POLL: "Never Tear Us Apart" (INXS) vs. "Everybody Hurts" (R.E.M.)

Yeah, I think that's the best line in the song.

Definitely the best line!

I never considered the folding a hand of cards, I always just took "throw your hand" as some sort of dramatic gesture of despair, like maybe punching a hole in the wall, or shaking one's fist at God. What makes it so great is its unexpectedness and obtuseness, something you almost never find in the top 40.

I mean they were Southern boys I'm p sure it's cards

that basic guitar arpeggio on everybody hurts just bores me, it doesn't do the lyric any favours

"don't throw your hand" is actually pretty specific suicide reference, it's a reference to playing cards,

I mean, I thought this was obvious(!); and it’s why I was agreeing w/Tim about that line. “Don’t commit suicide” seems like somewhat... clumsy advice to a severely depressed person. But if it helped some people to hear it in this song, ok!

(Incidentally, I recall some mishearing this line as an even more specific suicide reference: “Don’t blow your head off”!)

there might be a UK/US divide wrt to poker?

FWIW, I actually like “Sometimes everything is wrong/Now it's time to sing along” — it feels like a glimmer of the “self-aware inspirational song” thing

this is an interesting genre, the explicitly palliative/consoling song