R.E.M. - Saturn Return Lyrics

Roly, I believe the lyric isn't "These Elvis poses", but rather "These are expouses".  An Expouse is a personal core belief someone holds.  Stipe is such a master at turning a phrase. 

And, if some aren't aware, Saturn Return is an astrological term.  Saturn takes about 29.5 years to make a complete orbit, and when you hit 29.5 years old, you are at Saturn Return.  Meaning, Saturn is in the exact cosmic position it was when you entered this world.  It's significance is that you are leaving your youthful self of your 20's behind and entering the more adult you.  Ideologic compromise and everything that comes with needing to grow up and face the universe on it's terms.  Your inner child will not be too thrilled with Saturn Return :)

I have listened, owned every REM..all my life. Reveal is a mood & gratitude lp..😍 for me !!!

mother was difficult, she made you cry.....

Easy to poke yourself
square in the eye
Harder to like yourself
Harder to try...

Good solid honest lyrics 👌😂🤗

EAR CANDY...

Reveal is a sadly-overlooked REM record. It's generally upbeat & positive - perhaps their most of all - but this is one of its darker moments, the lyric about the ladder in your wrist is quite haunting, as is the mournful descending piano motif.

Alessandro Bardin,T.V.B.,so'Lino......

Neat beat, bro. Saturn is also my third-favourite planet.

easy to poke yourself square in the eye
harder to like yourself, harder to try
these elvis poses, postcards and neopryn
roses a dollar a stem
everyone’s sleeping or pulling a long haul,
the keys in the cooler, it's 3 a.m.

and Saturn is beckoning no one
is off on its own
is offering up

late shift convenience store
cut out the lights
telescope roof towards the
northwestern sky
you pull the ladder u
no one's the wiser
tou find your sights and discover

that Saturn is orbiting nothing
is off on its own
is breaking from home

harder to look yourself square in the eye
easy to take off

you found the ladder in the pattern of your wrist
you’ve seen and you’ve marked horizons
mother was difficult, she made you cry
cover the mirror, look to the sky
you climbed into your rocketship triumph
lift up and hold out your hands

Saturn is orbiting nothing
is off on its own
is breaking from home

Saturn is orbiting nothing
is off on its own
is breaking from home

Saturn return when you chase down its moons
throw them into a new gravity

harder to look yourself square in the eye
easy to poke yourself, easy as pie
easy to take off, harder to fly
harder to wake Galileo

This song and album are underrated masterpieces...

I was never a big R.E.M fan but this album is brilliant and this is my favorite track.

I could loop this a thousand times and never tire of it.

There's Mike's Air influence... same year as 10,000 Hz Legend

Up and reveal something really special was going on here

I agree. And wish that support from fans and critics matched the quality of the music. But, unfortunately, people were infinitely looking for Murmur II or Automatic II and since it was neither, enthusiasm dropped. Up and Reveal are both GREAT albums. They're just not great in the same way that, say, Lifes Rich Pageant was. It's a different thing, but equally great.

David Maholchic Reveal has grown on me I’ll admit but I still find it overall slightly too long. This isn’t one of the better songs on the album for me. A bit repetitive, although the latest listen of the album was only about the 2nd time I’ve played it in years and at least it’s made me want to return to it again, soon.

I still have a problem with Up. I think they were trying to make a sort of Ok Computer II, but failed for me. It’s got great moments on it and I admire the innovation, but overall I find it quite boring and again TOO LONG.

Despite my criticism, I’ll return again to both albums and maybe I’ll find more things to like.

@Simondo81 I sort of treat Up as an accidental masterpiece, because it was born out of frustration within the band and just sounds so thoughtful and sad. I find it maybe a little long, which I don't with Reveal.

Up was them trying to get back up. Reveal was them on their feet.

this song has a tune that sounds like "You stole the sun from my heart" by the manic street preachers

amazing!

W,i R.E.M,X ME SONO UN MIRACOLO! By Bardolino!

ending of the song..........

Outstanding !!!

R.E.M. best non-single. To me this song is about feeling lonely, having a depressed and melancholic life and a very low self-esteem to the point you even hurt yourself with cuts on your wrist. Saturn may be a metaphor, it actually orbits the Sun but in the song it orbits nothing. It's like "dead, lost, dysfunctional"and this mirrors one's condition.

Saturn return is a concept in astrology similar to what you imply : https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-the-return-of-saturn-206368

Absolutely agree that this was an extremely solid but oddly overlooked album by R. E. M. The whole thing was good.

I'm shocked this song seemed to be overlooked by anyone who's not a hardcore REM fan.  One of their Top 5 songs IMO

My favorite song on this album.

Haunting

a most underated album

Awsome my favourite REM track, I used to play this to death on th nightshift.