What if all your dreams come true? If you’re Michael Stipe, the answer is disillusionment

After yesterday’s announcement that REM were splitting after 31 years my mind was taken back to this quote.  In September 1996 NME published a review of REM’s New Adventures in Hi-Fi. In what must be one of the most extraordinary cd reviews NME wrote;

What if all your dreams come true?

If you’re Michael Stipe, the answer is disillusionment.  Of all the maladies that can strike you down, disillusionment is the darkest. Disillusionment is neither trust betrayed, nor hopes shattered.  Disillusionment is far worst. It is all of your goals attained, all of your ambitions achieved, all your hopes fulfilled and yet there is no satisfaction.  No peace. Disillusionment is the hollow realization that the fault resides within yourself, that even with everything you’ve ever wanted you are an incurable emotional vacuum.

Most of us will never get to be where Michael Stipe is, will never find our dreams fulfilled only to discover it means f- all.