1. A rock musician fr… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists which use this name
1. A rock musician from England
2. A trumpet player
1. Sir Ray Davies (born June 21, 1944 at Fortis Green, London, full name Raymond Douglas Davies) is an influential English rock musician, best known as lead singer-songwriter for The Kinks - one of the most influential, prolific and long-lived British Invasion bands - which he led with his younger brother, Dave Davies. He has also acted, directed and produced shows for theater and television.
In 1985, he released his first solo album Return to Waterloo, which accompanied a television film he wrote and directed. Since the demise of The Kinks in the mid-90s Ray Davies has embarked on a critically successful solo career. In 1998, he released The Storyteller. His 2006 release Other People's Lives was his first top 30 hit in the UK since 1980s, when he worked with The Kinks. He released his fourth solo release Working Man's Café in 2007. Ten years later in 2017, he was knighted for services to the arts. In the same year, he released his next solo album Americana, which peaked at No. 15 in the UK. Its sequel, Our Country: Americana Act 2, was released in 2018.
2. Ray Davies is a trumpeter and film composer.
Real World
Ray Davies Lyrics
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Threw back all the beads at the parade
Fake worlds and logos in the shopping mall
Where you came from
Everything seemed the same the whole world now
So you headed down south
Left your old home town
But where is the real world?
Get out of the bar
And follow the stars
Now you've relocated so far away from the real world
But where is the real world?
Ambitious eyes set firmly on the future
So keen to leave your old home town
But you're a lost soul looking for the
Great illusion in another state
You had to escape you know you just couldn't
Wait you thought the real world let you down.
So you headed down south left another home town
Now you don't have the time to think
Who's left behind in the real world
Watching game shows all day was no kind of deal
It all seemed oh so surreal
Had to break from the real world
But where is the real world?
One day you'll wake up and you will feel
"I am alive this is real"
Your friends came down to visit from all over
To see first hand the brand new start you made
But you were overqualified for the tips you
Earn in a bar
It won't work here and it didn't work there but
You tried it anyway
So head off in the car and follow the stars
There's someone waiting not far away
In the real world
Hope you get there this time
But just bear in mind
There's a lot of lost souls looking out
For a sign for the real world
But where is the real world?
One day you'll wake up and you will feel
"I am alive this is real"
The lyrics to Ray Davies's song Real World describe the feeling of being disconnected from reality and seeking a new start in life. The opening lines set the scene at a Mardi Gras parade with people indulging in the festivities, but ultimately feeling empty and unfulfilled. The theme of fake worlds and logos in the shopping mall further emphasizes the idea of society's illusions and materialism.
The singer of the song decides to leave their old hometown in search of the real world, but is eventually met with disappointment as they continue to feel lost and disconnected. The constant search for a greater purpose and ambition is reflected in the lines "ambitious eyes set firmly on the future," but this new start doesn't provide the fulfillment they were hoping for.
The chorus repeats the question, "where is the real world?" suggesting that it's not something that can necessarily be found by physically relocating. In the end, the song offers a glimmer of hope that the singer will one day wake up and feel alive, affirming that the real world is not always an external destination, but a state of being.
Line by Line Meaning
You danced and partied at the Mardi Gras
You indulged in the manufactured merriment of Mardi Gras
Threw back all the beads at the parade
You discarded the trinkets handed out at the parade
Fake worlds and logos in the shopping mall
The mall presented an artificial environment of brands and advertisements
Where you came from
Your place of origin
Everything seemed the same the whole world now
Uniformity characterized the world you knew
So you headed down south
You decided to move to a southern locale
Left your old home town
You abandoned your birthplace
Relocated so far away from the real world
You moved to a place removed from reality
But where is the real world?
The true nature of existence eluded you
Get out of the bar
Stop wasting time in a drinking establishment
And follow the stars
Pursue a path laid out by destiny
Now you've relocated so far away from the real world
You have disconnected yourself from actuality
But where is the real world?
You remain unsure of what constitutes the real world
Ambitious eyes set firmly on the future
You were motivated and focused on the future
So keen to leave your old home town
You were eager to escape your hometown
But you're a lost soul looking for the
You were wandering aimlessly, searching for the
Great illusion in another state
You hoped for a grand deception in a new location
You had to escape you know you just couldn't
Leaving became imperative as you felt trapped
Wait you thought the real world let you down.
You believed that reality had let you down
So you headed down south left another home town
You moved to another city in the south
Now you don't have the time to think
You're too busy to contemplate your existence
Who's left behind in the real world
You're uncertain about those still stuck in reality
Watching game shows all day was no kind of deal
Mindlessly watching TV all day lacked fulfillment
It all seemed oh so surreal
Everything felt dreamlike and incongruous
Had to break from the real world
You had to separate yourself from actuality
But where is the real world?
You still have no clear idea of what the real world is
One day you'll wake up and you will feel
Someday you'll awaken and experience
"I am alive this is real"
"I'm truly alive and this is actuality"
Your friends came down to visit from all over
Your friends arrived from various places to see you
To see first hand the brand new start you made
They aimed to witness your fresh beginnings in person
But you were overqualified for the tips you
You were too experienced for the small gratuities
Earn in a bar
You earned income from a drinking establishment
It won't work here and it didn't work there but
Your attempts to succeed proved fruitless here or there, but
You tried it anyway
You attempted it regardless
So head off in the car and follow the stars
Travel by car and take the path destiny chooses
There's someone waiting not far away
There's a person nearby waiting for you
In the real world
In actuality
Hope you get there this time
I hope you reach actuality this time
But just bear in mind
Remember
There's a lot of lost souls looking out
There are many aimless people searching
For a sign for the real world
For a symbol of the actual world
But where is the real world?
But where can the actual world be found?
One day you'll wake up and you will feel
Someday you'll awaken and experience
"I am alive this is real"
"I'm truly alive and this is actuality"
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RAY DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind