"Real World" is a song by American rock group Matchbox 20. It was released in March 1998 as the fourth single from their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You. The single was initially ineligible to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 due to not receiving a physical release in North America; it instead peaked at number nine on the BillboardHot 100 Airplay chart in August 1998.[2] However, in December 1998, the Hot 100 chart rules were changed to allow airplay-only singles to chart, and "Real World" became the band's first single to enter the listing, debuting and peaking at number 38. Worldwide, "Real World" reached number five in Canada and number 40 in Australia.
The song was written by lead singer Rob Thomas, and details him wondering about what it would be like if he lived in various settings other than the current one, including a superhero, a rainmaker, and being a boss at a job, and if they would worsen or improve his life.
↑Real World (Japanese CD single liner notes). Matchbox Twenty. EastWest Japan, Atlantic Records, Lava Records, Melisma Records. 1998. AMCY-2854.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)