Gardening at Night Lyrics
I see your money on the floor
I felt the pocket change though all
The feelings that broke through that door
Just didn't seem to be too real
The yard is nothing but a fence
The sun just hurts my eyes somewhere
It must be time for penitence
Gardening at night is never where
[Chorus]
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
[Bridge 1]
The neighbors go to bed at ten
Call the prayer line for a change
The charge is changing every month
They said it couldn't be arranged
[Verse 2]
We echoed up the garbage sound
But they were busy in the rows
Which fell enough to see the sun
Gardening at night just didn't grow
I see your money on the floor
I felt the pocket change though all
The feelings that broke through that door
Just didn't seem to be too real
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
[Bridge 2]
Your sister said that you're too young
They should know they've been there twice
The call was two and fifty-one
They said it couldn't be arranged
[Verse 3]
I see your money on the floor
I felt the pocket change though all
The feelings that broke through that door
Just didn't seem to be too real
We echoed up the garbage sound
But they were busy in the rows
Which fell enough to see the sun
Gardening at night just didn't grow
[Chorus]
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
Gardening at night
About
Michael Stipe is quoted, “I thought it was the first real song we did”, in It Crawled from the South, first edition, by Marcus Gray.
The song originally appeared on Chronic Town, and that LP, CD and cassette all state: “Published by Night Garden Music”; after Green this tie-in moved from the discs to the sleeves.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Speaking about the song, Buck said it was “basically a metaphor for the uselessness of everything, but if you didn’t get that, I’m not surprised. It’s kind of a confused song.”
Buck said the song was written in June 1980 and he was influenced by the drop-D tuning Neil Young had used for Cinnamon Girl – and the fact that R.E.M. had just moved out of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Athens, GA.
- It Crawled From the South, Marcus Gray (1997).
- 1.Crazy
- 3.Burning Down
- 5.Burning Hell
- 8.Windout
- 9.Ages of You
- 10.Pale Blue Eyes
- 11.Rotary Ten
- 12.Bandwagon
- 13.Femme Fatale
- 14.Walters Theme
- 15.King of the Road
- 16.Wolves, Lower
- 17.Gardening at Night
- 19.1,000,000
- 20.Stumble
