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Sitting Still

Sentado sem se mexer

R.E.M.
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Portuguese (Portugal) Lyrics

Lyrics meaning

The lyrics feel restless and resistant to staying quiet. The speaker repeatedly dismisses “sitting still” as a waste of time, while insisting that they can hear someone and finally asking whether that person can hear them. This creates an emotional movement from scattered, almost playful phrases toward a more direct need for contact and recognition.

Several images remain deliberately puzzling. “Bind it in the scythe” suggests holding or cutting something, but the surrounding words do not make its meaning clear. “The kitchen signs but not me in” may suggest that the speaker feels excluded from ordinary communication or from a shared space. The repeated phrase “up to par” normally means meeting an expected standard; here, its odd pairing with “Katie bars” makes the speaker’s thoughts sound disjointed rather than neatly explained. “Get away from me” adds a sharper note of frustration.

The lyrics can be heard as a conversation in which people struggle to connect: one person talks, the other seems unheard, and both distance and attention are present. The repetitions might express urgency, irritation, or simply a musical pattern. Because many lines are unusual and do not form a clear narrative, it is better to treat the song’s meaning as open rather than assume every image has one definite explanation.