REM: Stand Meaning

Song Released: 1988

Stand Lyrics

Stand in the place where you live
Now face North
Think about direction
Wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face West
Think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before

If you are...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   dragonlady66

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   Apr 20th 2009 !⃝

   My interpretation of this song is that it is about getting motivated and finding purpose in life instead of just going through the daily motions.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jul 4th 2009 !⃝

   I had to comment on daz90's interpretation. I think you have the message completely wrong. Your thoughts seem way off course. You have no sense of what the lyrics are about at all. There are NO references to gay sex being gay or anything about that. Get a life. It's totally about paying attention to what you really want in life be it your job, your partner etc. It is NOT exclusively about gay sex. Idiot.
3. anonymous

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   Dec 17th 2022 !⃝

   we live on a flat motionless plane. an enclosed earth, hence the dome references to the firmament.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. anonymous

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   Sep 24th 2022 !⃝

   Stand in the place where you live
   Now face north
   Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before
   Now stand in the place where you work
   Now face west, think about the place where you live
   Wonder why you haven't before
   
   stand is standing up for and doing the right thing. directions might be up for heaven down for hell. you wonder why you've never considered the consequences for what you do, like you should have.
   
   If you are confused check with the Son (Jesus)
   Carry a compass (bible) to help you along
   
   
   
   
   
5. anonymous

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   May 9th 2021 !⃝

   The Earth is Flat.... just like “Man in the Moon” instructs that we never went.... which we didn’t....
6. anonymous

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   Feb 11th 2021 !⃝

   its about awareness maybe and i have to use 100 characters so, hi bye imacat. vxo. vogue. now. hihihiihihihihi. ninuihiubiu.
7. anonymous

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   Jan 2nd 2021 !⃝

   It definitely could be about flat earth. In "Man on the Moon", Michael Stipe questions the moon landing, as well as mentioning Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton. These all could be clues that he is a flat earther. I did not think about the song "Stand" until I saw this post, but it makes sense.
8. anonymous

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   May 17th 2020 !⃝

   Obviously about flat earth, you goons. No way its about homosexuality.
   All their terminology refers to flat earth theory.
9. kooljohn176

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   Sep 5th 2018 !⃝

   Another awesome R.E.M song, especially for today's day to be heard, that's not as stupid as some people thought. Where the '' bad things'' of today are turning upside down, in a fast moving World that is DEFLATING ITSELF to be FLAT AGAIN. That's WHY this song was/is certainly making us ''think and wonder again'', by taking a ''Stand'' in order to get to know your 4 directions. Especially North, for going to work and home again or for whatever ROUND REASON, standing on THE UNMOVABLE FLAT EARTH, while turning your head around to see where you are.
10. anonymous

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    Sep 25th 2011 !⃝

    I don't think it's all that complicated.
    
    Have you ever tried giving someone driving directions using N/E/S/W instead of saying "turn right, then left, then another left, then 5 rights..."? Not a lot of people know what direction they are going.
    
    I like to think the inspiration for this song was born in an argument over badly explained driving directions.
    
    Personally, I ALWAYS use N/E/S/W when giving directions, but my wife usually scratches her head and says "you men I go straight, then right?" It's annoying. Love this song!
11. daz90

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    Jul 16th 2007 !⃝

    This song seems to be describing a persons homosexual fantasies. Inspiration is likely to have come from Michael Stipe's own sexual orientation. The song explicitly describes the procedures involved in his sexual encounters.
    "Think about direction"
    "Your head is there to move you around"
    
    When he says "Your feet are going to be on the ground" he is literally referring to the sex position he wants to engage in with his partner.
    "If you are confused check with the sun" describes the confusion many people face about their sexuality so he is basically saying if you are unsure about your sexuality you should see where your destiny lies by looking at the sun or other forms of astronomy.
    "Carry a compass to help you along" basically describes how crude navigation instruments can have other uses for sexual pleasure

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
12. anonymous

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    Jul 15th 2007 !⃝

    This song seems to be describing a persons homosexual fantasies. Inspiration is likely to have come from Michael Stipe's own sexual orientation. The song explicitly describes the procedures involved in his sexual encounters.
    "Think about direction"
    "Your head is there to move you around"
    
    When he says "Your feet are going to be on the ground" he is literally referring to the sex position he wants to engage in with his partner.
    "If you are confused check with the sun" describes the confusion many people face about their sexuality so he is basically saying if you are unsure about your sexuality you should see where your destiny lies by looking at the sun or other forms of astronomy.
    
    "Carry a compass to help you along" basically describes how crude navigation instruments can have other uses for sexual pleasure

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
13. anonymous

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    Jun 13th 2007 !⃝

    The message in the the simplest way I can put is PAY F***'n ATTENTION.

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