"Real World" is a song by American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
group
Matchbox 20. It was released in March 1998 as the fourth single from their debut album, ''
Yourself or Someone Like You''. The single was initially ineligible to chart on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 due to not receiving a physical release in North America; it instead peaked at number nine on the ''Billboard''
Hot 100 Airplay chart in August 1998. However, in December 1998, the Hot 100 chart rules were changed to allow airplay-only singles to chart. As a result, "Real World" became the band's first single to enter the listing, debuting and peaking at number 38. Worldwide, "Real World" reached number five in Canada and number 40 in Australia.
Content
The song was written by lead singer
Rob Thomas, and details him wondering about what it would be like if he lived in various settings other than the current one, including a
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
, a rainmaker, and being a boss at a job, and if they would worsen or improve his life.
Music video
The music video, directed by
Matthew Rolston, starts with Rob walking through a bowling alley with a
camel
A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
, a scene that was filmed at The Dust Bowl in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia. It then shows him on a street, where
Kyle Cook is on an
ice cream truck
An ice cream van (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or ice cream truck (North American English) is a commercial vehicle that ice cream products are sold from, usually during the spring and summer. Ice cream vans ...
, but instead of selling ice cream, he unveils what appears to be a raw steak. Next, Rob is doing a news broadcast, with
Brian Yale acting as a director. In the meantime, intercut with this is a diner with
Paul Doucette dressed as a waitress, eventually discarding the outfit. In the midst of the news broadcast, we see what appears to be a breakfast cereal commercial with Adam Gaynor sitting with a family. The video concludes with the camera going back and forth between Rob with the camel and at the news station.
Track listings
European and Australian CD single
# "Real World" – 3:50
# "
Long Day" (live) – 3:53
# "
3am" (live) – 3:45
Japanese CD single
# "Real World"
# "
Push" (live acoustic)
# "3am" (live acoustic)
# "Busted" (live acoustic)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
External links
Matchbox Twenty Biography on Yahoo! Music*
Billboard - Chart History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Real World (Song)
1996 songs
1998 singles
Atlantic Records singles
East West Records singles
Lava Records singles
Matchbox Twenty songs
Music videos directed by Matthew Rolston
Song recordings produced by Matt Serletic
Songs written by Rob Thomas (musician)
Music videos shot in Australia