☝️ Key Points
- The song 'Fake' is about unrequited love and the ability of the loved person to accept it or reciprocate.
- 'You're scared to be loved, you know that's your way' suggests that the loved person is afraid of being loved.
- The repeated chorus 'I read a book and it's your face, it's your face now - the fake' implies that the singer has recognized the 'true' nature of the loved person.
- The singer emphasizes that his love for the 'wrong' person was not a mistake and that he will continue to love them.
- The verses 'You're burning your hair On your cigarette, oh baby Turning your nose up At the clothes your girlfriend wears' symbolize possible conflicts in the relationship, which the singer accepts.
Interpretation
The song 'Fake' by
Simply Red is about complex feelings of love, disappointment, and loss. The singer describes a person whom he loves but who is unable or unwilling to reciprocate or accept his love. In the line 'You're scared to be loved, you know that's your way', he suggests that this person is afraid of being loved and therefore keeps a distance.
The recurring chorus 'I read a book and it's your face, it's your face now - the fake' could indicate that the singer has recognized the true face of the person, whom he calls 'fake'. Despite this disappointment, he emphasizes that his love for this person was not a mistake and that he will always love them ('Still my love for you was no mistake, I will always love you - the fake').
The lines 'You're burning your hair on your cigarette, oh baby, turning your nose up at the clothes your girlfriend wears' could represent a conflict or dissatisfaction in the relationship, which the singer accepts nonetheless ('I don't care').
In summary, 'Fake' is a song about the difficulties and pain of unrequited love for a person who cannot or will not commit to a relationship.