Real
Thomas Natasha Lyrics
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set of figurines
she'd often let me play with them, i'd
set 'em up in different scenes
fifty plastic army men, led by superman
destroyed the ranks of mother goose
mary and her little
sister getting real
and i can too, as long as i don't
make a sound
when we were real and we were in love
with everyone and everything, i guess it
was the beauty of
bluebird clears his throat of phlegm
and static singing operatic
evening comes, and the butterflies are
bats eat the spider that had saddled up
beside her
and the dish, his lovin' spoon were
never found
and i'm taking flight seeking relief, the
lure of handkerchief so white
i chase it straight into the ground
The lyrics in Thomas Natasha's song "Real" take us through a nostalgic journey of the artist's childhood memories mixed with a surreal imagination. The song describes playing with figurines as a child and creating different scenes of battles, where superman led an army of plastic soldiers against the ranks of mother goose and other nursery rhymes. The imagery in this part of the song is colorful and imaginative, with the destruction of childhood stories being a metaphor for the loss of innocence.
The lyrics then transition into a reference to the fleeting nature of love and how everyone and everything was once beautiful in the artist's eyes. The bluebird clearing his throat of phlegm and singing operatically seems to represent the harsh realities of the world interfering with our innocent perceptions. The evening comes, and the bats eat the spider that saddled up beside her, while the dish and the spoon that went missing in the nursery rhyme of "Hey Diddle Diddle" are never found. Here the artist is describing how the harsh reality of the world can interfere with love and how things are not always as they seem.
The final lines of the song talk about the enticing draw of escaping reality, represented through a white handkerchief. The artist chases after it but ends up crashing and falling back into reality, suggesting that even though it can be tempting to escape reality, we all eventually come back to it.
Overall, "Real" is a song that explores the loss of innocence and the reality of the world that we all gradually come to experience. The vivid imagery and references to childhood stories make the song relatable to anyone who has experienced the joys and pains of growing up.
Line by Line Meaning
my sister had a nursery rhyme
My sister had a collection of figurines inspired by nursery rhymes.
set of figurines
A group of small toys or statues, often representing characters or objects from a story.
she'd often let me play with them, i'd
Sometimes my sister would share her toys with me and I would play with them.
set 'em up in different scenes
I would arrange the toys in various scenarios or settings.
fifty plastic army men, led by superman
One of the toy sets included 50 plastic soldiers, with Superman leading the pack.
destroyed the ranks of mother goose
In one play session, the plastic soldiers conquered and defeated a group of nursery rhyme characters.
mary and her little
The start of a new thought.
lamb slips away and catches
The little lamb escapes unnoticed and is discovered.
sister getting real
My sister becomes emotionally vulnerable and opens up.
and i can too, as long as i don't
I can also become authentic and connect with others, as long as I keep quiet.
make a sound
Not expressing my true self or making noise.
when we were real and we were in love
In the past, we were genuine and had a deep affection for everything and everyone in our lives.
with everyone and everything, i guess it
I think that our love and authenticity was because we appreciated and accepted everything around us.
was the beauty of
The magic of our pure love.
bluebird clears his throat of phlegm
A bluebird makes an unpleasant sound to start singing.
and static singing operatic
The singing voice is heard loudly, but with interference, like static.
evening comes, and the butterflies are
The butterflies in my stomach intensify as night falls.
bats eat the spider that had saddled up
Bats consume the spider that was previously sitting next to me.
beside her
Referring to a female subject near the spider and I.
and the dish, his lovin' spoon were
A reference to the nursery rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle, where the dish and spoon characters disappear.
never found
The characters were missing and never located.
and i'm taking flight seeking relief, the
I am flying and trying to find comfort.
lure of handkerchief so white
I am drawn towards a white handkerchief.
i chase it straight into the ground
In pursuit of the handkerchief, I dive headfirst into the ground.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOUG SAHM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind