"Here in the Real World" is a song co-written and recorded by American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
artist
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is known for performing a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country", as well as writing many of his own songs. Jackson has recorded 21 studi ...
. It was released in January 1990 as the second single and title track from his debut album ''
Here in the Real World
''Here in the Real World'' is the debut studio album by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released on February 27, 1990, and produced five singles: "Blue Blooded Woman", "Here in the Real World", "Wanted", "Chasin' That Neon ...
'', and in early 1990 it became his first Top 10 country hit. The song reached a peak of number 3 on the U.S. ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Hot Country Singles & Tracks
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
charts, and number 1 on the Canadian ''
RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines.
One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...
'' Top Country Tracks charts and 162 in the UK in August 1990. Jackson wrote the song with
Mark Irwin. The song is also included on Jackson's 2015 career-spanning box set ''
Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story''.
Content
The song is a mid-tempo piece, firmly in the
neotraditional style, backed by
fiddle
A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...
and
steel-string acoustic guitar
The steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar that descends from the gut-strung Romantic guitar, but is strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. Like the modern classical guitar, it is often referred to simply ...
, in which the narrator observes the difference between an idealized movie situation and the real world, saying "If life were like the movies, I'd never be blue". In the chorus, he observes that "here in the real world, it's not that easy at all / 'Cause when hearts get broken, it's real tears that fall."
Critical reception
Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade," calling the conceit "bloody well brilliant, what with the juxtaposition of reality and fiction, but none of its intelligence would matter without the heartbroke sincerity that gives it its simplicity." An uncredited review from ''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' magazine was also positive, praising the
neotraditionalist country sound and saying that Jackson "gives us incredible lyrics with just the right hooks. This cut offers a strong sense of comfort and a vocal range that’s totally soothing."
Music video
The music video was directed by Jim May and premiered in early 1990. It begins with a retro-style title card, features mostly Jackson performing, and closes with a brief snippet of
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...
singing "
Back in the Saddle Again
"Back in the Saddle Again" was the signature song of American cowboy entertainer Gene Autry. It was co-written by Autry with Ray Whitley and first released in 1939. The song was associated with Autry throughout his career and was used as the n ...
."
Covers
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Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American country musician and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' on CBS television from ...
recorded the song on his 1994 album ''
Glen Campbell Live! His Greatest Hits''
*
George Jones
George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American Country music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...
recorded this song on his last studio album, ''
Hits I Missed...And One I Didn't''
*
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American Country music, country singer. Beginning his career as a Negro league baseball player in the early-1950s, he later pursued a career in country music, becoming the gen ...
recorded the song on his 1991 album ''Classics With Pride''
Chart positions
Year-end charts
References
{{authority control
1990 singles
Alan Jackson songs
Charley Pride songs
Glen Campbell songs
George Jones songs
Songs written by Mark Irwin (songwriter)
Songs written by Alan Jackson
Song recordings produced by Scott Hendricks
Song recordings produced by Keith Stegall
Arista Nashville singles
1990 songs