R.E.M. - Pilgrimage Lyrics

This album is my teens in a nutshell. Enough said.

20 years old isolated on a navy bay in Iceland I walk into the base exchange and buy this cassette never hearing of R.E.M and after hearing the first song I was blown away and hooked " Who the Fuck are these guys?" Mind blowing

The 90's actually started in 1983.

the violent femmes debut actually strikes me as being more 90s than murmur... they were both released in 1983 lol

Who dares vote this down?

Atmospheric fade in chanting by Stipe at the start. Great track. I personally think Radio Free Europe, Talk About The Passion and Perfect Circle were the standout songs but the rest were good as well. Berry's fine drumming, Buck inventive jangly guitar sound, Mills solid bass lines and Stipes cryptic lyrics all added up to a wonderful debut.

what a great backup singer Mike Mills is

This album is pure magic— lightening in a bottle. It sounds like the joy & melancholy of youth itself. It never loses its freshness.

Yesss, thank you Youtube!!! Another hidden gem from this amazing band, FREAKIN LOVE ITTTT!

Shit man, that's an old one.

Everyone takes a Pilgrimage...

Best Song 4ever. Love u R.E.M.
God pless you 🙃

There are many great albums. Murmur for me is the greatest and most complete sounding album I have ever heard. There’s a feeling and an atmosphere, something magical that runs through its entirety.

If I could only have one castaway on a desert isle album the choice would be easy~murmur

Even when they were huge , the music was still high quality , and stuff that they wanted to do .

I kind of liked REM. I knew their hits. One day I bought this CD. Little did I know it was one of the best ever. Incredible stuff and this song is in my all time top twenty.

Speak in tongues is worth a broken lip
You're hate clipped and distant

That the same band wrote this and Shaking Through. Beyond amazing.

So many layers and nuance, the hooks and treasures reveal themselves at a glacial rate. One day, after all these years, I'll have to have heard them all.

my pilgrim age is 15, and i came over on the mayflower. what is yours?

God....the opening of this song...nothing like anywhere. Love the broken pace and passion.

Pilgrimage
R.E.M.
Take a turn
Take a turn
Take a fortune
Take a fortune
They called the clip a two-headed cow
Your hate, clipped and distant
Your luck with pilgrimage
Rest assured, this will not last
Take a turn for the worst
Your hate, clipped and distant
Your luck, a two-headed cow
The pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn
Take a turn
Take a fortune
Take a fortune
Speaking in tongues, it's worth a broken lip
Your hate, clipped and distant
Your luck with pilgrimage
Rest assured, this will not last
Take a turn for the worst
Your hate, clipped and distant
Your luck, a two-headed cow
The pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn (take a turn)
Take your turn (take a turn)
Take a fortune (take a turn)
Take a fortune
Pilgrimage
(Ahh) Pilgrimage
Speaking in…

Always sang, "Escape Your Mentor"

I always thought it was take your turn, take your fortune.

Their best album by far. Maybe their best song, definitely top five.

always in my top 5, usually number 1.


Voice of Harold ranks high for me. It is magic, as is its progenitor 7 chin bros. On most days I like Voice of Harold better. It captures so much profound stream-of-consciousness southern musical identity in an accidental (?) way. From the first, it has always had many layers for me, even if it was random-sampled liner notes. The best art is often created when the artist isn't really trying for anything.


I've heard it said the boys could recite the phone book and it would sound awesome!

One of REM's best songs!

Two headed cow!

An incredible song from a legendary band- those harmonies are nothing short of ethereal

Murmur was my furst REM album 1982 or 83 so long ago..sold on them i now have all cds..lol!❤

Holy hell. This is one of their finest moments.

Nirvana antes de Nirvana.
Saludos desde Monte Grande, Argentina!

Hola Damian, que tal?

Lyrics ?!

REally great and groovy tune.

This track was confirmation that one was listening to a special record.Brilliant.

I remember the first time I listened to Murmur and it got to this song it totally blew me away. I was an instant fan.

REM easily among the 10 best bands of all time in the rock/pop era. Their music is timeless.

Pilgrimage, let's gain momentum

I could listen to this song 100 times and never get tired of it.

one of the best REM tracks....period.

The song has one of the most incomparably thrilling ascents in the history of recorded music. It begins moribund and dark and brooding and becomes one of the most cathartic, uplifting, indescribably beautiful choruses I've ever heard

Background vocals are the shizzle too.

does anyone know the bass tabs ? i could only figure out the 1st 3 notes....

Who is singing the "Awww take your time" part underneath Mike Mills. Is that Berry?

This song never gets old. This album holds as much majesty and intrigue as it ever did - for me. When I was a kid - best band in the world (circa 1982 - 1986). Hands down. Metallica a close #2. U2 . . . please....not even close.

Mike Mills is usually the backing vocals on all of their songs.

Great album great song. I remember ordering this off of Columbia house. You got 10 cassette tapes for a penny.

dead, sounds like coldplay but worse

I'm 50. I lived this music when it came out. Simply awesome....

The real magic of early R.E.M. is the triple harmonies of Stipe, Mills and Berry. Lots of bands had 2. R.E.M. had three. That just made vocal nirvana.

Tony, I agree this song is probably the best example of REM triple vocal harmony. There is a harmony going on between every instrument and vocals in each of REM's best songs.

Vocal nirvana -- that's nice.

R.E.M had a lot Of hits I remember getting your music for the time it was. The album Out Of Time. And if fall in love with happy shiey People

No wonder this album beat out Thriller in Rolling Stone. This still is so great, it's mind-blowing. Thriller sounds dated now. Sorry MJ fans. Lol.

This album never get's dated since it's sound doesn't really belong to any time period.

Best song on their album Murmur.

this is the album that forever changed college radio/alternative.

Who disliked? Two words Grow up

Wow this shit is blowing me away

man, as much as I love REM, they have no head for lyrics. "
your love, a two headed cow'

One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. I absolutely love the intro!

this song speaks to me so beautifully....i feel it touching my soul

Yes, and it has aged like fine, fine wine.

@Michael Dominici definitely!!

REM had a superbly earthy yet ethereal sound... definitely from the soil of the south - its power from the stratosphere...  witty, loving, scathing, educated, imaginitive and friendly - but only to those who opened their ear.

Wow, well said.

I've become increasingly emotionally connected to their music as of late, whereas before I could take them or leave them. They're among my favorite bands nowadays.

EXACTLY ni-ice......

Hear. hear!

Earthy and ethereal regularly go hand in hand.

a bloody masterpiece.

2nd best debut album of all time...Boy-U2-1

Nope, this first.

Take a turn, take a turn
Take a fortune, take a fortune

They called the clip, a two-headed cow
Keep your hate, clipped and distant
Keep your luck with pilgrimage
Rest assured this will not last
Take a turn for the worst
Keep your hate, clipped and distant
Keep your luck, a two-headed cow

The pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn, take a turn
Take a fortune, take a fortune

Speaking in tongues, it's worth a broken lip
Keep your hate, clipped and distant
Keep your luck with pilgrimage
Rest assured this will not last
Take a turn for the worse
Keep your hate, clipped and distant
Keep your luck, a two-headed cow

The pilgrimage has gained momentum
Take a turn, take a turn
Take a fortune, take a fortune
Pilgrimage, pilgrimage

thanks for the lyrics...I loved this song since I first heard it as a teen...Never knew the words...Whats funny is I always heard the line "take a fortune" as "Take up farting"...Like "Take up Farting" as a hobby or way of life...I knew this was not the real lyric, but that's what I always heard in my mind...So VERY much thanks for the real lyrics.

"The pilgramage has gained momentum" is not what I hear.
It was always:
"Your brown eyes escape no mention."

I like the lyrics I heard better. : )

I always thought ''Keep your hate'' sounded like ''Love or hate'' lol, thanks for this.

and if it's better for you that way then I think they'd be OK with that. Regardless its a magical song off some the best grooves ever put on vinyl.

Lulu P Me too! And even if I read the lyrics, I still hear "your brown eyes..." lol

One of their best songs.

I never listen to rock music these days but this album is still an absolute classic to me. There was just something about R.E.M. in the 80's man, I don't know how to describe it. They had this enigmatic, jangly sound... so good.

Questo Montisanto just incredible

jangle pop

Still love to hear it.

Badass intro...

R.E.M. is another one of those bands that will always be underrated. This is now great classic rock and doesn't deserve to be slapped with the umbiguous and blurry term "alternative". What the devil is alternative anyway? It sounds like rock music to me.

+Richard Egan Alternative rock is a form of rock that evolved out of Post-punk.

REM had a superbly earthy yet ethereal sound... definitely from the soil of the south - its power from the stratosphere...  witty, loving, scathing, educated, imaginitive and friendly - but only to those who opened their ear.

Lol they're so revered by music critics. I think they're kinda overrated

They're not underrated at all. This album is though

They're an overrated underrated band. The 90s stuff is definitely overrated but the 80s stuff is underrated.

Out of tune piano, love it.

Piano figures into Bill Berry's Perfect Circle most clearly and I seem to recall the band talking about a beat up old piano they'd pour beer into? being used. Hadn't looked for an REM bio I have in awhile which might clear things up. I was due to go back and look for it anyway. Very big REM fan and I hope they don't get back together except for celebrations etc. Those days are gone and I know they won't disappoint me.

matthew stetson That's right. That piano was used on several tracks. I definitely recall reading it as a church piano. I don't think they'll get back together, Bill Berry seems to be enjoying being a farmer. It's cool you're a big fan.

If they don't, it seems fitting. The glory days are gone; just like people who want The Smiths to reunite. Bad idea; you can never go back home.

+robken0174 The PIXIES re-union tour a few years back was an Excellent EXCEPTION, check it out!!

toyoscio I read about that too, they had 2 pianos, one in tune and one out of tune, and in a few tracks you can hear them being played together like on 'perfect circle'

u better bless more then dat.

Thx 4 u. We f2 end

Best song ever.

Favorite rem song

paul g yes cousin

Again Pilgrim cheeses earns a yellow star on the flashbar of the 5 html's . Reduced for Lenin, the revolution the people we love , we grow old, we become radiacal as we can until baked in a pie , now the Beatles .

+Slyde InfinitySpinCasts you ok

I liked REM before all U jack asses.

+Frank Villares Jr I lived in and had a job cleaning up the Church while They were there. Whoopti-dam-do.

i continue to find it fucking hilarious when people say "i knew this since blah blah blah"....who gives a shit?

you. that's why u response. Flamed 

@Frank Villares Jr HAA! you're precious. bless your heart.

Frank Villares Jr I liked rem before i was born! So theres that.

REM is the best.I was so lucky to see to see them live. My old man met them when they were just playing colleges. Been a fan forever.and Murmur is the best of them. Document is a close second

fucks sake this is so awesome, these guys were the best

My favorite album of theirs, I've listened to it more than any other album (by anyone) I think, didn't have many cassettes but had one with murmur and reckoning so it was my staple for a year. I still enjoy it whenever I play it. Pilgrimage is fantastic and still sounds fresh. What an energy these guys had until life's rich pageant ! For me best band of these times with the church and the feelies.

Bo De I love the Church also, I was fortunate to have seen them in Kansas City in 1988

what happened on lifes rich pageant and after energy-wise?

@Filip Nikolic Lifes Rich Pageant is is full of energy too imo. Document and Green are more calm and introverted.

Capolavoro!

Fun fact, this album beat out Thriller as the album of the year. This was and is a very unique sounding album.

@john doe Fun fact, Thriller is 82 and Murmur is 83.
But hell yeah.

+stevenn33 And yet Rolling Stone Magazine named Murmur the number one album of the year over Thriller. Memory serves, London Calling was released Nov 79 but many consider it the best LP of the 80s. Go figure.

London Calling is one of the best albums I have ever ever ever heard

@preving Yes and it is a 1979 Release.

the only band that mattered . . .


. . . until REM

I think if an Indie band like The Enemy made a song like this today, it would be a hit.

This record was and IS a fucking MASTERPIECE

yes sir.

Fuck yeah, it is!

00Mindi00. no doubt about it!

What a band

this one still knocks me out.
those chorus harmonies kill me every time.
the song sums up so much of life's good things.

+Jason Lefler And he wasn't hardly tryin' yet.

dead song

Thats a very good description of all of their songs thru LrichP. Document seemed like a transitional alvum and a mixed bag; the first album not entirely brilliant and cohesive. After they got off of IRS they still made great songs but all of the joy and goodness was gone, and replaced with a darkness and dread. Their path made me take the stories of selling souls for fame and fortune seriously.

Reminds me of high school times in Atlanta in the 1980s

Amen to that.

First band I ever saw live at a strip club in Brum, uk. Aged 15. Older brother took me... awww!

Happy 54th birthday, Michael Stipe. Murmur is a masterpiece.

Old R.E.M. records, the 1st time I realized, back in my youth, that there is other stuff out there than just rock'n'roll ;) Peace and cheers, thanks for the upload !