"Editorial abstract illustration evoking the emotional arc of a song titled "Texarkana" by R.E.M.. Noticeable climb from quiet to loud. layered composition, overlapping color planes. Mood: introspective, melancholy, reflective. Visual style: early-1990s alternative aesthetic, weathered film grain. Painterly, grainy film texture, muted palette with strategic accent colors. The composition should read left-to-right like a timeline — calm on one side, intensifying toward the other. Strictly no faces, no text, no logos, no literal objects, no band imagery. Pure color-field abstraction with emotional weight. 16:9 editorial format."
Easy, low-key calm, right in the middle of 19,209 measured songs — measures out best for focus.
122
BPM
Texarkana by R.E.M. is 122 BPM — Allegro (fast).
Half-time 61 BPM · Double-time 244 BPM · released 1991
Fan image for "Texarkana"
An abstract illustration of what this song feels like. Each image is built from a prompt — the text description fed to the image generator. Listeners submit their own prompts, upvote the ones that fit best, and the top-voted prompt drives the next regeneration. After 100 image votes, we make a new picture.
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Song DNA
Notes: Heavily orchestrated with string synthesizer and clear production, creating a smooth yet layered texture; Mike Mills' understated lead vocals provide emotional depth without harshness or intensity.
Misophonia Triggers
Recommended for: deep listening relaxation study
A bittersweet unrequited love song written and led vocally by bassist Mike Mills, featuring heavy orchestration and themes of longing and missed opportunities.
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Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: introspective, melancholy, reflective
Traditions: alternative rock
At a glance
"Texarkana" by R.E.M.
122 BPM, dynamic range 6/10, layered texture, soft vocals. Sits in the middle band — neither built for stillness nor pitched at workout intensity. Whether it works for a given moment depends more on mood and lyrical content than on the acoustic profile. The full sensory breakdown follows.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 6/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.
Sudden changes: mild. There are one or two transitions worth knowing about, though they're musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.
Predictability is high — the song telegraphs what it will do next. A sensory-sensitive listener can usually guess where it's going without close attention.
Vocal style: soft vocals.
Where this sits in R.E.M.'s catalog
We have 89 songs from R.E.M. in the library. Of those, 28 are rated Safe, 52 Moderate, and 9 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 6/10 sits above the artist average of 5.7, making it the #43 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.
Other tracks from Out of Time
We have 10 songs from this album. Overall, the album leans moderate in sensory profile.
- Losing My Religion — moderate DR 6
- Shiny Happy People — safe DR 6
- Near Wild Heaven — safe DR 4
- Country Feedback — moderate DR 4
- Half a World Away — safe DR 5
- Me in Honey — safe DR 6
- Radio Song — moderate DR 6
- Belong — moderate DR 6
- Endgame — safe DR 3
1991 context
Released in 1991. We have 266 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.8/10. This track is quieter / less dynamic than the year average. Explore more from the 1990s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Traditions
alternative rock · 991Guides that may help
Why Video Game Soundtracks Are Perfect for Focus and Study
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Music for Focus That Keeps Slipping: What Actually Works
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Why lo-fi study beats might be lying to you
Lo-fi hip hop is the default focus soundtrack for millions, but the science is messier than the mark…
How fast is "Texarkana"?
122 BPM — Upbeat (dance-pop / running warm-up)
For running
Slow jog or recovery run pace. Matches a 120-140 stride-per-minute cadence.
For workouts
Steady cardio, power walking, light weights.
For daily life
Driving, getting ready in the morning, light party.
Browse more songs at 122 BPM.
When "Texarkana" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
~
Focus / studying
Maybe — fine for routine work, but the mid-song changes may pull attention during deep focus.
✓
Running / workout
Yes — 122 BPM sits squarely in the running / cardio band. Matches natural stride cadence.
✗
Sleep / winding down
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
✓
Driving / road trip
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
✓
Cooking / dinner background
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
✓
Emotional release / catharsis
Yes — this is a song for actively feeling what you came to feel, not for background.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
Why lo-fi study beats might be lying to you
Lo-fi hip hop is the default focus soundtrack for millions, but the science is messier than the marketing. Why it can quietly hurt deep work…
The 10 Calmest Albums Ever Recorded — A low-intensity Listening Guide
The 10 Calmest Albums Ever Recorded — A low-intensity Listening Guide — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
Why Post-Rock Works for Focus — The Logic of Slow Builds
Why post-rock holds attention that slides off everything else: long builds, few sudden changes, and enough happening to occupy the part of y…
Why this rating
We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.
This song in the Music Studio
38/100 intensity
See how “Texarkana” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
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For focused listening
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-13. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 27% of songs, calmer than the other 73%. Its intensity reading of 38/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and soft vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is a fast, driving tempo: more extreme on that axis than 80% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on near-total stillness — steady volume, no surprises, a slow and unhurried pulse — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Baby Britain — Elliott Smith · 99%The Stars of Track and Field — Belle and Sebastian · 99%Soul Meets Body — Death Cab for Cutie · 99%Under African Skies — Paul Simon · 99%
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Sleep6/10
Focus10/10
Workout5/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype4/10
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1991 in context
The 266 songs we’ve measured from 1991 average a dynamic range of 6.8/10. At 6/10, this track is gentler and steadier than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
Intensity38
Dynamics56
Tempo46
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability0
Vocal force25
Trigger load0
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Texarkana"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Texarkana" by R.E.M.?
"Texarkana" by R.E.M. has a tempo of 122 BPM (Allegro (fast)). At half-time that is 61 BPM, and at double-time 244 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Texarkana" by R.E.M.?
"Texarkana" by R.E.M. rates as Moderate intensity. Dynamic range 6/10, mild sudden changes, layered texture. Moderate is the default for well-produced music with real arc but no surprise elements.
How loud is "Texarkana" — what is its dynamic range?
"Texarkana" has a dynamic range of 6/10. Noticeable climb from quiet sections to loudest point. Set opening volume slightly lower than your preferred peak.
Does "Texarkana" have sudden or surprising changes?
"Texarkana" has mild sudden changes — one or two transitions worth knowing about, but they are musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
What is "Texarkana" best for?
In our library "Texarkana" is recommended for: deep listening, relaxation, study. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Texarkana" released?
"Texarkana" is from 1991, on the album "Out of Time". It appears in our 1990s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Texarkana"?
We tag "Texarkana" as introspective, melancholy, reflective. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Texarkana"?
The vocal style is soft vocals.
Is "Texarkana" good for running?
Yes — at 122 BPM it sits in the running-cadence band (120-180 BPM). Match your stride to the beat and it keeps pace with most recreational runners.
Is "Texarkana" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (6/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Texarkana" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Contains transitions that will wake you up.
Should I listen to "Texarkana"?
"Texarkana" is Moderate intensity — fine for most listeners, but with enough dynamic activity that it works best as active listening rather than background.
Songs with the same DNA
layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
What this song means to people
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Where to next?
You know how this one feels — now go find the next one.