Friday, July 10, 2020

50 Days of R.E.M. # 24 Perfect Circle


It says something about my love for R.E.M. and my feelings about the songs still to come that a song as good as Perfect Circle is as low as this in the rundown. It could easily be Top Ten if I thought about it more but it's always best to stop thinking about non essential things like these at some point. An early marker of how special they were and could become, it stands slightly apart from the other songs on Murmur which can often be more readily classed together.

Largely written by Bill Berry and brought back as a regular live performance song as tribute to him after his departure in 1997. Interpretaions vof the song vary, even within the band. Peter Buck says it refers to seeing a group of kids playing football one evening in New Jersey. Michael Stipe about the longing for a relationship. In any case, an intensely personal song.  Like the very best ones it rewards repeated plays.


No comments:

Post a Comment