extra credit
Song lyrics: http://www.lyrics007.com/R.E.M.%20Lyrics/Losing%20My%20Religion%20Lyrics.html
song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-UzXIQ5vw&ob=av3e

This song has 1 thousand meanings, and here are two I thought of, and responded to.
   
  I first heard this song, (most likely in fourth grade), I did not understand it, at all.  But, I listened carefully to the song this year, (eighth grade), then I heard the lyric: "The distance between you and me". This line caught my attention, it helped me understand the song as a whole.
 Many people understand that line, whether it is the relationship between a child and their parent, or the relationship between two very close friends, many people can relate to it.
I have listened to the song many times. But, just three days ago I realized what it may actually be about.
With the title "Losing my religion", religion must be part of the song somehow. Many of Michael Stipe's songs are about relationships, and I am sure this one is no exception.
   The lines:


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 

   I unscrambled this chorus to mean;

There is a guy in a relationship which he is not comfortable in. He feels as though he is "Losing his Religion." Through the song you are able to tell that the speaker is not comfortable with what is going on. The speaker feels as though he is "In the spotlight". 

I can relate to feeling in the spotlight, as much as all my piers. Middle school is not as easy as many of the adults make it out to be. There is a line that says: "Every whisper, every waking hour I'm choosing my confessions."

"Choosing my confessions", is not something you hear about everyday. This sounds like something Brittany Spears, or any other celebrity may say. But it also sounds like something we may do everyday, just not as drastically. What I mean by this, is that every single day, people make decisions. Everyday we chose to do something, that might not be right. We are always taking a risk.
I thought back to the meaning of this song, and how it ties to the line ("Losing my confessions") 
the meaning of the song being: Someone LOSING his/her religion, to be in (GAIN) a relationship.


The lyric: Oh, life is bigger 
It's bigger than you

I think responds to not being alone in life. Sometimes, I may think that 'I am the only person who actually exists'. Which give this song a lonely mood.
In the song he seems to be blaming himself for a mistaken love. He thinks he thought he saw "You try", try to love back. The lyrics that show that he is blaming himself:
 "That is me in the corner, that is me in the spotlight"


"I have said too much." "I have set it up." "The length that I will go to". 
I watched an interview with the artist of this song, and he said
"Though this song can be interpreted in a thousand different ways, I didn't mean it about religion." 
Immediately, I was confused, 'then what was it about?' I listened to this song a couple hundred more times today, and realized it was also about mistaken love.
The lyric:  "THE LENTH THAT I WILL GO TO", shows that it is obvious that he loves the girl. He tells the girl he loves her "I haven't said enough". He thinks he thought he "Saw her try", to love him back, "But that was just a dream." That never happened.
"Just a dream."