Stipe has said at concerts that this is his favorite R.E.M. song.
This and “Losing My Religion” are both songs about the band struggling to maintain their identity and integrity as their fame and popularity grows.
Speaking of the song, Stipe noted that the lyrics for the song came out virtually on...
[Intro]
One, two, three, four
[Verse 1]
This flower is scorched, this film is on
On a maddening loop
These clothes
These clothes don't fit us right
And I'm to blame
It's all the same, it's all the same
[Chorus]
You come to me with a bone in your hand
You come to me with your hair curled tight
You come to me with positions
You come to me with excuses ducked out in a row
You wear me out, you wear me out
[Verse 2]
We've been through fake-a-breakdown
Self-hurt, plastics, collections
Self-help, self-pain, EST, psychics, fuck all
I was central, I had control, I lost my head
I need this, I need this
A paperweight, a junk garage, a winter rain, a honey pot
Crazy, all the lovers have been tagged
A hotline, a wanted ad, it's crazy what you could've had
[Chorus]
It's crazy what you could've had
It's crazy what you could've had
I need this, I need this
It's crazy what you could've had
Crazy what you could've had
I need it, I need this
It's crazy what you could've had
It's crazy what you could've had
I need this, I, I, need this
It's crazy what you could've had
I need this, I need this
It's crazy what you could've had
Crazy what you could've had
I need this, I need this
[Outro]
Crazy what you could've had
Crazy what you could've had
Country Feedback was written by Mike Mills & Michael Stipe & Bill Berry & Peter Buck.
Country Feedback was produced by R.E.M. & Scott Litt.
R.E.M. released Country Feedback on Fri Mar 08 1991.