I saw the autumn leaves peel up off the street,
take wing on the balmy breeze and sweep you off your feet.
You blushed as they scooped you up on sugar maple wings,
to gaze down on the city below, ablaze with wondrous things.
Downy feathers kiss your face and flutter everywhere.
Reality is a lovely place but I wouldn?t want to live there.
I wouldn?t wanna live there!
Weighed down by heavy lids and lunar lullabies,
I knew you were wide awake because you smile with your eyes.
Downy feathers kiss your face and flutter everywhere.
Reality is a lovely place but I wouldn?t want to live there.
From the green belt balcony, the wildfires look so pretty.
Ponderosa canopy, I?d never leave if it were up to me.
To the ruby redwood tree, and to the velvet climbing ivy:
painted all mahogany, I?d never leave if it were up to me.
..If it were up to me..
With a starry brush, paint the dusk venetian blue,
because in the evening hush, you?ll never believe the view.
And when the leaves return and their whisperings fill the night,
they?ll freeze and burn where fire and ice collide.
Can you feel a silk embrace in the satin air?
If we dissolve without a trace, will the real world even care?
Downy feathers kiss your face and flutter everywhere.
Reality is a lovely place but I wouldn?t want to live there.
I wouldn?t want to live there!
I saw the autumn leaves peel up off the street,
take wing on the balmy breeze and sweep you off your feet.
Lyrics Page
The Real World
930 views
Jul 24, 2026 updated
Verified editorial review
Owl City's song paints a dreamlike, whimsical picture of autumn leaves, balmy breezes, and a city ablaze with color. The lyrics describe being swept away into a fantasy world where reality is lovely but not where the singer wants to live. The song focuses on the beauty of nature and the desire to escape into a magical, surreal experience. There is no explicit Christian or gospel content; the themes are more about imagination and the contrast between reality and fantasy.
Lyrics Verified by Editorial Team