In which The Gay Recluse remembers tenth grade.

Like a million other kids in 1984 we were obsessed with Murmur, by R.E.M.

Our friend Tom owned the LP and we used to go down to his room to listen to it — this was at boarding school — and then we made a tape. (That was before computers!)

The quiet, hushed lyrics really spoke to us, because we were just starting to acknowledge certain “things,” but only at night, and only in a quiet, hushed whisper.

We didn’t care what what Michael Stipe was saying, and hated everyone who made fun of him for mumbling. At least it wasn’t dumb shit about liking girls! (Not that we made that point.)

We didn’t know at the time that he would have the la$t laugh, of cour$e.

We always loved “Perfect Circle,” which was the most haunting song on the record. It was the “ballad.”

The other day it just came to us as we were getting out of the subway.

So we decided to record it.

Honestly, it’s probably not the best thing we’ve ever done, and it’s safe to say that we prefer the R.E.M. version.

But whatevs. That’s why covers are rarely easy!

Still, it was good to make the recording.

There was a time when we would have died for this song.

And in some ways, we probably did.

“Perfect Circle” by R.E.M. (Death Culture at Sea version) (Listen to the MP3)