Atlanta Rhythm Section, sometimes abbreviated ARS, is an American rock band… Read Full Bio ↴Atlanta Rhythm Section, sometimes abbreviated ARS, is an American rock band from the South The band unofficially formed in 1970 as former members of the Candymen and the Classics IV became the session band for the newly opened Studio One in Doraville, Georgia, near Atlanta. After playing on other artists' recordings, they decided to become a true band in their own right. The members of the original band were Rodney Justo (singer), Barry Bailey (guitarist), Paul Goddard (bassist), Dean Daughtry (keyboardist) and Robert Nix (drummer). Justo left the band after the first album and was replaced by Ronnie Hammond. Buddy Buie, the band's manager and producer, is listed first on almost all of the songwriting credits of the band's songs.

While ARS would never reach the commercial success of Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Marshall Tucker Band, the group had a strong following in the south and charted a number of hits such as "Imaginary Lover," "I'm Not Going to Let it Bother Me Tonight," "Champagne Jam," "So Into You," and a remake of a Classics IV hit, "Spooky."

The band also influenced a number of rock and country artists, notably Travis Tritt, who recorded a cover of the ARS songs, "Back Up Against the Wall" and "Homesick." The group Shudder to Think covered "So Into You."

Imaginary Lover
Atlanta Rhythm Section Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Imaginary lovers
Never turn you down
When all the others turn you away
They're around
It's my private pleasure
Midnight fantasy
Someone to share my
Wildest dreams with me

Imaginary lover you're mine anytime
Imaginary lovers, oh yeah

When ordinary lovers
Don't feel what you feel
And real-life situations lose their thrill
Imagination's unreal
Imaginary lover, imaginary lover
You're mine anytime

Imaginary lovers never disagree
They always care
They're always there when
You need satisfaction guaranteed
Imaginary lover, imaginary lover
You're mine all the time

My imaginary lover
You're mine anytime

Overall Meaning

The Atlanta Rhythm Section's song, "Imaginary Lover," speaks to the idea of an imaginary lover being there for you when real-life situations lose their thrill. The setting of the song is a world where real-life lovers cannot feel or understand what the singer is going through, but an imaginary lover is always there, never turning the singer down. The singer expresses that their imaginary lover is their private pleasure, their midnight fantasy - someone to share their wildest dreams with.

The use of the term "imaginary" throughout the song highlights the fact that the singer is aware that their lover is not real, but regardless, there is a deep emotional connection. This surreal and imaginative world shows that the singer is seeking comfort in the unknown or in something that may not exist in real life. The song's message, although romantic in essence, speaks to the idea of finding solace in one's own world, something that may not fall into societal norms.

Overall, the song expresses the idea of a never-ending desire to be accepted and loved, whether in a world where the people around you may not understand you or in a make-believe world that is entirely your own.

Line by Line Meaning

Imaginary lovers
The idea of an imaginary lover.

Never turn you down
They will never refuse any attention or affection given to them with what is imagined as a lover.

When all the others turn you away
When other people don't want to give you their time or attention.

They're around
The idea of an imaginary lover is always present.

It's my private pleasure
Having an imaginary lover is something that is pleasurable and personal to who is imagining it.

Midnight fantasy
The idea of an imaginary lover is something that can inspire fantasies, particularly at night.

Someone to share my wildest dreams with me
The idea of an imaginary lover is a person to be a part of the wildest, but often unshared, thoughts and fantasies.

Imaginary lover you're mine anytime
The idea that an imaginary lover is only present at certain times is not true, they can be thought of anytime.

When ordinary lovers
When real lovers.

Don't feel what you feel
When the real people someone is with don't have the same feelings that are desired or expected.

And real-life situations lose their thrill
In real life romantic situations can become dull.

Imagination's unreal
Having an imaginary lover is just something that is imaginary, it's not real but can inspire desirable feelings and emotions.

Imaginary lover, imaginary lover
Repeating the imaginary lover to emphasize the point.

You're mine anytime
The idea that an imaginary lover is only present at certain times is not true, they can be thought of anytime.

Imaginary lovers never disagree
The idea of an imaginary lover is one that will never differ from the feelings and emotions expected or desired.

They always care
The idea of an imaginary lover is one that will always care and do what is best for the person imagining them.

They're always there when
The idea of an imaginary lover is one that is always present when they are needed.

You need satisfaction guaranteed
When the desire is to have something, specifically affection or attention, to be guaranteed to meet your satisfaction.

My imaginary lover
The idea of the imaginary lover who is personal to who is imagining.

You're mine anytime
The idea that an imaginary lover is only present at certain times is not true, they can be thought of anytime.

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BUDDY BUIE, DEAN DAUGHTRY, ROBERT NIX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS