Fall into the century on a supersonic cross
Blessed she in aching silence, eternal loss
Calling out I won't surrender a locket of her hair
Sympathize her pious pleasures, go down the stairs
Into the dark again
To feel alive again, and wait for

Real love
Or is it me you're after
Is it time
Cause it's now or never
Real love
Real love forever
Real love

Born of the ball and chain
Into a world sustained with sorrow

Real love
A real touch we speak in
Is it ours
Or is it what we're seekin'
Real love

In the eyes, behold and you'll find the 21st century
You detonate her will and her widowed speech
Buried in the backyard shadow, the rusty coffee tin
That held her mother's first kiss in a nameless dream
Fall down the stairs again
To feel alive against tomorrow

Real love
Or is it me you're after
Is it time
Cause it's now or never
Real love
Real love forever
Is it love
Or just yours to treasure
Real love
Real love
Real love

We never listen
Real love will listen
And tell her of a fortune
Real love is riches
Scratch through the changes
Real love is nameless
So tired and hopeless

Real love is painless
Nobody mentions
We ever move to collect
The solar questions
Demon scorn should not relax
The laws of gravity

Real love


Lyrics submitted by alexboy, edited by jamesmullarkey

Real Love Lyrics as written by William Patrick Corgan

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Real Love song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

21 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    I start to get a headache if i listen to this song too much, because of the staticy background and all. However, this song is wonderful.

    FacebookLoginIsBrokenon July 30, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is a fantastic song, one of my favourites by the Smashing Pumpkins. I loved it since the first time I heared it. Should be more comments for this song!

    MHorneron March 07, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    this song... was made for me and my love... :) although im not with my love, we're "in love" its so wonderful. like this song.

    Princess |\/.\/|on April 02, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    this song is so pretty...man when did billy's music get pretty?? not that i mind, just wondering

    pumpkingirlon April 04, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    beautiful song, i particularly identify myself with this one and a lot of others from billy corgan

    fall into the century on a supersonic cross blessed she in aching silence, eternal loss

    i guess the turn of the century means a new era, means changes, hes loosing her, thats why eternal loss

    calling out i won't surrender a locket of her hair sympathize her pious pleasures, go down the stairs

    he wants something to remember her, he wont surrender a locket of her hair cuz it is all he has to remind her, the second line is about how he attended to her every wishes and now he wont anymore

    into the dark again to feel alive again, and wait for

    real love or is it me you're after is it time cause it's now or never real love real love forever real love

    hes living her and he must find real love, and giving her a last chance, is it me your after, cuz its now or never etc...

    in the eyes, behold and you'll find the 21st century detonate her will and her widowed speech

    this is again about changing and how he will not take her bullsh*t anymore

    buried in the backyard shadow, the rusty coffee tin that held her mother's first kiss in a nameless dream fall down the stairs again to feel alive against tomorrow

    this is one part of the song i cant really understand, can someone help me? in the end he tells again e needs to leave her and feel alive again

    real love or is it me you're after is it time cause it's now or never real love real love forever is it love or just yours to treasure real love real love real love

    then again he asks her if she realy loves him and wants to stay with him

    we never listen real love will listen and tell of a fortune real love is riches scratch through the changes real love is nameless so tired and hopeless real love is painless nobody mentions we ever move to collect the solar questions demon scorn should not relax the laws of gravity

    real love

    here he tells what he thinks that real love should be and maybe why he doenst think he and she have real love

    in the end this song is about a man leaving a woman and giving her a last chance to prove her "real" love, or is it something unreal what they have

    desauridoon December 03, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Really read this part:

    "in the eyes, behold and you'll find the 21st century detonate her will and her widowed speech buried in the backyard shadow, the rusty coffee tin that held her mother's first kiss in a nameless dream fall down the stairs again to feel alive against tomorrow"

    There is a lot in it.

    WilliamTheProtectoron March 01, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    this song is a like a shoegazer song. the cool thing about billy is that he tries on tons of different styles, and he almost always does it as well or better than the bands that only play in that style

    harsh stone whiteon January 22, 2006   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    Billy Corgan, coming in for a landing on a jet, after midnight on New Year's, in 1999 / 2000: "Fall into the century on a supersonic cross...."

    Corgan does this two or three times in this song- he punches us in the metaphorical tummy.

    How about: Born of the fallen chain / Into a world sustained with sorrow. Fallen chain- a slave who was freed (by love)?

    Again: Buried in the backyard shadow / The rusty coffee tin / That held her mother's first kiss in a / Nameless dream Agggh- we can feel that... a chasm of mysterious gothic poetry

    And: We never listen / Real love will listen And tell of a fortune / Real love is riches Scratch through the changes / Real love is nameless / So tired and hopeless Real love is painless / Nobody mentions.

    The lack of clear meaning is actually the point- it's Real Love- the mysteries of which exist just beyond that which we can access.

    Amazing song! But... demon scorn and laws of gravity? Really Mr. Corgan- shoulda quit while you were ahead! ;) monterino@yahoo.com

    Monterinoon November 28, 2015   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Amazing song. Brilliant. The lyrics and the whole slight imperfect distortion in the background makes it a wonderful song. Driving along these electric street lights.

    [inactive account]on May 10, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    My favourite Smashing Pumpkins song. Evening drives along these electric street lights. "Is it time? 'cause it's now or never..."

    [inactive account]on May 10, 2003   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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.