Imitation of Life Lyrics
Charades, pop skill
Water hyacinth, named by a poet
Imitation of life
Like a koi in a frozen pond
Like a goldfish in a bowl
I don't want to hear you cry
[Chorus]
That's sugarcane that tasted good
That's cinnamon, that's Hollywood
Come on, come on, no one can see you try
[Verse 2]
You want the greatest thing
The greatest thing since bread came sliced
You've got it all, you've got it sized
Like a Friday fashion show teenager
Freezing in the corner
Trying to look like you don't try
[Chorus]
That's sugarcane that tasted good
That's cinnamon, that's Hollywood
Come on, come on, no one can see you try
No one can see you cry
[Chorus]
That's sugarcane that tasted good
That's freezing rain, that's what you could
Come on, come on, no one can see you try
[Bridge]
This sugarcane, this lemonade
This hurricane, I'm not afraid
Come on, come on, no one can see me cry
This lightning storm, this tidal wave
This avalanche, I'm not afraid
Come on, come on, no one can see me cry
[Chorus]
That's sugarcane that tasted good
That's who you are, that's what you could
Come on, come on, no one can see you cry
That's sugarcane that tasted good
That's who you are, that's what you could
Come on, come on, no one can see you cry
About
Imitation of Life is the 8th song of R.E.M’s album Reveal, and it’s the most popular song of the album. It hit the number 83 in the Billboard Hot 100 list.
The song is inspired in the 1959 Douglas Sirk’s homonymous movie. The movie is about a girl who tries to get success as an actress.
The song talks about how everybody wants the same in life, but everybody pretends they don’t just because they are afraid of what others think. You can’t show other people how you try, you have to hide until you reach success so people don’t think you’re a failure. It has look like you don’t care about anything, because it’s the cool thing.
That’s why the songs says “No one can see you try/no one can see you try”. Those are the things that people who care do. And although most of the people care, most of the peopl alsop pretend they don’t.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 1.The Lifting
- 5.Disappear
- 7.Beat a Drum
- 8.Imitation of Life
- 12.Beachball