take the position
assume the missionary part
you work by committee,
you had me pegged from the start.
I'll be pounce pony,
phony maroney,
pony before the cart.
I'll be pounce pony.
this ceremony
only fills my heart.

who cast the final stone?
who threw the crushing blow?
someone has to take the fall
why not me?

a punch toy volunteer
a weakling on its knee.
is all you want to hear
and all you want to see.
romantically, you'd martyr me
and miss this story's point
it is my strength, my destiny
this is the role that I have chosen.

who cast the final stone?
who threw the crushing blow?
someone has to take the fall
why not me?

gentlemen mark your opponents
fire into your own ranks.
pick the weakest as strategic
move. square off. to
meet your enemy.
for each and every gathering
a scapegoat falls to climb.
as I step forward, silently.
deliberately mine

who cast the final stone?
who threw the crushing blow?
someone has to take the fall
why not me? why not me.
had consequence chose differently
had fate its ugly head
my actions make me beautiful
and dignify the flesh

me. I am free. free.

Quotes collected from 'R.E.M. - In Their Own Words' by Peter Hogan

Lyrics are based on fans interpretations and are not official.

All R.E.M. originals written by Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.

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By Tim this is an absolutely gourgeous song and fills me with hope this is as good as everybody hurts

By KriS The lyrics to this song speak volumes. I've listened to it 1000 times and I still get goosebumps. Stipe is an absolute genious!

By Shane an excellent song. it sort of feels like the army... or something- the snare drums, the lyrics. excellent.

By lifetime protection It makes me think of how people knowingly trap themselves into a group, into a stigma. It seems to be apparently about sin. The voice is singing that he totally accepts the world as it is, and is even proud that he is a sinner, because that way he won't be truly trampled upon by hypocrites. You see, he mentions being martyred... about casting stones (the adulterous woman was about to be stoned and Jesus was asked about it and he said, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."

Stipe is a master at layering ideas onto one another so that they form feelings and images to express himself. I love that I can see from his perspective, but also claim the words to express me: I am a Christian who tries not to be a hypocrite in a world full of them, and I am beaten by "Christians" and non-Christians alike, but that won't stop me living for God, giving of myself, being the pony before the cart. I'll be the weakling on his knee, because i know this is the only way to live, and I have a freedom in Christ that no one can really understand until they experience/know it themselves. And not many want to delve deeper into this because they fear it. Hypocritical Christianity is the only Christianity many people want to see...

By Lyndall