I know the feeling
It is the real thing
The essence of the soul

The perfect moment
That golden moment
I know you feel it too

I know the feeling
It is the real thing
You can't refuse the embrace
No

It's like the pattern below the skin
You gotta reach out and pull it all in
And you feel like you're too close
But you swallow another dose

The pinnacle of happiness
Filling up your soul
You don't think you can take any more
You never wanna let go

To touch the roots of experience
The most basic ingredients
To see the unseen glitter of life
And feel the dirt, grief, anger and strife

Cherish the certainty of now
It kills you a bit at a time
Cradle the inspiration
It will leave you writhing on the floor

This is so unreal, what I feel
This nourishment, life is bent
Into a shape I can hold
A twist of fate, all my own
Just grit your teeth, make no sound
Take a step away and look around
Just clench your fist and close your eyes
Look deep inside, hypnotize
The whisper is but a shout
That's what it is all about
Yes, the ecstasy, you can pray
You will never let it slip away

Like the sacred song that someone sings you, through you
Like the flesh so warm that the thorn sticks into, into
Like the dream you know one day will come to life, life
Try to hold on just a little longer, longer, stronger, stronger

It's the jewel of victory
The chasm of misery
And once you have bitten the core
You will always know the flavor

The split second of divinity
You drink up the sky
All of heaven is in your arms
You know the reason why

It's right there, all by itself
And what you are, there is nothing else
You're growing a life within a life
The lips of wonder kiss you inside
And when it's over the feeling remains
It all comes down to this
The smoke clears, I see what it is
That made me feel this way

I know the feeling
It is the real thing
The essence of the soul

The perfect moment
That golden moment
I know you feel it too

I know the feeling
It is the real thing
You can't refuse the embrace

This is so unreal, what I feel
Flood, sell your soul, feel the blood
Pump through your veins, can't explain
The element that's everything
Just clench your fist and close your eyes
Look deep inside, hypnotize
Yes, the ecstasy, you can pray
You will never let it slip away
Yes, the ecstasy, you can pray
You will never let it slip away
You will never let it slip away
You will never let it slip away

Like the echoes of your childhood laughter, ever after
Like the first time love urged you to take it's guidance, in silence
Like your heartbeat when you realize you're dying, but you're trying
Like the way you cry for a happy ending, ending, ending
Ending, ending, ending


Lyrics submitted by jt, edited by DodgerFuckYou

The Real Thing Lyrics as written by James Blanco Martin Bill Gould

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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The Real Thing song meanings
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81 Comments

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  • +5
    General Comment
    How could anyone suggest this song is about something as boring as drugs? How lame and overdone. You can't appreciate this song and honestly believe it's about getting high. Patton isn't a drug user, the album cover isn't a bottle cap it's a ripple of water... Come on. This song is my favorite by the band. I like to think it's about a near-death experience, or maybe just having a deeply spiritual/religious experience. It's big. It's understanding the meaning of life, it's everything. It's the real thing. I love it.
    giordano1000on September 20, 2008   Link
  • +4
    General Comment
    Its about a spiritual experience... its not drugs, it doesn't have any of the connotations of addiction or misery that heroin or anything would bring. Spiritual experience = good, heroin = bad, heroin's not worth singing such an exultant song about.
    DeviouZon October 12, 2004   Link
  • +4
    General Comment
    I feel like this is just about the feeling that you get when you know that the positive of something is authentic and there is something about this music that embodies that feeling he's talking about. Maybe it's about how we all have a certain thing that we wish to fufill in our lives and this feeling that he feels is realizing you've captured your own individual destiny.
    Cabrosaon April 10, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    Winter, actually, I've changed my mind, this song isnt solely about heroin, I think its just about a person who is addicted to getting high (escaping reality) in general. Most of the lines just seem to hint at that meaning. "You swallow another dose", "Clench your fist...pump through your veins", "It kills you a bit at a time", "the jewel of victory and the chasm of misery", these all seem to point to a person who realizes their addicted to leaving reality for awhile but who can't stop doing it even though they realize its killing them. Just some thoughts.
    jimbobjoeon June 11, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    I think it's kind of like 'Epic', in that 'it' can be anything. It's whatever turns you on, whatever gives you a kick, whatever makes you feel good. But after getting that feeling, all that matters after that is getting more.
    infotainment_ladon September 03, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    fucking heroin? Fuck that! This song doesn't like any drug nonsense to me. Why does everyone think all songs are about heroin? I think this song sounds more like the birth of a child, and perhaps the birth and course of the love that produced this child. The trials and tribulations of life.. the real thing. Besides look at "zombie Eaters", that's about a kid, no doubt. ( or maybe just a really immature man)
    WinterOnyxon May 15, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    interesting, since the strongest drug patton ever did was caffeine.. by the way you dont swallow heroin
    bongoon October 05, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Ok I had always thought that this was about giving birth, kind of like a mans look at it BUT my husbnad just read the words for the first time over my shoulder and said to me "It's obvious what this song is about." I was surprised by his thought on it but now I'm looking it over and I think he is right! He's says it reminds him perfectly of the feelings he has had while on acid! Here are a few key lines. "The essence of the truth The perfect moment " that time while tripping that you think you have the answere to everything. "And you feel like you're too close So you swallow another dose " Many times while riding very high you'll get the urge to take more, to know more, to go all the way. This is how people end up eating whole sheets and freakin out! "And once you have bitten the core You will always know the flavor " Once you've had that pinacle trip, that hard tirp, you are never really the same, it changes you a little. (I can't remember the exact number but it's only a few trips and your considered legal insane or something like that.) I could go on and on but I think at this point anyone that knows the feeling or experience will be able to understand my point.
    pikkion January 31, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    The lad has it right. Too many people look for solid topics for songs when many of them don't have a specific target or point. This is about whatever makes you feel this way, whether it's drugs, a spiritual awakening, an orgasm, or whatever the hell makes you utterly ecstatic. Alot of it is symbolic and over the top for things, but it works. As for feeling negative, no way. It's a very ecstatic song.
    psuedinon September 04, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    i totally agree with geek, lol. Though its soooo hard to choose, this is my favourite Faith No More song. put it up as loud as your headphones can go, turn off the lights (in a non sexual way) and listen to it. awesome. I especially love the last 4 lines. goosebump worthy
    rikkuon November 08, 2006   Link

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