They crowded up to Lenin with their noses worn off
A handshake is worthy if it's all that you've got
Metal shivs on wood push through our back
There's a splinter in your eye and it reads "REACT"

They shifted the statues for harboring ghosts (Watch those harbour ghosts)
Reddened their necks, collared their clothes (They might be real)
Then we danced the dance till the menace got out (Friendly harbor ghosts)
She gathered the corners and called it her gown (She went to tell and see)

Please find my harborcoat
(These holidays wear my harborcoat)
(Harborcoat is long gone)
can't go outside without it
Find my harborcoat, can't go outside without it
(These holidays wear my harborcoat)
(Harborcoat is long gone)

They crowded up to Lenin with their noses worn off (I finally got a letter that said she was dead)
A handshake is worthy if it's all that you've got (You have done no wrong)
Metal shivs on wood push through our back (Relatives all pass)
There's a splinter in your eye and it reads "REACT" (Let her be exact)
R-E-A-C-T

They shifted the statues for harboring ghosts
Reddened their necks, collared their clothes
Then we danced the dance till the menace got out
She gathered the corners and called it her gown

She said...

I thought that was a real simple narrative, but no one else did.
Michael Stipe

I never understood what 'Harborcoat' was about.
Peter Buck 1988

To me, 'Harborcoat' is a rewriting of the Anne Frank Diaries.
Michael Stipe 1991

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 Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.

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By Doug This song does to me what no other song has ever done to me before. Its totally about the sound of the song as a piece, not so much the lyrics or the instumentation by themselves. I can't explain the feeling, but all I know is that whatever I'm feeling at the moment can be changed to this feeling when I listen to this song. It is a timeless, highly memorable colage of sound and imagery as is many of the early REM classics, but this one seems to be the one that really hits me like a ton of bricks. Michael, you're brilliant and I'd love to meet you one day!!
Ernie Griffin

By Ernie Griffin BEING A LATE STARTER 4 SUM REASON THIS WAS THE 2ND ALBUM I BOUGHT AND BEING I THE FIRST SONG ON IT IT WOULD HELP ME DECIDE JUST HOW GOOD REM ARE THE BEST BAND EVER THIS SONG MAKES ME THINK OF A BIG HAUNTED STATELY HOME GHOSTS EVERYWHERE SPOOKY I LUV IT

By KriS