The band originally consisted of David Sterry (lead vocals/guitar), Richard Zatorski (violin/keyboard), Alan Johnson (bass) and Danny Simcic (drums). Steve Williams (keyboard) replaced Zatorski in 1986, who was then replaced by George Pappas in 1996 after a long hiatus of band activity.
Real Life released their second and final album with the original lineup in 1985 titled Flame, which spawned minor hits "One Blind Love" and "Face To Face" although neither the album nor the singles repeated their previous success. The first single "No Shame" failed to chart, a video was shot for the second single "Face to Face" and it got airplay in Australia but nothing in the way of success. In 1986, they recorded the controversial song "Babies", which was even less successful, for a new North American release Down Comes the Hammer. "Babies", was the first new recording by the band that was not written by David Sterry and Zatorski. There were two other new songs and a re-mix of "Send Me an Angel". Incredibly this was to be the first of three best of albums after the band had only recorded two studio LPs. Zatorski left the band due to management pressure and attended law school and is now a practising lawyer in Melbourne.
At some stage Zatorski formed a new band called Zatorski, and recorded an updated version of "Send Me an Angel". In 1989 Real Life released a new version of "Send me an Angel", titled "Send Me an Angel '89", which fared slightly better than the original in the United States. The video for the 1989 version was identical to the original except Zatorski was edited out of all shots. The Australian video of "Send Me An Angel '89" was shot in Ormond College, The University of Melbourne, with Steve Williams on keyboard. In 1990, they released Lifetime, their first album of all-new material in five years, which spawned minor hits with "God Tonight" and "Kiss The Ground".
Steve Williams (keyboard) was the post Zatorski musician and was followed by George Pappas. A falling out occurred between Sterry and the remaining two original members Simcic and Johnson.
In 1998, they released Happy, which was followed in 2004 by Imperfection, this time featuring only David Sterry and George Pappas. In November of 2005, George announced his departure from the band. David has continued to carry the band name on his own. In 2004 toured the West coast of the U.S. to promote the album Imperfection with additional member Scott Ingram on drums. For this tour the band consisted of David Sterry, George Pappas and Scott Ingram.
In 2006, a new album of new mixes Send Me an Angel was released, bring the total number of versions of the song to approximately seventeen, including: * 1983: the original recording * 1983: the extended version * 1986: "Down Comes the Hammer" version * 1989: 4 versions in remix form on the "Send Me an Angel 89" single * 2006: 10 versions in remix form on the Send Me an Angel album which has the same cover as the 2004 release Send Me an Angel - Real Life's Greatest Hits, which has two 1989 versions of the song.
In spring 2008 Real Life (David Sterry) performed live for the first time in the Philippines along with When in Rome and A Flock of Seagulls as part of the Lost 80's Tour in Manila.
In 2009 they released a sixth album of covers of 80s songs called Send Me an Angel - '80s Synth Essentials.
In 2020 they released their seventh album Sirens.
There is another artist with the same name:
2. A performer by the name of Castle uses the moniker "Real Life" on the NinjaTune label (and its sublabel NTone) where they have released several 'space-bass' electronic works, including "Leysh" which featured vocals by Natasha Atlas. These songs are generally in a mid-tempo ambient-dub style.
the legend
Real Life Lyrics
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Now it isn't true
About the legend
Where does that lead you?
Looks like forever, walks a crooked mile
I'll take my chances, I waste the days
If darkness finds me, I can move sideways
This is the legend, this is foretold
Are all shooting in the dark
So I can't waste another day
Waiting for the world to change
If I turn my face away
Will I give myself away?
We're out of chances
I'm out of time
We're out of answers
The riddle doesn't rhyme
This is the legend, this is foretold
But the ones we need to know
Are all shooting in the dark
I can't waste another day
Waiting for the world to change
If I turn my face away
Will I give myself away?
The song “The Legend” by Real Life is a reflection on the idea of legends and myths. The lyrics first reference a story that is not true, indicating that legends can often be exaggerated or distorted over time. The singer questions where these legends lead us, suggesting that we may end up in a place that is not based in reality. The line “Looks like forever, walks a crooked mile” implies that even though legends may seem everlasting, they are often filled with twists and turns that veer from the truth.
The chorus emphasizes that the singer cannot wait for the world to change, but instead must take action and not give up. The lines “We’re out of chances, I’m out of time, we’re out of answers, the riddle doesn’t rhyme” signify that the situation they face may be hopeless and confusing, but they still need to find a solution. The repetition of “This is the legend, this is foretold” reinforces the idea that this story has been passed down through generations, and it is up to them to determine what the truth really is.
Overall, “The Legend” can be seen as a call to action, urging the listener to not give up in the face of adversity, and to question the legitimacy of stories that have been passed down through time.
Line by Line Meaning
You've heard the story
You've heard a version of events, but it wasn't the truth
Now it isn't true
What you thought was true, isn't actually true
About the legend
Regarding the myth or story that has been passed down
Where does that lead you?
What is the consequence or outcome of believing and spreading falsehoods?
Looks like forever, walks a crooked mile
It may seem like it will last indefinitely, but it will be filled with difficulties
I'll take my chances, I waste the days
I'm willing to take risks, even if it means I may not succeed
If darkness finds me, I can move sideways
If I encounter obstacles or hardships, I can adapt and find another way
This is the legend, this is foretold
This is the well-known story or myth that has been predicted
But the ones we need to know
The important information we require
Are all shooting in the dark
Those who possess such information are unsure or uncertain themselves
So I can't waste another day
I can no longer afford to sit idly and wait for things to change
Waiting for the world to change
Waiting for external events or developments to occur that will change the situation
If I turn my face away
If I refuse to acknowledge the situation or accept responsibility
Will I give myself away?
Will I be sacrificing my own agency and autonomy?
We're out of chances
We've run out of opportunities or options
I'm out of time
I don't have any more time to waste or delay
We're out of answers
We don't have any more solutions or explanations
The riddle doesn't rhyme
The situation or problem doesn't make sense or add up
Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.