Matt Elliott’s Online

Nightswimming Deserves a Quiet Night

They played REM’s “Nightswimming” on CBC Radio today on my drive home. The host called it a “Great Summer Song” which, well, I guess it is, in the same sense that “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” is a great song about history.

It is an awesome song, though. I don’t even like REM that much, but “Nightswimming” is fantastic.

This part is weird, though:

Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
The photograph on the dashboard, taken years ago,
Turned around backwards so the windshield shows
Every streetlight reveals the picture in reverse
Still, it’s so much clearer
I forgot my shirt at the water’s edge
The moon is low tonight

The line about forgetting his shirt. How do you even DO that? I can understand forgetting sunglasses or a hat, but a shirt? Who is so comfortable with their body that they routinely walk around shirtless without even being aware of it?

Michael Stipe, I guess.

Here’s the video.

I’ll open comments on this post so people can talk about how much they love Nightswimming. Any comments not about Nightswimming will not be approved for posting.

I almost wanted to take you up on that threat.

I think the last time I heard “Nightswimming” was on the lite rock station playing at the dentist’s office. A bit of a tainted association.

I can’t stand people who forget things that are typically worn or are in clothing. Hats. Watches. Wallets. Etc.

Also: That is a very terrifying photograph of Michael Stipe. It’s tainting my memory of that time he played the ice cream man in The Adventures of Pete & Pete.

I’ve heard Nightswimming so many times and I love it so much, but I still don’t have the appropriate life memory to match up with it. I think this will be my goal for this summer.

Nightswimming deserves a fitting time in everyone’s life.

There was once a time that I’d have been comfortable enough to forget my shirt somewhere. I’d love to feel that way again, not feel like a fat old fatty all the time.

Please note that in the interest of getting my comment approved, the term Nightswimming will herein be used to refer to Mario Kart: Double Dash.

Comments were disabled on your last post, but I must post my surprise? People didn’t like Nightswimming [MK:DD]? Is this possible? Nightswimming is an amazing game with endless replay value? Who couldn’t like Nightswimming?

People really didn’t like MK:DD! Mostly nerds, though, I think — the type that only play single player because they have no friends.

Also, the battle mode in the game is legitimately terrible, so I guess that’s a fair criticism. But the racing is still so good!