Chords + Lyrics | Losing My Religion
Intro
| N.C Dsus2 | F | Dm Dsus2 | Am Am/B |
| C6 Dsus2 | F | Dm Dsus2 | Am | G |
Verse 1
| Am | Am | Em | Em | Am |
Oh, life is bigger, it’s bigger than you and you are not me.
| Am | Em | Em | Am | Am |
The lengths that I will go to, the distance in your eyes.
| Em | Em | Dm Dm/A | Dm Dm/A | G G/D | G |
Oh no I’ve said too much, I set it up.
Verse 2
That’s me in the corner, that’s me in the spotlight, losing my religion.
Trying to keep up with you, and I don’t know if I can do it.
| Em | Em | Dm Dm/A | Dm Dm/A | G G/D |
Oh no I’ve said too much, I haven’t said enough.
Bridge 1
| G Dsus2 | F | Dm Dsus2 | Am Am/B | C6 Dsus2 |
I thought that I heard you laughing, I thought that I heard you sing.
| F | Dm Dsus2 | Am | G |
I think I thought I saw you try.
Verse 3 (as verse 1)
Every whisper, of every waking hour, I’m choosing my confessions,
trying to keep an eye on you. Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool.
Oh no I’ve said too much, I set it up.
Verse 4 (as verse 2)
Consider this, consider this the hint of the century, consider this.
The slip, that brought me to my knees, failed, and what if all these fantasies come,
flailing around, now I’ve said too much.
Bridge 2
I thought that I heard you laughing, I thought that I heard you sing.
I think I thought I saw you try.
Instrumental
| Am Asus4 | Am/G Am | Fmaj7 F6 | D7sus2 |
Tag
| C Cadd9 | D7sus2 | C Cadd9 | D7sus2 |
But that was just a dream, that was just a dream,
Verse 5 (as verse 2)
That’s me in the corner. that’s me in the spotlight. losing my religion.
Trying to keep up with you and I don’t know if I can do it.
Oh no I’ve said too much, I haven’t said enough.
Outro
| G Dsus2 | F | Dm Dsus2 | Am Am/B | C6 Dsus2 |
I thought that I heard you laughing, I thought that I heard you sing.
| F | Dm Dsus2 | Am Am/B | C6 Dsus2 |
I think I thought I saw you try
| F | Dm Dsus2 | Am Am/B | C6 Dsus2 |
But that was just a dream. Try, cry, fly, try.
| F | Dm Dsus2 | Am | G |
That was just a dream, just a dream, just a dream, dream.
End
| Am |
||: A5 :|| x6
| Amadd4 | A5 |
Unlocking the Harmonics of Losing My Religion: Learn the Chords
In the key of Am, the chords in R.E.M.‘s Losing My Religion don’t break any harmonic rules. Let’s take a look at each section.
The instrumental intro later returns as what feels like a bridge, though it doesn’t lead to a chorus, as the song lacks one.
Intro
The intro follows a II – IV – II progression. The II chord primarily uses a sus2 extension, which initially disguises whether it’s minor or major:
Dsus2 (II) – F (IV) – Dm – Dsus2.
Strum these chords with the rhythm of the melody, and the chord extensions will make the melody pop. However, for the best results, vary the number of strings you strum at different points. To perfect this, you’ll need TAB.
Here’s a link to that part of the lesson: Losing My Religion – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Next, we have a movement from chord VI with an ascending bass line:
Am – Am/B – C6
The Am/B is like a variation of a VII chord, while C6 is chord I, but also an Am/C.
We repeat the initial progression before ending with Am – G. Here are all the chords for Losing My Religion‘s intro:
| N.C Dsus2 (II) | F (IV) | Dm Dsus2 | Am (VI) Am/B |
| C6 (I) Dsus2 | F | Dm Dsus2 | Am | G (V) |
Verse
Let’s take a look at the verse, where the chords become much simpler.
We begin with repeating chords VI – III three times, followed by II – V. It looks like this:
||: Am (VI) | Am | Em (III) | Em :|| x3
| Dm (II) Dm/A | Dm Dm/A | G (V) G/D | G |
There’s TAB available for the best strumming technique for this verse. For example, the Dm – Dm/A in the first bar is strummed differently from the second bar, so be sure to check the TAB to get this right.
These two sections, the verse and the intro/bridge, repeat three times before we move into an instrumental section.
Bridge
The bridge features the same chords as the intro but requires a different strumming pattern (check the TAB).
Instrumental
Losing My Religion’s instrumental section uses these chords:
| Am (VI) Asus4 | Am/G Am | Fmaj7 (IV) F6 | D7sus2 (II) |
You can think of these chords as variations of an Am chord, with a descending bass line. Even the Fmaj7 is essentially an Am/F, F6 is chord IV, and D7sus2 is chord II with no 3rd.
For the lyrics “that was just a dream…”, the chords take a new direction: C – Cadd9 – D7sus2. Since the melody remains unchanged, we simply shift the bass notes. Again, refer to the TAB for this.
Outro
In the outro, we first play an Am, followed by just the note E, then descend through notes that can be described as an Amadd4.
Peter Buck may have originally written the riff for Losing My Religion on a mandolin, not realising it would translate so perfectly to a single acoustic guitar!
Be sure to check the TAB, then return here to study this chord chart before heading to the gig.
Losing My Religion Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Losing My Religion chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Losing My Religion iReal Pro.
Using this and the iRealPro app you can change the key, although I can’t see that working too well – especially if you want to include that mandolin melody!
Losing My Religion TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you get TAB for all sections of Losing My Religion, as a preview, here’s the intro with the melody woven into the strumming.
Key Songwriting Lessons
“Losing my religion” is a phrase commonly used in the southern U.S. to describe losing one’s temper, which I found fascinating. I had always assumed it meant losing one’s faith, but this ambiguity is a great songwriting trick. By leaving room for the listener to interpret the meaning, the lyrics become more relatable and powerful.
The song, written by lead singer Michael Stipe, centres around unrequited love. Interestingly, the lyrics began as “that’s me in the kitchen,” showcasing another valuable songwriting tip: don’t get bogged down in details at the start. Instead, allow your song to evolve. This approach is similar to Paul McCartney’s famous story about Yesterday, which initially began with the phrase “scrambled eggs.”
Once Stipe settled on the lyrics and the iconic mandolin riff (surprisingly easy to adapt for guitar), R.E.M. had crafted their signature song. The track became the lead single for their seventh album Out Of Time (1991), propelling them to superstardom. The album sold 18 million copies and spent 183 weeks on the U.K. charts, while the single itself sold 1.5 million copies in the U.S. (both digital and physical).
Impressively, Losing My Religion achieved this success before the advent of digital downloads, illustrating its longevity. I attribute much of this to the song’s simple yet compelling chord progressions, making it easy for guitarists to learn and perform, ensuring the song remains relevant to this day.
Losing My Religion Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Losing My Religion (R.E.M.) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
