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Cover Art

Undertow Lyrics by R.E.M.

New Adventures in Hi-Fi [25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]

1996

[Verse 1]
I know what I wanted
I know what I wanted
I know how I wanted this to be
You go down to the water
Drink down of the water
Walk up off the water, leave it be
But this is not my dream, sister
It is cold in Heaven
I'm not sprouting wings

[Chorus]
I'm drowning me
I'm drowning me, yeah

[Verse 2]
Brother, can you see those birds?
They don't look to Heaven
But they don't need religion, they can see
They go down to the water
Drink down of the water
Fly up off the water, leave them be
But this is not my time, sister
It is cold in Heaven
And no one's coming after me

[Chorus]
I'm drowning me (Breathing ourselves)
I'm drowning me (Breathing ourselves)

[Verse 3]
You know I am tired
Cold and bony tired
Nothing's gonna save me, I can see
I can't say I'm fearful
I can't say I'm not afraid
But I am not resisting, I can see
Now, I don't need a heaven
And I don't need religion
I am in the place where I should be
I am breathing water
I am breathing water
You know a body's got to breathe

[Chorus]
I'm drowning me (Breathing ourselves, breathing ourselves)
I'm drowning me (Breathing ourselves)
I'm drowning me, yeah (Breathing ourselves, breathing ourselves)
I'm drowning me (Breathing ourselves)
Credits

About “Undertow” by R.E.M.

Read the complete lyrics to "Undertow" by R.E.M. from the album "New Adventures in Hi-Fi [25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]" in 1996. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under In English, USA, Alternative Rock.

"Undertow" is performed by R.E.M.. from the album "New Adventures in Hi-Fi [25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]" in 1996 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Undertow", explore more songs by R.E.M. using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Undertow" is credited to R.E.M.. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Undertow" appears on "New Adventures in Hi-Fi [25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]" in 1996.

Visit the R.E.M. artist page at /artist/rem for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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