According to Marcus Gray’s It Crawled from the South (2nd ed., page 412) Stipe was reading Aesop’s Fables when he wrote the song, which likely accounts for a fable-type animal symbolizing marauding power.
[Verse 1]
Night time fell like the opening
In the final act at the beginning of time
Hyena, take your role, the stage is set
The town is safe again tonight
[Chorus]
Hyena (I see the day ahead)
Hyena (And all that I've cried through)
Hyena (God knows you're doing that, don't you?)
[Verse 2]
Hyena, sister, look to your hand
Man, you serve communal interest
She'll tell you when and where and how and why you're gonna go
You beautiful young lady
[Chorus]
Hyena (I see the day ahead)
Hyena (And all that I've cried through)
Hyena (God knows you're doing that, don't you?)
Oh
[Verse 3]
The only thing to fear is fearlessness
The bigger the weapon, the greater the fear
Hyena is ambassador to fear
Night time fell like the closing
Meager pay, but recognition
Hyena crawls on his belly out
The town is safe again tonight, oh
[Chorus]
Hyena (I see the changes, man)
Hyena (Going on across the way)
Hyena (I see my road ahead)
Hyena (Don't know if I should stay)
[Outro]
Hyena (I see you holding him)
Hyena (And all that I've cried through)
Hyena (God knows you're doing that, don't you?)
Oh
Hyena was written by Bill Berry & Michael Stipe & Mike Mills & Peter Buck.
Hyena was produced by Don Gehman.
In introducing the song on the tour before Lifes Rich Pageant, Stipe said “This one involves the food chain. United States is the big fish. Mexico … (then) Guatemala. Ones eats the other up. One gets bigger.”