"It was early 90s… I was a stupid teenager in his holi-days. Not knowing, what my life would be. A head full of bullshit. It was 3 A.M. one hot summer night, I was watching TV. On one Channel this video started… this melody started, with these pictures, these lines, these words I never heard before. I still don’t know, what it did to me. I started crying like a child, it gave me kind of a feeling that my youth will be over soon and a new chapter of life will start. I still remember sooo many years later, like it was yesterday. Now, today, when I go back to this moment nearly 30 years ago, all the words in this song make more sense then ever. Thank you R.E.M. for being with me all those years on my way from a child to a father…"
A song about nostalgia and loving the night-time. Late summer and harvest moons. Whilst I can still remember the first time I heard it back in 1993, the feelings it invoked in me then as a 13yo kid and now as a 41yo whose life has thrown up more than a few surprises, are very different. I rediscover Nightswimming from time to time and it always makes me reflect on change, growing older, and all the people we lose (and find) along the way. There are not many 5-minute pop songs that can do that (and those that can were mostly written and recorded many years ago.)
"In the summer of ’90 or’91, Craig, Rick, and maybe Roger (?), and I went swimming off a dock in Kingston Harbour, Ontario after an evening shift at Fort Henry. In our early 20s, we swam laughing in the jet black water with the harbour lights in the distance, half naked, carefree, and unworried about our impending careers and marriages and grown-up life. This song came out shortly afterward and captured that summer for a few of us."
"My father died quite unexpectedly that summer night. I swam unabashedly, naked, looking for spiritual comfort, any comfort. Water has always been my relief and that night, it was once more. This song has the most powerful effect on me, I can feel it washing over me once again. The joy and sadness both. Joy for being in my element, joy for this song that revealed more emotion than I could. And for finding comfort in the rewinding of it (over and over) old school style. So much angst and beauty here."
Everytime I listen to this song I remember my highschool friend, Julia. We were like brother and sister, I literally knew how she looked naked, that’s how much we trusted each other (we were only friends all this time). I knew her secrets and she knew mine, I was sure we will be friends our whole life. Then our mutual friend accused me of something I didn’t do, and ordered me to apologize in front of her, Julia and all of our other friends. Instead of swallowing my pride and keeping my best friend, I’ve decided not to apologize. Julia told me she’ll never be my friend again. Since then she ignored me, she literally pretended I wasn’t here. In the end, I’ve given up trying. It’s been more than 10 years now, and I still miss her. Julia, if you ever read this, I wish I could turn back time now and apologize."
How is it possible to compose a piece of music this totally wondrous and this movingly beautiful? Just how is it done? I am sometimes scared of playing this in company, as when I do I know the tears will come streaming down my checks, I just cannot stop them. I am a man of 66 years of age, I am not that emotional, but this is just one piece of music that gets to my heart.There is no way to describe the feeling it gives me, its just got something that touches me deeply. Perhaps REM did not realize the deep attachment many of us have to this, the miracle of it, the sheer miracle of total art. As long as I live, I cannot forget this piece of music, its just heaven and a master piece of music. God bless REM for giving me the feeling I get from this, God bless them.
As a Muslim from the Middle East, it is through the brilliantly crafted songs of R.E.M that I first became exposed to the greatness of Western culture. R.E.M songs remind me of the happy times of my childhood when optimism ruled the day. Things have changed for the worse since then, but I will always have R.E.M hits to fall back on. Thank you Michael Stipe for brilliant works of art! I'll be forever grateful.
“‘I’m not a person who gets star struck very easily. But, around midnight on a balmy summer night back in ‘91 or ‘92 (my friend) and I were driving to the north end of Wrightsville Beach (in New Hanover County, NC). I looked to the right in the old parking lot just north of Shell Island Resort and there stood Michael Stipe, River Phoenix and a few of their friends. We pulled in, got out and Michael Stipe broke away from his friends to come greet us. We chit chatted and he asked if the cops were bad about busting people for drinking on the beach. We walked on the beach, went our separate ways. They all jumped into the ocean and started night swimming. About a year after we saw them that night, Automatic for the People came out with the song Night Swimming on it.’ - Jacob Sickles"
“As beautiful now as it was when I first heard it in the early 90’s . Life is too short to waste time thinking about doing something you dream of just do it and be at peace with yourself!!!”
When I was a kid I thought this song was called ‘Knight Swimming’… “Knight, swimming. Deserves a quiet night.” I imagined a wounded knight in armor swimming home in calm, moon-lit water among the shadows of willow trees after having fought in a bloody battle. He was low on energy and using all his will to get home to something I never allowed myself to know. I always felt sorry for the knight and I agreed that he deserved a quiet night… Obviously most of the lyrics contradict that scenario and we all know the knight would drown if he kept his suit of armor on, but it’s always what I think of when I hear this song. It reminds me of the curious mind I’ve always had and it never fails to get me in touch with my inner child.