This song was, for my part, the soundtrack of my mom's final days and her passing, last week, Wednesday. Not sure if it made everything easier or even more difficult - its simple, heartfelt lyrics, the bittersweet melody and Michael's devastatingly beautiful singing. I just know that i can't listen to it all the way through without starting to cry. "..i'll write our story in my mind.."...RIP mom.

His face is the perfect representation of the sentiment of the song. Cover the right half of his face and you'll se him astonished or even shocked sometimes. Cover the left half and he's subdued in an accepting the inevitable kind of way. He's human.

So sad to hear this band go. Beautiful beautiful song, great humans beings. Never fade, R.E.M.

The brighter side of his face represents his youth, his feeling of being still young inside, while his darker side represents his oldness, his whole life! this song make you love everything!!!

Io appartengo ad una di quelle generazioni che con le loro canzoni ci sono cresciute, un bello, bellissimo modo questo per salutarci.

I see John's fond memories in the shine of his eyes. In the lines of his smile.

When i see and hear something like this, I miss them even more. Utter perfection.

that look in his eyes so sweet

REM THE BEST ROCK BAND EVER

This is so beautiful. I love both versions. Dammit, they disbanded a few months after I had started listening to them. :( I want more R.E.M.!!!!!!

These videos are probably the most honest things R.E.M. have had a director do with one of their songs since Everybody Hurts. It's pure genius to get an R.E.M. fan, let alone probably two celebrity friends of the band fans be in the video and seeing the turn of emotion on their faces close up. It is the mirror of what R.E.M.'s songs mean to us reflected back at the band for them to see the beautiful power these songs have over us! A beautiful and fitting end to the band we all love so much. You four are as human and real as the people who love your music! Bless you!

John Giorno, you're poetry is a blessing to the world.

I dreamed what you were offering Imagine lying next to me Your shirt and your reputation tossed I will write our story in my mind Write about our dreams and triumphs This might be my "innocence lost" I can taste the ocean on your skin That is where it all began I dreamed that we were elephants Out of sight, clouds of dust And woke up thinking we were free Oh oh oh [Chorus] I can taste the ocean on your skin That is where it all began We all go back to where we belong We all go back to where we belong Is this really what you want? Is this really what you want? I can taste the ocean on your skin That is where it all began We all go back to where we belong We all go back to where we belong Is this really what you want? Is this really what you want?

aww, that was really, really adorable. i wish he was my grandpa!

Fascinating. He's so locked into the lyric, but at 1:35 John's taken by the arrangement. He does like the arrangement. Love the innocence expressed by John Giorno. A little boy listens. If the camera was on me, I'm reminded of Thomas Hulce as Mozart reading King Joseph's short piece for piano, making a comment I'm paraphrasing now, its all the same after here... Stipe could have written another verse but he does a very expressive low tempered gurgle at 3:08 to keep up interest. This a very good tune and a fine example of REM2. Big, big, big fan of the band as a four piece, always had a soft spot for them after Bill left. Loved Accelerate and Collapse has some very good songs. All good things come to an end and we still have the recordings. Good luck to the principals.

What a great song to leave us with.....thanks for the memories, as they say

John Giorno (1936-2019)

I can't believe nobody has ever done this before.. Brilliant way to attach the listener, by making it simple and beautiful.

R.E,M VI AMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

ma... è la canzone più bella del mondo

So long, bard of heart and mind

lovely ending smile :).

Song gives me chills and warms my heart at the same time. I know my kids will enjoy it.

I wonder what's going through his mind when he smiles, some good memories must have been brought back when he hears the song. Thank you R.E.M.

rest easy, John Giorno

Lord, oh mighty. You've got to punch right on target!!! Love ya Michael hope you live a full and happy life filled with the joy, comfort, and beauty you have give us. That's a shout out to the entire rem band as well. Krazy Kat

1:52 the best smile i have ever seen

So sweet!

Amazing idea! John's great!

His smile says so much...

not all goodbyes are sad, tought some of them are pretty bittersweet... thanks!!

Michael did an amazing job on this Andy Warhol style film. I felt so many emotions.

John moves me. This song moves me.

still makes me cry

John Giorno, Andy Warhol's close mate and subject of his picture "SLEEP", seen here in what appears to be an homage to that film (can someone verify that is why this video was made?) has meant a lot to me. I found it fascinating when he was working with Debbie Harry and other major celebrities in the 1980's that he actually kept his name in the phone book and loved to chat. He answered all fan mail and was warm, open and gracious. He even invited me to come visit him. Can't help but love John.

I love this!!! From 3:22 on its more than amazing!!!

fantastic video and song! at 3:23 smile :)

MUY BUENO!!

Meraviglia❤

Smooth intoxicating

John Giorno, love your work♡

Show!

🕢 Music!

We still love you

We love you John! If you want to hear one of his great pieces (and you should) search KZfaq for: Just Say NO to Family Values or The Death of William Burroughs

no todas las despedidas van cargadas de tristeza, aunque casi todas sean agridulces... gracias!

@junan0acoustic Thank you for the information...gives so much more meaning to the video when you know who the person and what they stand for. :)

úžasná písnička...

❤️❤️❤️

i think youtube should add a replay option !!!!

me encanta

R.E.M broke up 10 years ago today :-(

Sir, you are beautiful.

Never be sad! REM will back someday with new album... i'm sure about that ;-)

me encanta,desearía sacarle una foto a él.

John's version rulez :D

❤

nice, simple goodbye..

Sometimes he smiles...

Da ascoltare

has anyone noticed, if you hide the right part of the face with ur hand it looks like a young boys face and if you hide the left its like 60plus years later face?

Tatiana, para mí no hay nada que entender, es pura poesía. Y por supuesto, yo firmo por tener esa serenidad y esa paz de espíritu dentro de 20 años.

who's John? this song is simply amazing...

And sometimes he sighs..

this was supost to be on a fallow up album to Collapse Into Now :(

Even he looks a little weirded out by this. Wait a minute... 100th POST!

Reminds me of Andy Warhol's screenshots.

saw john read in toronto couple of weeks ago. for a guy who was seventy he had amazing energy....would have taken a real effort fo him to stand this still, he did a performance piece there which was the most energetic fo the night. Contemporary of Andy Warhol and William Burroughs. google him. he is great.

So soft... Another success!

We all go back to where we belong Ashes to ashes ....... death awaits

Yep. It's John Giorno!

Starring John Giorno!!

@LangshottRangers No, he just moved. I think he was in Weekend At Bernie's.

ESCLAMO: MITICI !!!!

Their genius was subtlety. Some people need to be hit over the head to feel something. I see people show off their scales on stage all the time or explore the same tired range of emotions that rock music usually explores and it's utterly forgettable and completely uninteresting. REM's music was impressionistic, some people prefer a photograph.

Rem sigue sonando en el viento cada segundo minuto hora día mes año thanks yo You rem

omg... this is like watching benjamin button hiccup and pass baby gas and smile at weird moments. #ridiculousvideoREM

@cobaltjones I like R.E.M. (some R.E.M.), but I think I like your comment more.

@TheDave103 And you shall. Until then, happy days.

ooohhh. He wakes up too late...

I'm wondering if this is the guy from Warhol's sleep movie ?

2:32 :*

The very wonderful poet, John Giorno. Check him out on youtube.

video doesn't allow for thumbnails or links to share correctly. anyone having the same problem?

@dylz aaaah you just made this video... weird. lol

@theherbertjones For some reason? Because you still had a grain of soul left, and then that last grain died and you were assimilated.

no pestañea?

1:52 :-))

Doskonale.

If you're going to say something weird about R.E.M., make sure it makes more sense than Murmur, would ya?

@cobaltjones that's cute.

Great song, but after Trump and Brexit...alas...we are all homeless.

John who?

Funny old guy don't ever get caught looking at a girl like that you might get slapped .....

what is with everyone making a version of them just staring off into space and laughing. its interesting but whats the deal? fill me in

:D

OMG PIZZA PLEASE! but with much tomatoes ;)

Is this guy dead?

John Giorno ??????

hahahahaha