The song "Sing for the Submarine" presents my dream world, which is way different from my waking world. It's set in the future and it's post-apocalyptic.

They always want me to play myself and that's a big snooze.

For every great thing we did, there is a very public moment of falling on our faces. But everything that came through us as a band was a distinct vision of R.E.M.

My feeling is that labels are for canned food... I am what I am - and I know what I am.

Anybody that walks can sing.

I'm just not that fascinating a person to have had all those lives that I've written about.

If you disagree with me, fine! Because that's the great thing about America, we can disagree!