Michael Stipe has clarified some of the most legendarily misheard lyrics to R.E.M.’s ‘It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)’.
The rapid-fire lyrics to the classic 1987 single have long been the source of speculation among fans, with Stipe’s signature under-enunciated delivery style during the band’s early days only further muddying the waters.
The frontman took to Bluesky over the weekend, sharing a Simpsons meme in which Homer claims to be able to sing every word to the song, only to be told that nobody can. “I can,” Stipe quipped.
I can
— Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe.bsky.social) 2025-08-30T17:14:21.198Z
In further posts, he confirmed the correct lyrics to a couple of the song’s most tenuous and often misheard lines.
“It’s ‘Left of west and coming in a hurry with the Furies breathing down your neck’,” he wrote. “It’s ‘Team by team reporters, baffled, trumped, tethered, cropped, Look at that low playing, fine, then’.”
It’s ‘Left of west and coming in a hurry with the Furies breathing down your neck
— Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe.bsky.social) 2025-09-01T00:10:02.362Z
It’s “Team by team reporters, baffled, trumped, tethered, cropped, Look at that low playing, fine, then
— Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe.bsky.social) 2025-09-01T18:11:34.135Z
Stipe’s posts confirm that many of the internet’s most trusted lyrics sources have been incorrect for many years, not helped by the fact that R.E.M. chose not to print their lyrics in album liner notes during their time with I.R.S. Records in the 1980s.
‘It’s The End Of The World…’ was first released on their fifth album ‘Document’ in 1987, their final record with the indie label before their record-breaking signing with Warner Bros. Records in 1988.
Check out Homer Simpson proving that he cannot actually recall all of the words to the song here:
In May, R.E.M. announced details of ‘Radio Free Europe 2025’, a benefit EP featuring a never-before-released remix of the band’s debut single from Jacknife Lee. The limited-edition 10-inch orange-vinyl pressing will be available from September 12.
Next year, the band’s 1990s albums ‘Monster’ and ‘New Adventures In Hi-Fi’ will be used as part of the series Silents Synced, in which classic albums are paired live with vintage silent movies. The records will play alongside Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr.
Actor Michael Shannon and Chicago musician Jason Narducy will play their latest tour of R.E.M. full-album shows in 2026 when they take 1986’s ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’ on the road for its 40th anniversary. One of their shows in Athens, Georgia in February saw all four members of R.E.M. join them on stage for a full-band version of ‘Pretty Persuasion’.
