body, but the progressions and tones and how they're structured fascinates me... i would LOVE to hear like... Peter Buck or Stipe respond to this video though.... was it a conscious decision to mix the major and minor keys to get that feeling, or was buck just noodling and it sounded right.... i'm a photographer and have studied and know the rules, and when to break the rules, and i have an eye for it... i see a lot of people who struggle with photography, and then some people (have an eye) and just know what looks good. how much of these great songs are conscious decisions and how much just sounds good.... is more analysis going into it after the fact, than went into it in the beginning....
That's interesting! In that context... I feel like it means compromising yourself, your integrity and your values, for someone else. Trying to maintain the illusion of having the upper hand despite being the one who's in a vulnerable position.
I seem to recall that the specific phrase "losing my religion" was used by Stipe's family to mean "losing my mind", so it all fits together for me. It's a song about losing your mind over unrequited love, which is definitely depressing.
I was going through this song in my head yesterday and it struck me that none of the lyrics rhyme. I didn't notice before because of how they work with the song so well.
The timing of this song’s success seems a little less strange if you listen to the rhythm of the mandolin part - it is a rock guitar classic but in mandolin form. The way it punches insistently while moving between hitting on the beats of the bar and hitting off beat is an evolved example of rock guitar writing a la The Stones or The Who - all the more fresh and new because being on mandolin forces it into new shapes. Months later Nirvana repeated the same trick when Teen Spirit took a less sophisticated rhythm (Louie Louie) and transformed it using a Boss overdrive pedal and a modified Fender Jaguar. I guess in the summer of ‘91 the market was ready for a new spin on the old ideas.
I knew that song, but ignored the hype surrounding them until "Losing My Religion." Being a completist, I went backwards into their catalog, and found that they had actually peaked a few albums before. "Fall on Me" amazes me still.
“Losing my religion” is an old southern saying that means he got mad and lost his temper. The lyrics are saying “I done goofed up for getting mad and acting like a jerk last night.” The I thought I heard you laughing etc is his motivation for whatever terrible thing he said intended as a joke that stung to his friend’s core.
Is that so? I'm actually from Athens (in fact, leaving a weird alt-music festival once, my friend said to me, "You do realize that was Micheal Stipe standing right next to you, right?"), but this is the first I've heard it. Not that I'm questioning you. Anyway, I can't help feeling that there's something more to it. Like, I'm definitely more of a literature person, and I get the feeling he's using a double meaning. Since Stipe said in an interview that it's about unrequited love... It could include acting like a jerk, but I think it's largely about pretending to be someone you're not for someone else. Not simply to make them like you, but to maintain your pride. Huh, that's interesting, I hadn't really thought about it that way.
The balance is teetering left and right, he is about to make a decision and time is ticking away. Differently colored chords are just his attempts to see the same problem from different angles and figure out what he was missing that would allow him to resolve once and for all. But he can’t find it.
Many years ago I was at a clinic at Berklee with Dicky Betts from the Bosstones. He recalled that in 1991 after Nirvana released Smells Like Teen Spirit, their label was so confused that they looked at their stable and dropped everyone but then and the Scorpions. That was in the fall. Losing my religion came out in February and the summer charts were dominated with Salt n Pepa and KLFs cross over hits “let’s talk about sex” and 3 am eternal, respectively. It’s easy to forget that when Nevermind came out, Nirvana was on tour as the opening act for Sonic Youth, and they’d played shows the previous year with way out their art punk bands like Sun City Girls and Nomeansno. 1991 was a weird year.
I was about 10 when I first heard this back in '92. I knew, without ever having fallen in love before, that this was what it was gonna be like for me. unfortunately, i was right. What a song. Not even a huge REM fan, but boy...what a song.
Fun fact: this was, I believe, only the second song to chart at number one to feature a mandolin. The first was Maggie Mae by Rod Stewart, which... is an interesting pairing.
It’s also notable how the song makes you wait. I heard it in the car the day before yesterday I was waiting for the climactic part I remember. The song went “I think I thought I heard your try.” And then “nope, we’re going back to the verses.” And then it does it again. The lyric I was waiting for “that was just a dream” Came in as part of the bridge and then it came in again… at the end. It’s the end of the song! Not even the chorus! Yet that’s the part I remember. Probably the ultimate example of a song that makes you wait.
This was my first impression of the song too, before I really knew it, I thought of it as "that REM song that just kinda goes on and on" (which is what caught my interest). The chord progressions feel very repetitive, the chorus doesn't distinguish itself very strongly from the verse and overall the lyrical hooks feel kind of buried, like you said the first "I think I thought I ..." feels like it's heading somewhere bigger, to a higher intensity, but this time energy dissipates and it falls back into verse 2, and you have to wait... when it comes again it subverts itself again even more strongly by leading into "that was just a dream" but all the instrumentation has dropped away (the bridge), he sings the line twice but it's just a preview because then it jumps back to the pre-chorus "that's me in the corner ... losing my religion". Only at the end of the song does the "that was just a dream" part finally resolve the tension of the whole song. Also the song title sitting in a sort of rhythmically unaccented 3rd line of the pre-chorus, feels like sort of a red herring for the song's hook, which for me added to the "goes on and on" feeling of the song. I also hadn't noticed all the vocals are constrained to a fourth interval but that definitely contributes too to that feeling of lack of motion, which instead of being boring actually adds a current of tension to the whole thing.
Always talk about lyrics! And definitely melody/vocals! I feel like lyrics are often underrated, and sometimes they're nonsense, but REM feels like a band whose lyrics matter. I think the lyrics and the music often tie in on a more subconscious level, and then hearing someone verbalize a connection that the person had previously just felt can be an amazing little "wow, neat" moment, as with your analysis of the lyrics here. I love how you talked about the range of the melody. That fact has stuck out at me for ... decades. I dig your analysis of it and I really appreciate your emotional takeaway relating to depression, which is relevant for me now. I love bringing one's own personal connection/response to the song as part of the analysis, rather than trying to be impartial.
Have you looked into any Opeth songs? I think there are some interesting things going on in Mikael Åkerfeldt's writing! I don't personally know what exact songs would be the most rewarding though.
@@evan-moore22 I really don't know, I appreciate most of their songs but I just don't know which will prove most intriguing from a theory standpoint. :-)
Probably ... but mostly because the mainstream listeners didn't pay attention to the lyrics, especially the jarring lines "This one goes out to the one I've left behind: a simple prop to occupy my time" -- not really mainstream stuff in my opinion.
That bit about the lyrics and the melody is interesting because the band have always said that Mike, Peter and Bill would always compose the music first and then Michael would add the vocals later, so those probably weren't initially intended, it's really Michael that was able to capture the "mood" of the music and bring everything together with his vocals and lyrics, which makes you appreciate his role in the band even more.
This always struck me as a song that could have been written and performed (at least the vocals, mandolin, and guitar) from a lying down, or reclined position. Like, the vocals aren't particularly out of comfortable range, and there's not much in the way of leaps. The strings aren't doing anything nuts. Beautiful phrases and runs, yes. But simple and low energy. Just... the image I always get is someone idly strumming/picking the mandolin, and singing simply over it while lying back. Almost like the music is all they can manage to put their low energy into, but it's also the thing keeping them awake and going. A lot of that definitely comes from my own experience with depression, but I definitely think it's fitting.
Steve Winwood's "Back In The High Life Again" prominently used mandolin in a mainstream song five years before R.E.M.! Of course, Steve Winwood might have been anathema to most of the college rock crowd.
Stipe has stated the the phrase "Losing my religion" means to lose one's temper. The song appears to be about the empty feeling you get after you lose your temper and look back at what you said and did. So I am not sure it's about depression as much as is regret. Though regret can lead down that path too...
The song is about unrequited love and dealing with the emotion of not getting back what you give, or even knowing that the person knows you exist. I can completely see how people get depression out of that scenario. R.E.M talk about it here th-cam.com/video/Qd9r7sd-Ueg/w-d-xo.html
Michael Stipe has said that this song is an attempt to write a song about stalking someone similar to the songs Every Breath You Take or Two Steps Behind. Taken from this viewpoint the hollowness of the music coupled with a false suggestion of Major could be a way of representing the hollowness of the feelings this stalker has combined with the delusion of a happy relationship that the stalker imagines himself to be in.
I love this song and this vid is great! My favourite of their songs is World Leader Pretend. Also one of the first songs I ever learned to play on acoustic guitar!
After watching many videos on One Hit Wonders (from toddintheshadows), I can assure you that 1991 was a weird time for the pop charts before Nirvana codified the grunge trend.
I think a lot of trends of the '80s music had grown stale by '89, so when Nirvana cleared the table in '92, it was long overdue (even though grunge's influence had grown stale by '96!) There were lots of interesting trends surfacing 89-92, from West Coast rap to the mainstreaming of college rock (The Cure, R.E.M. etc.) to truly off-the-wall things like The KLF, but for the most part, the top forty was dominated by things like Vanilla Ice, Wilson Phillips, Color Me Badd... *blech*!
Fantastic video but why do you say that the backdoor resolution is the strongest in minor? IMHO the resolution from 2 half-diminished is just as strong, especially as the backdoor requires a full 7th chord to collapse the tritone, whereas the diminished triad, or even just the diminished power chord, are sufficient without the extra notes
I agree; I’ve always thought the song was about depression. Which is weird, because “losing my religion” means you’ve lost your ability to act civil. Usually it means you’re really angry
Excelente explicación. En cuanto a lo visual, con tu mano izquierda ocultas lo que dibujas, por lo que queda poco tiempo para observarlo y seguir el hilo de lo que dices. Tal vez puedes pedir que otra persona que te lo haga con la mano derecha.
I never knew any of this stuff but you make it seem so intuitive... Like the emotions associated with the tone, not music, I've never understood and of it.
The only thing that I can think of is this: You state plainly the belief that the song is in "Am". I posit that the song is actually in C. The reasoning is that both F and Am are within the scale used, none of the notes being outside a standard C major scale. The "key center" of the song is C, due in no small part to the notes used in the melody and the leadlines done by the mandolin. While the C chord is not stated for any real length of time, when deciding what key a song is in, it is better to use the Relative major chord of whatever minor you detect, in this case with C being Relative Major to A minor. Pedantic, I know, but as someone who has to analyze music on behalf of my bands so that we can play them, knowing that "key center" is the key to playing the song accurately, whether or not the song itself directly addresses the "chord" you state with the key center. Just my opinion.
I fully agree with what you said about the message and meaning to the song. It really hit home... perhaps a little too well lol. Also loved the illustrations in this video!
I recently read that the term "losing my religion" is a colloquial way of saying about to lose one's temper, so I guess the song's about someone barely keeping hold of their rage and anger. Thanks for the analysis - great vid, as always.
The phrase "losing my religion" means losing one's temper, or being frustrated and unable to do anything about it. It's not really about depression so much as angry desperation.
I've always loved this song. When I learned to play the mandolin, I realized this was the song that everyone learns when they are starting out. I'd never attempted to think of the song deeply like this and now, my eyes are opened to what it's doing and I love it even more. Wow.
A descending cascade works better for me but you are movin' pretty fast! I'm impressed with your analysis. This is my first view of one of your videos. Thanks, I'll have another. His vocals are such that he's almost talking to us, as if he's drained of energy and it's all he can muster.
I've always loved this song, and although I've watched this video the day it was released if often come back to it as your explanation so wonderfully puts in words this feeling of safety yet discomfort that this song puts in me
My dad calls this song the photo book song “that’s me in the corner”...”that’s me in the spotlight” as a joke, but when you said that it’s like the instruments aren’t even listening to each other, like the guitar is harmonizing to a melody that no one is playing. I’ve always associated really strong imagery with this song, in some sort of bar setting, maybe it’s because of the guitar? He’s performing to the crowd, or sometimes people who don’t care, but it’s not him who’s “there” everyone is distracted by something somewhere else. It’s difficult to explain, but I imagine a kind of overlap of different times(mainly like an affect that memory or dream has). I’m probably a little over imaginative, but the guitar goes with what I think of when I hear this song
A small correction for the part at 8:09: When the vocals come back, the chords actually alternate between C and D7, so the 3rd and 4th riff notes become the minor 7th and the 5th in D7.
I believe that part of this song's commercial success partially stems from it having been featured on an episode of Beverly Hills 90210 during it's heyday.
I identify so much with this song. It's like every time I try to lift myself out of depression, every time I feel hopeful, things fall apart and drag me back down.
Thank you for making this video. Losing My Religion is one of my favourite songs of all time and is one of those rare songs in which my family's and my musical taste come together... I think that says a lot about the song itself...
10:16 “Weaponizes simplicity” ?!?!? Ugghhhh Modern vernaculars stolen from… oh, you know you. Great job on the song analysis, and I dig your “advanced doodling” !
I have no idea about music or about your channel but I love the song and the way you’re drawing with everything you say it makes me really understand what you’re saying
Hey.You really know what you're talking about,not just another "music prof".NICE JOB.You are great and music knowledge is super.CONGRATS.Ciao from sLOVEnia
In answer to the question of why this was charting in '91, despite the trends of the time, I'd say it's because this song truly is Out of Time, and would have sounded great no matter when it was released.
![R.E.M. - "Losing My Religion" [Live from Austin, TX]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9uyF4eW2eNw/mqdefault.jpg)
some additional thoughts/corrections:
1) If you're wondering what's up with the intro sequence, I talked about it in the announcement video on my side channel: th-cam.com/video/tSenIkc0cR0/w-d-xo.html
2) Another thing to note about the intro (of the song, not the video) is that there's this rising bass line underneath the A chord that makes the return to F major feel almost like a resolution, again emphasizing that, for that part at least, the song's doing its best to feel like it's in a major key even though it's not.
3) Oh also on that note under the F chord the bass does play D a couple times, which would technically make it Dmi7, but it's subtle and the guitar and mandolin don't change and overall I hear it more as a non-harmonic decoration than a real chord change. If you do want to count it as a real chord it gets a bit trickier to analyze, you'd probably have to start viewing the G as setting up a backdoor resolution with the Dmi7 serving as part of a sort of II-V, but to my ears at least, the whole thing feels too subtle for that analysis.
Tfw I never noticed the intro not being there until it played
There was certainly some audible confusion
But maybe it all the more proves that the movement of the sequence wouldn't bother much, I think?
Have you ever seen the version that was pitch shifted into major?
th-cam.com/video/y6KmiIq2-m8/w-d-xo.html
12tone Thank you for this. I used to believe that the riff has five notes instead of four notes. I guess it was sort of a melodic illusion.
Your Discord link doesn't work for me (could be a personal issue) great vid though.
@gregory brian: It kinda does! Depending on where in the song it's played, they'll often include a pick-up E an 8th-note before it. I left it out of my analysis because it doesn't change much of anything and it doesn't happen on the first statement, so I tend to view it as more an add-on than a proper part of the riff, but it's definitely not wrong to view it as five notes.
"Oh no, I've said too much. I haven't said enough" is one of the best lyrics in any song.
Necron681 or that he spoke too much but said nothing about his real intentions or emotions so basically said nothing but spoke too much
I always took the song as him awkwardly trying to get his conflicted feelings across to someone. Any time he starts to say something really personal, he backs off ("I've said too much") and then feels shame that he stopped short of what he needed to say ("I haven't said enough").
It sounds kind of like the one of the symptoms of anxiety; i.e. a constant battle in one's head of whether they've said too much or not enough in any given social interaction. I have experienced this.
@@mikesimpson3207 I came to the same feeling about that passage as you did, HOWEVER, the many great lyrics are ambiguous enough that they are open to personal interpretation. Those writers are the ones that refuse to explain what they meant, and in the case of REM, I seem to remember that Stipe once said they didn't print the lyrics in the album, because what the listener hears is their own interpretation of the song. At least, that was what I interpreted he was saying; someone else might have understood it differently, and I think I've gone 360 degrees now.
Kind of reminds me of Snow Patrol's line in Chasing Cars.
"Those three words are said too much, but not enough."
I always thought the three words he meant were, "I love you", which is said too much, as it's too often used vapidly and superficially, without any true feeling behind it, but also not said enough, as it's too often neglected where love is felt.
"It's almost like the two instruments aren't listening to each other..." Oh that is perfect, it fits so wall with many of the interpretations of the song: two things or beings that aren't listening or in a proper conversation with each other. Whether that be be interpersonal (argument, unrequited love, etc), or intrapersonal (our own inner thoughts, or that of our thoughts and the world not willing to mesh (which would fit the depression interpretation among others)). Well noticed, that really adds a lot to my appreciation of the song. Thank you for your great analysis!
Ah, that's the thing I've been missing all these years. That ties the whole thing together. Thanks for pointing that out.
I really want to see a video of REM watching this video and commenting on how many of these things were concious/deliberate vs. how much just came naturally because it sounded right.
"It's not the end of the world (that's a different REM song)" 😊
I was reading your comment while it was simultaneously said in the video! 😀
That would be why I feel fine.
Eh, feel fine with that
(I actually just did a cover of that song lol)
"That hope it's creating is just a dream"
I see what you did there.
Great video as always!
But that Shrek burn though
Time stamp?
@@greatvalue_ethelcain 8:50
Ok 12Tone...show us on the Shrek doll where the mean ogre touched you...
I like the way you moved the 12 Tone intro to after a brief intro of the song. I think it works well
a compositional choice
+
•
I always liked the way the bass moves against the mandolin. Mike Mills is great at that sort of thing.
I was in a band that did a cover of Shiny Happy People, I played Mills' bassline note for note, the guitarist used to stop me at a certain point and say "why are you playing that note", my response was that's what Mills plays. I never completely convinced him. Mills is one of the greats, very musical, very melodic.
Good stuff, 12 Tone! Loved it.
Out of time came out in early 1991, several months before the "grunge explosion", that happened towards the end of the year.
exactly. I found that part of that video pretty imprecise...
Correct. I'll never forget. The summer started with Love Shack and ended with Smells Like Teen Spirit
I wasn't alive during that time, nor am I from USA, but from what I know, grunge started in 89 with Neil Young's album Freedom.
@@razputin7520 that's all kinds of NOPE
@@planepantsgames1791 I did not mean to say that grunge boom occured in 89 with this album, just wanted to point out that grunge was underway 2 years prior to the release of Losing my Religion.
i have always seen this song as anxiety and self doubt singing to himself in a mirror. it starts with the first line.
oh life it bigger, bigger that you and you are not me. ( here it he is singing to the self every one sees)
the lengths i would go to, the distance in you eyes.
“Losing my religion” is actually an old southern expression for being at the end of one’s rope, and the moment when politeness gives way to anger.
My alternative name for this song is "hookup attempt at a mental hospital"
The original music video definitely backs that up.
ROFL! 🤣 😂 😅
David Byrne’s vocals = anxiety
Michael Stipe’s vocals = depression
Not always. There has always been a blend of happy and sad to Stipe's voice. All depends on the song. Listen to Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight, he even laughs in the song because he keeps fucking up Dr. Seuss, he always says it so it sounds like Zeus, and it made him giggle. He brings the gravitas that every song requires.
Stipes had me with "That's me in the corner..." I've never been diagnosed depressive, but believe me, I've been in that corner.
Loved this one. Do please talk about he lyrics more. Without the lyrics, half the meaning of the music is missing. And would you please do The Night, by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons? Four chords (sort of), but *man* there is something else going on there!
I felt the urge to disagree with your sentence "without the lyrics, half the meaning of the music is missing". ^^
In my opinion a good song is where the lyrics equally support the message of the tune, not vice versa. In many, many cases I believe that the lyrics are what follows after the music.
I kinda feel sad when people put too much effort on lyrics and don't realize the effects and atmosphere the music itself is carrying already!
Anyway, I agree on the quality of this analysis of lyrics ;)
First; I was talking about GOOD songs. A bit of disco-rubbish with "Love ya Baby" as it's only lyric - well, that doesn't need Ira Gershwin or Paul McCartney. But for a real song, yes, the lyrics *should* equally support the tune. Otherwise, it might as well be an instrumental.
Isn't that what I said?
@@alanbarnett718 Well, maybe I just misunderstood you there - it just sounded a little uncomfortable to give lyrics half of the meaning of the tune. I think my point then is, that it's less than 50%, but that might also be just me as a musician hoping to have a bigger impact to the overall message of a tune.
@@miqla I think it depends on the song. R.E.M. always wrote the whole song together before they started on anything else especially during this time period. So that makes their lyrics more intertwined to me.
REM is an Amazing band, go listen to all of their albums, especially their early records
Darn yes, so good. Don't ever miss Chronic Town
Orange Crush fuckin slaps
I think you did a great job relating the lyrics and what's happening musically. Just like when you said the notes in "Message in a Bottle" never go "home"
Bravo!
"You shouldn't try to find the key, you're wasting time...'Sitting still'? I can hear you...can you hear me?"
--R.E.M., slightly paraphrased
👍😉
God i love this video.
I believe that it nails so much of the song. "weaponizing simplicity" is such a good way to put it.
Harsh but accurate Shrek burn
I know you don't usually break down the lyrics, but I find it exceptionally interesting! Especially when you integrate the instrumentation and the lyrics and look at them together to analyze them. I understand the basics of music, but I'm not a musician by any means, so personally, I relate more to the lyrics. Though I still find the actual music break-down fascinating. When you analyze more music with lyrics, I'd personally love to see more of the analysis of the music and lyrics and how they work together to portray a message. Just a thought! Love this song and I loved learning all the musical elements and how they've worked to create a meaning that I never really understood before. Love the video and your channel!
I agree wholeheartedly! I always really liked this song and have played it more times than I could even count, but learning deeper into a song like this makes me appreciate it on such a deeper level that it is now one of my favorites. And that intertwining of music theory and poetry just adds a whole other level of "wow" to a song
I agree…because when you look at the lyrics; it becomes more complex; you have a musical journey of someone’s emotions about someone who loves someone more than they love him…and that’s crazy
Just to clarify it is just one mandolin part, it is played on two strings, one is the high E string which is just always playing the E note (a "drone" string) and the other notes are just a walk-down on the second string. You sort of implied that it's two parts e.g. overdubbed but it's not. I think a lot of the mandolin parts aren't intentionally a certain way but dictated more by the fact that Peter Buck was just noodling on the mandolin and came up with a couple of riffs and they used them, he's not exactly a virtuoso mandolin player but it works for the song obviously
That's a fair point: I didn't mean to imply that they were two separate tracks, just two separate melodies, but I can certainly see how the way I worded it would make that unclear. Thanks for clarifying!
The arrangement, chord progression and structure of this are a re-tread of "Swan Swan H" from Lifes Rich Pageant (a song that was specifically meant to invoke a Civil War-era folk song (as told by a captured prisoner... or perhaps a a corpse). It's hard for me to hear this song without thinking of that one, which is pretty grim.
...So who else clicked on this from recommendations because they love the song and then had absolutely no idea what the hell anything in this video means? Please tell me it's not just me! 😅
Same here. I didn't really understand any of it, and I feel like it would take me a few years and a degree to figure it out >.>
Me too! I just nod along with agreeingly with a serious face pretending to understand.
Alice Teague not really. If you took a basic music theory class during high school or college, you can follow along. Maybe try to take an online course or something or read some of the basics of music theory? That might help.
This one was easier than most of his videos, but I have picked up a few scraps of music theory over my 36 (damn I'm old) years of abusing guitars.
I understand it, but love this song.
When you analyse a song that i don't know i always go listen to it first. And like the metalhead addicted to tech death that i am, i didn't knew anything from REM.
I am glad i did listen to it, it is a very nice song. And your analysis of it is very interesting.
Goodness as a massive R.E.M. fan. I am thoroughly impressed by this. It won tons of awards. Guitarist Peter Buck came up with the idea to switch his Rickenbacker for a mandolin. Totally not popular even for "Alternative" music at the time. You're close about the meaning behind the lyrics. "Losing my Religion" is a southern metaphor for losing a love to the point where your religious beliefs are questioned.
I love all of the subtle and some of the not so subtle references to the song in particular and other videos here- when you go into the lyrics and their interpretations it's absolutely wonderful too!
I love R.E.M. but never really cared for Losing My Religion in particular (the opposite of another comment I've seen), and this video gives me a new appreciation for it. Great work!
If you ever decide to tackle more R.E.M. songs, that'd be awesome.
As a mandolinist, your mandolin soundfont playing an octave lower than the notes you wrote drove me nuts, lol.
"''Out Of Time' propelled them into the spotlight"
A-haaaaaaaaaa
Do Pink Floyd's "Dogs" epic minimalism in a long-form song.
You've got to be crazy.
You've gotta have a real need.
You gotta sleep on your toes and when you're on the street
so.... Stipe has said in an interview that the song is about unrequited love, interesting that you got depression out of it... Nick Cave said that once a song is released, it's not the artist's any more, it belongs to the listener... (his quote was in the context of trying to justify still liking the music of an artist who turns out to be an asshole, like Morrissey or michael jackson)
i love watching your videos and Rick Beato's videos because i don't have a musical bone in my body, but the progressions and tones and how they're structured fascinates me... i would LOVE to hear like... Peter Buck or Stipe respond to this video though.... was it a conscious decision to mix the major and minor keys to get that feeling, or was buck just noodling and it sounded right....
i'm a photographer and have studied and know the rules, and when to break the rules, and i have an eye for it...
i see a lot of people who struggle with photography, and then some people (have an eye) and just know what looks good. how much of these great songs are conscious decisions and how much just sounds good....
is more analysis going into it after the fact, than went into it in the beginning....
That's interesting! In that context... I feel like it means compromising yourself, your integrity and your values, for someone else. Trying to maintain the illusion of having the upper hand despite being the one who's in a vulnerable position.
I seem to recall that the specific phrase "losing my religion" was used by Stipe's family to mean "losing my mind", so it all fits together for me. It's a song about losing your mind over unrequited love, which is definitely depressing.
I was going through this song in my head yesterday and it struck me that none of the lyrics rhyme. I didn't notice before because of how they work with the song so well.
There's some slant-rhyme stuff going on "I said too *much*, I haven't said *enough*" but yeah, it's not a very rhyme-y song.
The timing of this song’s success seems a little less strange if you listen to the rhythm of the mandolin part - it is a rock guitar classic but in mandolin form. The way it punches insistently while moving between hitting on the beats of the bar and hitting off beat is an evolved example of rock guitar writing a la The Stones or The Who - all the more fresh and new because being on mandolin forces it into new shapes. Months later Nirvana repeated the same trick when Teen Spirit took a less sophisticated rhythm (Louie Louie) and transformed it using a Boss overdrive pedal and a modified Fender Jaguar. I guess in the summer of ‘91 the market was ready for a new spin on the old ideas.
The song that propelled R.E.M. into the spotlight was "The One I Love" from Document, two whole albums before Out of Time.
I knew that song, but ignored the hype surrounding them until "Losing My Religion." Being a completist, I went backwards into their catalog, and found that they had actually peaked a few albums before. "Fall on Me" amazes me still.
“Losing my religion” is an old southern saying that means he got mad and lost his temper.
The lyrics are saying “I done goofed up for getting mad and acting like a jerk last night.” The I thought I heard you laughing etc is his motivation for whatever terrible thing he said intended as a joke that stung to his friend’s core.
Is that so? I'm actually from Athens (in fact, leaving a weird alt-music festival once, my friend said to me, "You do realize that was Micheal Stipe standing right next to you, right?"), but this is the first I've heard it. Not that I'm questioning you. Anyway, I can't help feeling that there's something more to it. Like, I'm definitely more of a literature person, and I get the feeling he's using a double meaning. Since Stipe said in an interview that it's about unrequited love... It could include acting like a jerk, but I think it's largely about pretending to be someone you're not for someone else. Not simply to make them like you, but to maintain your pride. Huh, that's interesting, I hadn't really thought about it that way.
IT IS NOT a sing about depression, religion or that hick expression its about unrequited love read the lyrics
The balance is teetering left and right, he is about to make a decision and time is ticking away. Differently colored chords are just his attempts to see the same problem from different angles and figure out what he was missing that would allow him to resolve once and for all. But he can’t find it.
Many years ago I was at a clinic at Berklee with Dicky Betts from the Bosstones. He recalled that in 1991 after Nirvana released Smells Like Teen Spirit, their label was so confused that they looked at their stable and dropped everyone but then and the Scorpions. That was in the fall. Losing my religion came out in February and the summer charts were dominated with Salt n Pepa and KLFs cross over hits “let’s talk about sex” and 3 am eternal, respectively. It’s easy to forget that when Nevermind came out, Nirvana was on tour as the opening act for Sonic Youth, and they’d played shows the previous year with way out their art punk bands like Sun City Girls and Nomeansno. 1991 was a weird year.
I love it when you discuss lyrics on songs I play. The connection between lyrics and harmony are why I learn most songs I play
I was about 10 when I first heard this back in '92. I knew, without ever having fallen in love before, that this was what it was gonna be like for me. unfortunately, i was right. What a song. Not even a huge REM fan, but boy...what a song.
"doing its same pentatonic-y thing" is now my favourite quote from your videos
Fun fact: this was, I believe, only the second song to chart at number one to feature a mandolin. The first was Maggie Mae by Rod Stewart, which... is an interesting pairing.
It’s also notable how the song makes you wait. I heard it in the car the day before yesterday I was waiting for the climactic part I remember. The song went “I think I thought I heard your try.” And then “nope, we’re going back to the verses.” And then it does it again. The lyric I was waiting for “that was just a dream”
Came in as part of the bridge and then it came in again… at the end. It’s the end of the song! Not even the chorus! Yet that’s the part I remember. Probably the ultimate example of a song that makes you wait.
This was my first impression of the song too, before I really knew it, I thought of it as "that REM song that just kinda goes on and on" (which is what caught my interest). The chord progressions feel very repetitive, the chorus doesn't distinguish itself very strongly from the verse and overall the lyrical hooks feel kind of buried, like you said the first "I think I thought I ..." feels like it's heading somewhere bigger, to a higher intensity, but this time energy dissipates and it falls back into verse 2, and you have to wait... when it comes again it subverts itself again even more strongly by leading into "that was just a dream" but all the instrumentation has dropped away (the bridge), he sings the line twice but it's just a preview because then it jumps back to the pre-chorus "that's me in the corner ... losing my religion". Only at the end of the song does the "that was just a dream" part finally resolve the tension of the whole song. Also the song title sitting in a sort of rhythmically unaccented 3rd line of the pre-chorus, feels like sort of a red herring for the song's hook, which for me added to the "goes on and on" feeling of the song.
I also hadn't noticed all the vocals are constrained to a fourth interval but that definitely contributes too to that feeling of lack of motion, which instead of being boring actually adds a current of tension to the whole thing.
I really don’t like REM, but this song is absolutely brilliant.
why do you hate REM?
Always talk about lyrics! And definitely melody/vocals! I feel like lyrics are often underrated, and sometimes they're nonsense, but REM feels like a band whose lyrics matter. I think the lyrics and the music often tie in on a more subconscious level, and then hearing someone verbalize a connection that the person had previously just felt can be an amazing little "wow, neat" moment, as with your analysis of the lyrics here.
I love how you talked about the range of the melody. That fact has stuck out at me for ... decades. I dig your analysis of it and I really appreciate your emotional takeaway relating to depression, which is relevant for me now. I love bringing one's own personal connection/response to the song as part of the analysis, rather than trying to be impartial.
I absolutely agree! MORE LYRICS PLEASE!!!
Have you looked into any Opeth songs? I think there are some interesting things going on in Mikael Åkerfeldt's writing! I don't personally know what exact songs would be the most rewarding though.
Maybe "Isolation Years"? It's really short and is absolutely genius. I'd love to see " Ghost Of Perdition" or "The Moor" as well.
@@evan-moore22 I really don't know, I appreciate most of their songs but I just don't know which will prove most intriguing from a theory standpoint. :-)
To my mind, REM hit mainstream with The One I Love.
Probably ... but mostly because the mainstream listeners didn't pay attention to the lyrics, especially the jarring lines "This one goes out to the one I've left behind: a simple prop to occupy my time" -- not really mainstream stuff in my opinion.
That bit about the lyrics and the melody is interesting because the band have always said that Mike, Peter and Bill would always compose the music first and then Michael would add the vocals later, so those probably weren't initially intended, it's really Michael that was able to capture the "mood" of the music and bring everything together with his vocals and lyrics, which makes you appreciate his role in the band even more.
This always struck me as a song that could have been written and performed (at least the vocals, mandolin, and guitar) from a lying down, or reclined position. Like, the vocals aren't particularly out of comfortable range, and there's not much in the way of leaps. The strings aren't doing anything nuts. Beautiful phrases and runs, yes. But simple and low energy. Just... the image I always get is someone idly strumming/picking the mandolin, and singing simply over it while lying back. Almost like the music is all they can manage to put their low energy into, but it's also the thing keeping them awake and going.
A lot of that definitely comes from my own experience with depression, but I definitely think it's fitting.
What about Maggie May by Rod Stewart for talking about mandolin?
Steve Winwood's "Back In The High Life Again" prominently used mandolin in a mainstream song five years before R.E.M.! Of course, Steve Winwood might have been anathema to most of the college rock crowd.
Stipe has stated the the phrase "Losing my religion" means to lose one's temper. The song appears to be about the empty feeling you get after you lose your temper and look back at what you said and did. So I am not sure it's about depression as much as is regret. Though regret can lead down that path too...
The song is about unrequited love and dealing with the emotion of not getting back what you give, or even knowing that the person knows you exist. I can completely see how people get depression out of that scenario. R.E.M talk about it here th-cam.com/video/Qd9r7sd-Ueg/w-d-xo.html
Michael Stipe has said that this song is an attempt to write a song about stalking someone similar to the songs Every Breath You Take or Two Steps Behind. Taken from this viewpoint the hollowness of the music coupled with a false suggestion of Major could be a way of representing the hollowness of the feelings this stalker has combined with the delusion of a happy relationship that the stalker imagines himself to be in.
I love this song and this vid is great! My favourite of their songs is World Leader Pretend. Also one of the first songs I ever learned to play on acoustic guitar!
After watching many videos on One Hit Wonders (from toddintheshadows), I can assure you that 1991 was a weird time for the pop charts before Nirvana codified the grunge trend.
I think a lot of trends of the '80s music had grown stale by '89, so when Nirvana cleared the table in '92, it was long overdue (even though grunge's influence had grown stale by '96!) There were lots of interesting trends surfacing 89-92, from West Coast rap to the mainstreaming of college rock (The Cure, R.E.M. etc.) to truly off-the-wall things like The KLF, but for the most part, the top forty was dominated by things like Vanilla Ice, Wilson Phillips, Color Me Badd... *blech*!
Obviously your graphics are great, but this entire video was really enjoyable.
Thank you.
Sub'd.
Fantastic video but why do you say that the backdoor resolution is the strongest in minor? IMHO the resolution from 2 half-diminished is just as strong, especially as the backdoor requires a full 7th chord to collapse the tritone, whereas the diminished triad, or even just the diminished power chord, are sufficient without the extra notes
As a huge R.E.M. fan, I really appreciate this. Much thanks.
I agree; I’ve always thought the song was about depression. Which is weird, because “losing my religion” means you’ve lost your ability to act civil. Usually it means you’re really angry
Excelente explicación. En cuanto a lo visual, con tu mano izquierda ocultas lo que dibujas, por lo que queda poco tiempo para observarlo y seguir el hilo de lo que dices. Tal vez puedes pedir que otra persona que te lo haga con la mano derecha.
the whole re-using the intro reminded me of the Woodie Guthrie quote, "anyone who uses more than two chords is just showing off"
I never knew any of this stuff but you make it seem so intuitive... Like the emotions associated with the tone, not music, I've never understood and of it.
The only thing that I can think of is this: You state plainly the belief that the song is in "Am". I posit that the song is actually in C. The reasoning is that both F and Am are within the scale used, none of the notes being outside a standard C major scale. The "key center" of the song is C, due in no small part to the notes used in the melody and the leadlines done by the mandolin. While the C chord is not stated for any real length of time, when deciding what key a song is in, it is better to use the Relative major chord of whatever minor you detect, in this case with C being Relative Major to A minor. Pedantic, I know, but as someone who has to analyze music on behalf of my bands so that we can play them, knowing that "key center" is the key to playing the song accurately, whether or not the song itself directly addresses the "chord" you state with the key center. Just my opinion.
Something by Pink Floyd, please!
They did Comfortably Numb
@@tylerhackner9731 they did Comfortably Numb and Money, I'm still a bit greedy for more.
That's a Beatles song, not Pink Floyd
@Psychedelic BluesMan I don't think they have a song called "Just Anything"...
@@AnimationArrow you fuckers hahahhah
I fully agree with what you said about the message and meaning to the song. It really hit home... perhaps a little too well lol.
Also loved the illustrations in this video!
I recently read that the term "losing my religion" is a colloquial way of saying about to lose one's temper, so I guess the song's about someone barely keeping hold of their rage and anger. Thanks for the analysis - great vid, as always.
The phrase "losing my religion" means losing one's temper, or being frustrated and unable to do anything about it. It's not really about depression so much as angry desperation.
I've always loved this song. When I learned to play the mandolin, I realized this was the song that everyone learns when they are starting out. I'd never attempted to think of the song deeply like this and now, my eyes are opened to what it's doing and I love it even more. Wow.
A descending cascade works better for me but you are movin' pretty fast! I'm impressed with your analysis. This is my first view of one of your videos. Thanks, I'll have another.
His vocals are such that he's almost talking to us, as if he's drained of energy and it's all he can muster.
I've always loved this song, and although I've watched this video the day it was released if often come back to it as your explanation so wonderfully puts in words this feeling of safety yet discomfort that this song puts in me
What do you think about "So. Central Rain"? I've been thinking I think it's in C mixolydian.
"Out of Time proplled the into *the spotlight* "
was the pun on purpose?
Haha this kid just taught half a million people music theory in ten minutes
My dad calls this song the photo book song “that’s me in the corner”...”that’s me in the spotlight” as a joke, but when you said that it’s like the instruments aren’t even listening to each other, like the guitar is harmonizing to a melody that no one is playing. I’ve always associated really strong imagery with this song, in some sort of bar setting, maybe it’s because of the guitar? He’s performing to the crowd, or sometimes people who don’t care, but it’s not him who’s “there” everyone is distracted by something somewhere else. It’s difficult to explain, but I imagine a kind of overlap of different times(mainly like an affect that memory or dream has). I’m probably a little over imaginative, but the guitar goes with what I think of when I hear this song
You talked about the guitar and mandolin, but didn't mention the bass?
A small correction for the part at 8:09: When the vocals come back, the chords actually alternate between C and D7, so the 3rd and 4th riff notes become the minor 7th and the 5th in D7.
Just watch your "whole nothers", it undoes the impression that you're intelligent and worth people investing their time in your videos.
This was great! I'd love to see one of these for Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division :D
Man, I miss REM =/
"Weaponized simplicity" love it.
I don't know why youtube decided to show me this video/channel, but I'm really pleased that it did.
I believe that part of this song's commercial success partially stems from it having been featured on an episode of Beverly Hills 90210 during it's heyday.
I identify so much with this song. It's like every time I try to lift myself out of depression, every time I feel hopeful, things fall apart and drag me back down.
I actually just heard Live do a cover of this last night in concert, so the timing is perfect. :D
Thank you for making this video. Losing My Religion is one of my favourite songs of all time and is one of those rare songs in which my family's and my musical taste come together... I think that says a lot about the song itself...
Do Coffee And TV by Blur!!
Guys, did we convince him to talk about the lyrics more? Because I'd love it if he did.
HE'S BACK BOIS!
That Shreck reference was just perfect
10:16
“Weaponizes simplicity” ?!?!?
Ugghhhh
Modern vernaculars stolen from… oh, you know you.
Great job on the song analysis, and I dig your “advanced doodling” !
This is amazing and I want to be able to do this - and I don't mean the drawings, although they are just as cool.
Meh. Kenneth. What's the frequency!?
your over thinking it buddy
It would be cool to hear some Streetlight Manifesto analysed
Thomas here’s to life?
REM was really really good.
I have no idea about music or about your channel but I love the song and the way you’re drawing with everything you say it makes me really understand what you’re saying
Hey.You really know what you're talking about,not just another "music prof".NICE JOB.You are great and music knowledge is super.CONGRATS.Ciao from sLOVEnia
In answer to the question of why this was charting in '91, despite the trends of the time, I'd say it's because this song truly is Out of Time, and would have sounded great no matter when it was released.
is awesome how the musinc and your hand are synchronized, like if you were making the music with your pen
:)
keep going keep going
Fantastic analysis! Thanks!
Just...... WOW!!!!! AMAZING video!!!!
Talk about a breakdown.