My Gen X Playlist: Perfect Circle – REM

I used to pick up those small astrology booklets when standing in line at the grocery store. I couldn’t help it. It’s like a moth to a flame. I can’t believe how spot on these tiny books can be. I wonder if there is anything to it, or if it’s dumb luck that I match up dead to rights.

I typically leaf through the Virgo book, but skip over the alignment of the moon and stars mumbo jumbo to cut to the chase – which makes me wonder if impatience is part of my Virgo traits. What I’ve learned is that Virgos are perfectionists. This leads to some very good traits and not so good ones as well. In the pursuit of perfection, Virgos tend to be analytical, driven and hardworking. I liked that honest and reliable were also thrown into the mix. That feels good.

On the other side of the ledger, the perfectionist quality causes Virgos to be over-thinkers, stubborn and judgmental. These don’t sound too fun, but when I read more detail of the descriptors, I can’t totally deny them either. To a certain extent, I see some of each in my DNA. Boo.

I guess this comes back to this recurring theme that keeps flashing it’s high beams at me, trying to get my attention, ever since starting this blog. Everything comes back to balance. The good and the bad are busy playing on the seesaw, bouncing up and down trying to knock the other off. Somehow, I need to keep serving the good double shots of expresso to keep them awake and happy. The bad needs to be fed a steady diet of Thanksgiving turkey in an attempt to lull it to sleep. As you can see, I don’t really have a plan, but awareness is a good first step. There has to be a way to use this for good instead of evil. I’ll summon my inner perfectionist inside me to come up with a game plan to figure that out. I’ll be back with periodic status updates, because that’s what us Virgos do. Until then – ready, set, go.

REM’s Perfect Circle lyrics always seemed vague to me. At the same time, it’s this vagueness that draws me to REM’s music. Each song intentionally includes permission for personal interpretation.

The lyrics of “Perfect Circle” are purposely opaque. Members of the band agree that the song has an emotional theme that can be interpreted in many ways. For guitarist Peter Buck, the song elicits images of children playing football one evening in Trenton, New Jersey. Singer Michael Stipe interprets the song as being about longing in a relationship. He also has stated that other interpretations are equally valid: “It was an intensely personal song to me. I really like that it can mean two different things. … It’s the exact same feeling, but the details are different.”

– wikipedia

What the lyrics say to me . . .

Fighting gallows of imperfection, shadows only visible to me. Coined phrases circle in a continuous loop, I hear voices. The only one standing in a crowded room, imperfection for all to see.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Put your hair back, we get to leave
Eleven gallows on your sleeve
Shallow figure, winner's paid
Eleven shadows way out of place

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room

Pull your dress on and stay real close
Who might leave you where I left off
A perfect circle of acquaintances and friends
Drink another, coin a phrase

Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room
Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room
Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room

Try to win and suit your needs
Speak out sometimes but try to win

Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room