She thinks I'm much too thin
She asks me if I'm sick
What's a girl to do with friends like this

She let's me drive her car
So I can score an eighth
From the lesbians
Out west in Venice

Oh-oh-oh
California in the summer
Ah-ah-ah
And my hair is growing long
Fuck yeah we can live like this

But if you left it up to me
Everyday would be a holiday...
From real
We'd waste our weeks beneath the sun
We'd fry our brains and say its so much fun...
Out here

But when its all over
I'll come back for another year

I look for work today
I'm spilling out the door
Put my glasses on,
So no one sees me
I'd never thought that
I'd be living on your floor
But the rents are high
And L.A. easy

Oh-oh-oh
It's a picture of perfection
Ah-ah-ah
And the postcard gunna read...
Fuck yeah we can live like this
We can live like this

But if you left it up to me
Everyday would be a holiday...
From real
We'd waste our weeks beneath the sun
We'd fry our brains and write its so much fun...
Out here

Hey Madeline
(Hey Madeline)
You sure look fine
(You sure look fine)
You wore my favorite sweater
Being bored was never better

A safety buzz
Some cheap red wine
Oh the trouble we can get in
So let's screw this one up right

But if you left it up to me
Everyday would be a holiday...
From real
We'd waste our weeks beneath the sun
We'd lie, and tell our friends its so much fun...
Out here

But when its all over
I'll come back for another...
But when its all over
I'll come back for another year


Lyrics submitted by iknowimsopathetic

Holiday from Real Lyrics as written by Andrew Ross Mcmahon

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Holiday From Real song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

99 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +3
    General Comment

    this is so good and a little more adult than many soco efforts, i think its just about living and letting life wash over you. trying to enjoy it rather than worrying about problems

    i love the way he sings "fuck yeah we can live like this" its so relaxed and honest.

    its about being young and loving it

    Jonnyxxon April 27, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Almost the entire song is being sarcastic. It sounds like hes living the typical glamorous so cal life, and hes trying not to dissapoint his friends, so hes telling them how great it is, even when its not.

    recyledxphraseson September 14, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    this sure didn't take long to be put up. lol i still haven't heard it though..:( i'm having troule getting it.

    RuthLesson March 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is amazing, Andrew is such a great songwriter.

    I did find two corrections though:

    In the second chorus it's "We'd fry our brains and write it's so much fun."

    and then In the third chorus it's "We'd lie and tell our friends it's so much fun."

    soco_2325on March 12, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    such an awesome track... I cannot wait for their cd to come out.

    nikki04on March 12, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song is just plain fun... i could see it becoming my summertime anthem

    bad obsessionon March 21, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    when is their CD coming out? im just totally anticipating it. i love this song. their website is pretty intersting too. haha

    Pandaboion March 22, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    andrew put the lyrics up on the jack's mannequin site ... and you did a really good job w/ them :) except "A safe device" is supposed to be "a saftey buzz"

    nikki04on March 29, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I can play the song off their site, but does anyone know where I can download the song?

    What does "a saftey buzz" mean?

    msg555on April 06, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    By the way, it's "We'd waste our weeks beneath the sun" not "We'd waste for weeks beneath the sun "

    msg555on April 06, 2005   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.