audio review : Daysleeper ( song ) … REM

I don’t think “daysleeper” is a real word. Michael Stipe uses it as a slang term for someone who works during the night and sleeps during the day. The protagonist, presented in first-person perspective, seems to work in an institution or warehouse. At 3-AM, the receiving department is empty. “Everywhere is calm,” except for his aching head, which wants nothing more than to go home and get a good night’s rest like most of the other workers.

It’s hard to sleep in the daytime, even with an ocean sound machine at your bedside, when you live in a city of noisy neighbors. You’re constantly being awakened and, once awake, it’s hard to go back to sleep. That’s a big part of the problem, so this “daysleeper” sighs, cries and sings a soothing lament for all unfortunare victims of the graveyard shift. What a dreamy little ballad it is. Listen for the cute “weoo” chants near the end.

my rating : 4 of 5

1998

audio review : Up ( album ) ... REM

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