Losing My Religion Video (MV)

"Losing My Religion" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in February 1991 by Warner Bros. as the first single and the second track from the group's seventh album, Out of Time (1991).

Built on a mandolin riff, it was written by lead singer Michael Stipe and is about unrequited love. The song was an unlikely hit for the group, garnering extensive airplay on radio as well as on MTV and VH1 due to its critically acclaimed music video, directed by Tarsem Singh.

Stipe has repeatedly stated that the song's lyrics are not about religion. The phrase "lost my religion" is an expression from the southern region of the United States that means "losing one's temper or civility" or "feeling frustrated and desperate."

"I tweaked it slightly for the title," explained Stipe, who told The New York Times the song was about romantic expression. He told Q that "Losing My Religion" is also about "someone who pines for someone else. It's unrequited love, what have you." Stipe compared the song's theme to "Every Breath You Take" (1983) by The Police, saying, "It's just a classic obsession pop song. I've always felt the best kinds of songs are the ones where anybody can listen to it, put themselves in it and say, 'Yeah, that's me.'"

The single became R.E.M.'s highest-charting hit in the United States, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and expanding the group's popularity beyond its original fan-base. At the 1992 Grammy Awards, "Losing My Religion" won two awards: Best Short Form Music Video and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

In 2017, "Losing My Religion" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.