Losing My Religion – English Lyrics

• By: R.E.M.
• Album: Out of Time

Lyrics & Translation

“Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. offers a unique opportunity to delve into English through its poignant lyrics and distinct Southern American idiom. The song's exploration of unspoken feelings and obsession, coupled with its captivating mandolin riff, makes it a special piece for language learners to appreciate subtle emotional expression and cultural linguistic nuances.

[English]

Oh, life is bigger

It's bigger than you

And you are not me

The lengths that I will go to

The distance in your eyes

...

Oh no, I've said too much

I set it up

That's me in the corner

That's me in the spotlight

Losing my religion

Trying to keep up with you

And I don't know if I can do it

Oh no, I've said too much

I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing

I thought that I heard you sing

I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper, of every waking hour

I'm choosing my confessions

Trying to keep an eye on you

Like a hurt, lost, and blinded fool, fool

Oh no, I've said too much

I set it up

Consider this

Consider this, the hint of the century

Consider this the slip

That brought me to my knees, failed

What if all these fantasies come

Flailing around

Now I've said too much

I thought that I heard you laughing

I thought that I heard you sing

I think I thought I saw you try

...

But that was just a dream

That was just a dream

That's me in the corner

That's me in the spotlight

Losing my religion

Trying to keep up with you

And I don't know if I can do it

Oh no, I've said too much

I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing

I thought that I heard you sing

I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream

Try, cry, fly, try

That was just a dream

Just a dream

Just a dream

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
religion /rɪˈlɪdʒən/ B2	noun - a system of faith or worship
confessions /kənˈfeʃənz/ C1	noun - statements of guilt or sins
fool /fuːl/ B1	noun - a person who acts unwisely or imprudently
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep verb - to imagine while asleep or awake
whisper /ˈwɪspər/ B2	noun - a soft or hushed sound spoken quietly verb - to speak very quietly
try /traɪ/ A2	verb - to attempt or make an effort
move /muːv/ A2	verb - to change position or go from one place to another
keep /kiːp/ A2	verb - to continue or maintain
lose /luːz/ A2	verb - to be unable to find or retain
try /traɪ/ A2	verb - to attempt or make an effort

Key Grammar Structures

• Oh, life is bigger

  ➔ Comparative adjectives

  ➔ The phrase uses the comparative form of the adjective 'big' to compare life to something else.

• That's me in the corner

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The present continuous tense is used to describe an action happening at the moment.

• Losing my religion

  ➔ Gerund as a subject

  ➔ The gerund 'losing' acts as the subject of the phrase, indicating an ongoing action.

• I thought that I heard you laughing

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ The past simple tense is used to describe an action that was completed in the past.

• What if all these fantasies come flailing around

  ➔ Conditional sentences

  ➔ This line uses a conditional structure to express a hypothetical situation.

• But that was just a dream

  ➔ Past continuous tense

  ➔ The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past.

• Trying to keep an eye on you

  ➔ Infinitive phrases

  ➔ The phrase uses an infinitive 'to keep' to express purpose.