It’s Real by Real Estate Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Poetic Depths of Indie’s Dreamy Dilemma
Lyrics
The wheel
Sometimes I feel like I don’t know
The deal
But when I tell you how
I feel
Believe me when I say
It’s real
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It’s real
I carved our names into
A tree
I walked on decomposing
Leaves
I skated on a frozen
Sea
It’s real as far as I
Can see
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It’s real
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It’s real
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It’s real
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
It’s real
In an era where authentic connection and genuine experience often seem overshadowed by digital facades and ephemeral trends, Real Estate’s ‘It’s Real’ emerges as a soothing reminder of the tangible and the true. This track, an anthem wrapped in the band’s signature jangly guitars and laid-back vibes, delves into the complexities of certainty and the grounding nature of what we consider real.
Yet, the apparent simplicity of the melody belies deeper currents running through its lyrics. There is a visceral sense of searching, an earnest grappling with the real that is both personal and universally relatable. This contemplation strikes a chord in the age of ambiguity, where ‘it’s real’ becomes both a reassurance and a question.
Navigating the Fog of Modern Uncertainty
The opening lines of ‘It’s Real’ speak to the pervasive doubt that seems an inextricable part of the modern condition. As the narrator confesses uncertainty about who’s ‘behind the wheel,’ listeners are invited into a world where agency is questioned and control feels elusive.
This uncertainty is a dramatic backdrop that forces us to ponder the wheel of life itself — do we ever truly know the deal? The song encapsulates the existential drift many feel in an age where life’s direction can seem as enigmatic as the reasons behind it.
A Profound Simplicity: The Power of Honest Feelings
When the chorus lifts the repetitive and harmonious chant ‘It’s real,’ it becomes a mantra that reassures as much as it inquires. The band manages to capture the earnestness of raw emotion in a world prone to skepticism and the dismissal of feelings.
This is a song that captures the purity of sentiment, a plea for belief in the authenticity of one’s emotions. It is a heart laid bare, asking not for proof or rationale, but simply for trust in the genuineness of one’s own heart.
Romanticism in the Ordinary: Carving Love into Reality
Through the act of carving names into a tree, the lyrics evoke a timeless romantic gesture that contrasts sharply with the transient digital ‘likes’ and ephemeral connections of the modern social landscape. It’s a deliberate etching of memory into the physical world, a declaration that some things — like love — remain long after leaves decay.
The symbolism is rich and grounded, from the tactile sensation of walking on decomposing leaves to the frozen sea that bears witness to the seasons’ change. In these images, the song places love within the realm of natural cycles, something enduring and as indelible as the world around us.
The Quest For Authenticity Amidst a Sea of Counterfeits
Skating on the frozen sea could serve as a metaphor for the delicate dance between reality and the appearance of stability. One wrong move could send you plunging into cold uncertainty, mirroring our own tentative steps in seeking out what is genuinely real in our lives.
Real Estate invites us to consider how we determine the realness of our experiences. Is it through sensory confirmation — the things we can see and touch — or is it a deeper knowing, something we feel ‘as far as I can see,’ an understanding that extends beyond the literal horizon?
The Repetition of Revelation: When Lyrics Forge Identity
The song’s structure, with its insistent repetition of ‘Oh, it’s real,’ serves not merely as a catchy hook but as an incantation, an invocation of the genuine in everyday life. This mantra-like repetition becomes the song’s heartbeat, the melodic pulse affirming the presence of the authentic amidst the everyday.
Moreover, these lines encapsulate our universal search for validation — from the world, from our loved ones, from ourselves. It’s a musical motif that persists, strengthening with each iteration, driving home the message that what is sought is not just real; it is vital.





