Michael Stipe, who turned 64 today (Thursday), has posted a birthday message on his socials that is as cryptic as many of his lyrics have been over the years.
He writes: "This birthday -- like, now -- I am going from being three 21yr olds to being four 16yr olds, and I’m a Beatles song on top of that. (An obvious reference to Paul McCartney's Sgt. Pepper's ditty "When I'm 64.") He closes with some hashtags and a bizarre comment about them: "#itsmybirthday #itsmybirthdaybitches #thebeatles & the only day of the year I will hashtag because its stupid and this platform rank zero."
The rest of the six numbered comments are harder to decipher without all the photos that accompany them. All six are only found on Facebook, while X has four of the shots and Instagram just one. They are:
- (see above)
- "Price Drop (Doug Coupland [birthday] gift)" (an odd shot of knick-knacks with an inset of a photo of some dropping tiles with the word "Price" on them and the logo of Hermes of Paris)
- "Biology Religion" (the photo seems to be from a book that presumably was another birthday gift)
- "a 3 of [clubs] away from a birthday win" (the photo seems to show a solitaire game he nearly won)
- "world’s chillest stereo set up" (the photo appears to be his home stereo set-up)
- "awesome studio visit with Carol John for her upcoming hyper celestial NYC show, opening January 11 at #ivyjeannebrowngallery #caroljohnstudio" (the photo depicts what is presumably Carol John's artwork)
We'll miss the hashtags, Michael.