Me In Honey

Album: Out Of Time (1991)
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Songfacts®:

  • Michael Stipe wrote the lyrics to this song in response to "Eat For Two" by 10,000 Maniacs - both songs are about pregnancy. In the late '80s, R.E.M. toured with 10,000 Maniacs, and both groups were very popular on the college rock scene. Stipe and Maniacs lead singer Natalie Merchant shared many of the same qualities, including shyness, awkward dance moves and a quirky charisma, and they became friends, then lovers, then friends again. Stipe credits Merchant with helping to inspire his songwriting, saying, "The work she was doing was real and important - all about the human condition."
  • Stipe says that he considers this an "answer song" to "Eat for Two." He explained in the book It Crawled From The South by Marcus Gray: "It's a male perspective on pregnancy, which I don't think has been dealt with. There's a real push-me-pull-me issue, saying, 'I had nothing to do with it,' yet on the other hand saying, 'Wait, I have feelings about this.'"
  • Kate Pierson contributes the female vocals to this song. In the album booklet it is acknowledged as a duet, instead of Kate being a background singer. She also sang on the Out Of Time track "Shiny Happy People." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Connor - Carlsbad, CA

Comments: 3

  • Myla from San Diego, CaI've read that Michael Stipe and Natalie Merchant dated for a while. Maybe this was a peek into what happened to them? I guess we'll never know.
  • Bolan from Collingwood, CanadaBah, I dont see it that way at all. Well not really. I think the retrospective lyrics of a guy who genuinely feels he does not deserve the love his partner is giving him. Then he blames her for leaving him. He cant live up to his partners "new rules" so his partner "Left him to love" and in his ignorance failing to see what he has don to his lover sits in self pity "what about me" stands as his last words. Not what about my Child, or what about "US" SELFISH DUDE!
    Also not to mention his statement that all but Brags about his infidelity "There's a lot of honey in this world". It seems to me his statement of "It seems a shame you waste your time for me" is a personal thought unshared with his lover, but a fact he firmly believes... reguardless of all of these points its a fantastic song, and Dudes all over need to take a lesson from it. I suppose in the end Charles and I have a similar view... Just didnt seem that way when i began. "theres something here i find it hard to ignore" (REM Flowers of Guatemala)
  • Charles from Bronxville, NyVery interesing song. My interpretation is that this is about a man who has been full of self loathing and through the knowledge that he and his girlfried/wife (?) have concieved a child has found redemption. He is loving what the idea of becoming a father is doing to him. She is telling him to straighten up, and his song tells how he'll be able to now based on the changes that are going on inside him as he reconsiders his self worth.

    Themes of redemption are always moving and I find this one particularly so. As a Dad I can tell you there is much truth in this song. God bless you Michael Stipe, you really are something.

    I should listen to more REM. I only know 4 or 5 f their songs.
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