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Imaginary Friends Lyrics

Imaginary friends
They will always let you down
And when all the good times end
You won't be seeing them around

For they run where the action is
And they'll cross you off their list
Do you comprehend now
To imaginary friends
You don't exist
No

They'll ask you where you've been
But never wait for your reply
They'll meet you when your ship comes in
But never meet you eye to eye

As all the friends who've been real and true
Wonder who you're talking to
One thing you can depend on
Imaginary friends
They can't see you
No

You can paint them a beautiful picture
But they won't understand
You can count all your friends on the fingers
Of one scalded hand

Imaginary friends
They will always leave you hanging
And you won't see them again

For they've gone where the action is
And they've crossed you off their list
Do you comprehend now
Imaginary friends
They don't exist
No

Imaginary friends
They don't exist
No no no
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6 Meanings

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Cover art for Imaginary Friends lyrics by Ron Sexsmith

"As all the friends who've been real and true Wonder who you're talking to" Best line of the song, and summarizes the meaning.

Cover art for Imaginary Friends lyrics by Ron Sexsmith

"To imaginary friends You don't exist" Have to say these are the most important lines! And so very true.

Cover art for Imaginary Friends lyrics by Ron Sexsmith

you'd think an imaginary friend would be the perfect, best friend because he/she wouldn't argue with you, you would always be right, etc.
When I was first listening to this song, I thought he was trying to say that there's no such thing as a perfect friend. A 'perfect friend' isn't a real friend in the way that they are just going through the motions, not really feeling anything. That's what I thought for the "You can paint them a beautiful picture/ But they won't understand"

But then I got somewhat confused later on in the song when he said "For they've gone where the action is/ And they've crossed you off their list" Does that mean they've found a new friend?

Cover art for Imaginary Friends lyrics by Ron Sexsmith

yeah I don't understand this song because I thought imaginary friends were good but he's saying they're not

Cover art for Imaginary Friends lyrics by Ron Sexsmith

I think that in this song, imaginary and real are metaphors for recprical friendships, that you value a friend as much as they value you. When you have an "imaginary friend" this friend doesn't value you as you do them; thus, in their eyes, you "don't exist". "All your friends who've been real and true, wonder who you're talking to" is saying that the true friends that have stuck with you throughout wonder why you would spend your time with "imaginary friends". I think its a beautiful song, with a cautionary tale about friendships that we learn from childhood to adulthood. One of my favorite Ron Sexsmith songs!

Cover art for Imaginary Friends lyrics by Ron Sexsmith

I think this song categorizes friendships into two kinds, depending on the person you're dealing with. I think it treats caring people as the real kinds of friends, and other people who don't really care as more interested in their own gain - see "They'll meet you when your ship comes in." the song doesn't use imaginary in the literal sense, but more as a way of differentiating caring friends and careless people who only want to move up in status using who they know as leverage.