The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I woke up on this side
I thought it was a dream
At first we learned to walk
Then learned to scream
You can't understand
When you're fed from a TV screen
You can't see the things that I can see
But I forget that you thank god and pray
Some things just never stay
And we all just slip away
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
I look for some hope in every face that has a vacant stare
The shadows come but no one seems to care
The darkness floods every light that promised change
She passed sound asleep when the blood is stain the blood is pain
Somewhere I know that I'm not all alone
This bated breath I hold
My lungs want to explode
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
Just as soon as we see every floor in every mean will understand
Before the first time
Child to a mans only real words that he can
Its too late to smell the roses
When all emotions set aside
In a whisper say goodbye
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
This cant be the real world
This cant be the real world
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
I thought it was a dream
At first we learned to walk
Then learned to scream
You can't understand
When you're fed from a TV screen
You can't see the things that I can see
But I forget that you thank god and pray
Some things just never stay
And we all just slip away
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
I look for some hope in every face that has a vacant stare
The shadows come but no one seems to care
The darkness floods every light that promised change
She passed sound asleep when the blood is stain the blood is pain
Somewhere I know that I'm not all alone
This bated breath I hold
My lungs want to explode
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
Just as soon as we see every floor in every mean will understand
Before the first time
Child to a mans only real words that he can
Its too late to smell the roses
When all emotions set aside
In a whisper say goodbye
This cant be the real world now
I don't believe it
When I can't see the truth
Welcome to the real world now
When all our carried in now just to poison you
Am I
The only one who thinks it's tragic?
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
This cant be the real world
This cant be the real world
This cant be the real world now
No oh uh no oh
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Best song on in the album, imo. :) I agree with AHHHrealmonsters with the meaning, about the effects that the media have on the way that we think. The line "The old are carried in only to poison youth" seems to suggest that young people are seeing what is going on in the media and taking up the habits, in the way that a child picks up what they see around them. I love the line "You can't understand when you're fed from a TV screen" and it seems to carry this theme too. :)