Nightswimming
R.E.M. · Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage - 1982 - 2011 [2011]
Deserves a quiet night
The photograph on the dashboard
Taken years ago
Turned around backwards so the windshield shows
Every street light reveals a picture in reverse
Still its so much clearer
I forgot my shirt at the waters edge
The moon is low tonight
Night swimming
Deserves a quiet night
I'm not sure all these people understand
It's not like years ago
The fear of getting caught
The recklessness in water
They cannot see me naked
These things they go away
Replaced by every day
Nightswimming
Remembering that night
September's coming soon
I'm pining for the moon
And what if there were two
Side by side in orbit
Around the fairest sun
The bright tide that ever drawn
Could not describe
Nightswimming
You I thought I knew you
You I can not judge
You I thought you knew me
This one laughing quietly
Underneath my breath
Nightswimming
The photograph reflects
Every street light a reminder
Nightswimming
Deserves a quiet night
Deserves a quiet night
Nightswimming
Released on the 1982 album Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage, 'Nightswimming' stands as a defining track in R.E.M.'s early discography. The song exemplifies the band's signature blend of jangly guitar work, atmospheric textures, and introspective lyrics that would characterize their later breakthrough. While the group is perhaps most famously associated with the 1991 hit 'Losing My Religion,' 'Nightswimming' captures a distinct, quieter moment in their evolution. It reflects the band's ability to craft evocative soundscapes that resonate with themes of isolation and connection, laying crucial groundwork for their eventual mainstream success. The recording remains a testament to their development as songwriters and producers during the early 1980s.