R.E.M. - Oh My Heart and lyrics

Lyrics:
The kids have a new take
A new take on a fate
Pick up the pieces
Get carried away

I came home to a city half erased
I came home to face what we faced

This place needs me here to start
This place is the beat of my heart
Oh my heart

The storm didn't kill me
The Government changed
Hear the answer and call
Hear the song rearranged

Hear the trees, the ghosts and the buildings sing
With the wisdom to recocile this thing

It's sweet and it's sad and it's true
How it doesn't look bitter on you
Oh my heart

Mother and father
I stand beside you
The good of this world might help
See me through

This place needs me here to start
This place is the beat of my heart
Oh my heart

INPR Music asked Michael Stipe to tell us a bit about this new song, and here's what he has to say:
It's a very quiet and very meditative song dedicated to New Orleans — about New Orleans. Jacknife [Lee] is great as a producer, because he saw that we were struggling with what is a very quiet song. We were standing really far away from each other in the room, and it was hard not only to actually physically hear each other, but it felt dispersed. He brought us into the middle, and instantly, of course, the song worked.