☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a disappointed professor who feels lost.
- He reflects on his role as a scholar and his confused intentions.
- The lyrics describe his tiredness and exhaustion as well as his dissatisfaction with his current situation.
- It also reflects on the tragedies of love and aging.
- The song lyrics emphasize how someone who is boring, drunk, or sad is despised.
Interpretation
The song lyrics "Sad Professor" by
R.E.M. is about a professor who feels lost and disappointed. It describes how he wakes up drunk on the floor and feels hated by others. The professor reflects on his role as a scholar and realizes that he may not be clearly defined and that his intentions are confused.
He mentions that he may have tried to gain followers, but now he is exhausted. His thoughts are in a fog, and he feels tired and worn out. The lyrics suggest that the professor is dissatisfied with his current situation and wishes he had ended up somewhere else.
The song lyrics also contain a reflection on the tragedies of love and aging. The professor realizes that the surface of his thoughts is murky and that he is filled with fear. He uses a metaphor of a rotten eye lying on the rocks to describe his feelings of confusion and uncertainty.
Overall, the song lyrics "Sad Professor" depict the inner turmoil and sense of being lost of a professor who is dissatisfied with his life and decisions. The lyrics also convey the idea that everyone despises someone who is boring, drunk, or sad.