anonymous June 13th, 2007 10:25PM  
The message in the the simplest way I can put is PAY F***'n ATTENTION.

daz90 July 16th, 2007 11:43AM  
This song seems to be describing a persons homosexual fantasies. Inspiration is likely to have come from Michael Stipe's own sexual orientation. The song explicitly describes the procedures involved in his sexual encounters.
"Think about direction"
"Your head is there to move you around"

When he says "Your feet are going to be on the ground" he is literally referring to the sex position he wants to engage in with his partner.
"If you are confused check with the sun" describes the confusion many people face about their sexuality so he is basically saying if you are unsure about your sexuality you should see where your destiny lies by looking at the sun or other forms of astronomy.
"Carry a compass to help you along" basically describes how crude navigation instruments can have other uses for sexual pleasure

dragonlady66 April 20th, 2009 01:46PM  
My interpretation of this song is that it is about getting motivated and finding purpose in life instead of just going through the daily motions.

anonymous July 4th, 2009 10:13AM  
I had to comment on daz90's interpretation. I think you have the message completely wrong. Your thoughts seem way off course. You have no sense of what the lyrics are about at all. There are NO references to gay sex being gay or anything about that. Get a life. It's totally about paying attention to what you really want in life be it your job, your partner etc. It is NOT exclusively about gay sex. Idiot.