Page type: lyric reference
Artist: R.E.M.
Canonical path: /rem/hairshirt
Related lyric paths: 6
Video embedded: yes
Lyric guide
Hairshirt
Read Hairshirt lyrics by R.E.M. on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
Hairshirt
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
I am not the type of dog
That could keep you waiting
For no good reason
Run a carbon-black test on my jaw
And you will find it's all been said before
I can swing my megaphone and long arm the rest
It's easier and better
To just beat it from the chest
Of desire
I could walk into this room
And the waves of conversation are enough
To knock you down in the undertow
So alone so alone in my life
Feed me banks of light
And hang your hairshirt on the lowest rung
It's a beautiful life
And I can hang my hairshirt
Away up high in the attic of the wrong dog's life chest
Or bury it at sea
All my life I've searched for this
Here I am here I am in your life
It's a beautiful life
My life
It's a beautiful life
Your life
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "Hairshirt"?
R.E.M. performs "Hairshirt", and this lyric page sits inside the R.E.M. catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Hairshirt"?
Yes. The related section below points to Near Wild Heaven and Shiny Happy People with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by R.E.M.?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through R.E.M.'s lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on Hairshirt yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.