Music Video - R.E.M. - Losing My Religion

Lyrics

Life is bigger

It's bigger

And you, you are not me

The lengths that I will go to

The distance in your eyes

Oh no, I've said too much

I set it up

That's me in the corner [1]

That's me in the spotlight [2]

Losing my religion [3]

Trying to keep up with you

And I don't know if I can do it

Oh no I've said too much

I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing

I thought that I heard you sing

I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper

Of every waking hour

I'm choosing my confessions

Trying to keep an eye on you

Like a hurt lost and blinded fool

Oh no, I've said too much [4]

I set it up

Consider this

The hint of the century

Consider this

The slip that brought me

To my knees failed

What if all these fantasies

Come flailing around

Now I've said too much

I thought that I heard you laughing

I thought that I heard you sing

I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream

That was just a dream

That's me in the corner

That's me in the spotlight

Losing my religion

Trying to keep up with you

And I don't know if I can do it

Oh no I've said too much

I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing

I thought that I heard you sing

I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream, try, cry, why, try

That was just a dream, just a dream, just a dream

Dream

[1] Look at the 4th screenshot

[2] Look at the 5th screenshot

[3] "Losing my religion" is a southern American way of saying "reaching the end of one's rope" or "losing your temper" or "losing your civility". 

[4] Look at the 7th screenshot

Representation

• Religion
• Love
• Homosexuality? - Looking into meanings of the song I came across a comment by someone who says that: "Losing my religion", is a way to describe them admitting their homosexuality. 

Theme

• Religion
• 'Losing My Religion' is title which says a lot about what the video is about
• Costume relates to different religions - Christianity and Hindu
• Spot light can resemble the holy light shining down

Ideology

• Tim O'Sullivan et al (1998) - "Ideology refers to a set of ideas which produces a partial and selective view of reality"
• Wings and the holly book
• Working class of the men
• Guardian angel

Screenshots From The Video

The band and extras are running around the room looking up, which I assume they're look up to 'god'. First, a man runs from left to right, the camera follows him panning left to right. Then another man runs right to left and again the camera follows him from the right to left.

This music video's editing is quick which matches the tempo of the song. After the second man has run out of frame the camera zooms into the milk that is on the window frame. Another man walks by holding a wing, presumably a prop for the music video. The camera cuts to a close-up of the glass which then falls and the camera pans down following the glass falling. "Don't cry over spilt milk" symbolising crying.

The lead signer is shown to be pacing around a room which could symbolise isolation. This room is dimly lit which also could reflect his thought of darkness, and loneliness.

[1] "That's me in the corner", the singer looks up into the right-hand corner for it to then to follow his eye line match and to cut to the man on the chair.

[2] He then looks to the top left-hand corner, and the camera cuts to the men who are in control of the lighting. 

[4] "Oh no, I've said too much", dim lighting shows that he appears to be depressed and upset with himself. Again there is the use of the spot light shining down from 'heaven'.