Tame Impala – Alter Ego

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Said the voice from afar,
Don't you know it doesn't
have to be so hard? Waiting for
everyone else around to argee,
might take too long

When it won't be so hard,
(it won't be so hard)

Well it's true, yes, but you
wont't get far telling me
that you are all you're meant
to be, when the one from our
dream is sitting right next
to me and I don't know
what to do

Oh alter ego.

Get them to love you,
while the may depending
on your words and wealth,
the only one who's really
judging you is yourself.
Nobody else.

If I could part,
it wouldn't be so hard.

Well it's true yes, but you
won't get far telling me that
you are all you're meant to
be when the one from my
dream is sitting right next
to me and I don't know
what to do.

Oh alter ego.

Send "Alter Ego" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by pavlova

Track duration: 04:48


Alter Ego song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:i agree with the interpretation above except for one thing... when it says "If I could part, it wouldn't be so hard. " I think hes saying that if he didnt have his alter ego, then it would lift the anxiety that comes with pretending to be someone youre not. This song reminds me a lot of a life changing article i read having to do with this alter ego essentially, and other things. thesunmagazine.org/archives/…
    Flag meganthoon April 18, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I think this song is about hiding ones true self and creating an ‘Alter Ego’ to please everyone else. The individual’s true self is fighting with his fake alter ego stating that it isn’t that hard to be yourself. The line ‘the voice from afar’ suggests that the individual has become lost in what everyone else wants to see, and is trying to convince himself that ‘Waiting for everyone else around to argee, might take too long’
    the next line ‘When it won't be so hard’ suggests that it wouldn’t be as hard to be yourself and others will accept you for who you are.

    The individual battles with himself as the fake part of him is trying to convince himself that he is all he needs to be but his true self longs for more depth stating
    ‘Well it's true, yes, but you
    wont't get far telling me
    that you are all you're meant
    to be, when the one from our
    dream is sitting right next
    to me and I don't know
    what to do’

    The song continues by stating all the things that is needed for an individual to be accepted and liked
    ‘Get them to love you,
    while the may depending
    on your words and wealth,’

    The individual realises that the only person judging them is their ‘alter ego’
    ‘the only one who's really
    judging you is yourself.
    Nobody else.’ the individual longs to part ways with his alter ego and show people his true self
    ‘If I could part,
    it wouldn't be so hard.’
    Flag Flower123on April 01, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:One of the most beautiful pieces of psychadelic music out there.
    Flag epilepticteenon November 09, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:man, that's some intense shit- show this tune to everyone you know
    Flag Akronite95on October 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The lyric should actually be "When the one from MY dream is sitting right next to me"
    Someone above mentioned that it was wrong and then offered up the wrong lyric to fix it with.
    Great song, though, love the mix of old and new in this. Very trippy song.
    Flag VirilePandaon September 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is blowing my mind! I try not to kill it with over playing it - but its hard. man. one of the best tunes i have heard in a very long time.
    Flag locksmithon September 01, 2010   Link
  • +1
    Lyric Correction:Oh also, the lyric you have listed as "When the one from my dream" should be corrected to "when the one from OUR dream" his delivery sorta tie the two together "from-our(sounds like fromah)" and his accent obscures the R sound, as noted in his pronunciation of Rs in "won't get Fa(r) telling me that you A(re)".
    Flag bourndeadon August 09, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:This song is too much too handle on psychedelics, the erratic drums+introspective lyrics=me on my couch watching walls melt.
    Flag bourndeadon August 09, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:this jam reminds me of ariel pink's "menapause man," where he laments, "you're trying too hard to be yourself / you're trying to hard to be what you already are."
    Flag dontsnatchmavrckon June 21, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:This song is very obviously about being yourself. "Don't you know it doesn't have to be so hard? Waiting for everyone else around to agree, might take too long" He's saying it would be much easier to act like yourself around others than trying to be someone else so people will like you, "Get them to love you, while the may depending on your words and wealth, the only one who's really judging you is yourself. Nobodyy else." Here he's saying the same thing basically, you're trying to get into crowds and hang out with people who are entirely superficial, and end the end it's not them who are judging you, but it's yourself. So basically, it's like you have an alter ego that isn't like who you really are.
    Flag whatsthedealon June 19, 2010   Link

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