"Real World" is the fourth single off Matchbox Twenty's debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You. The song became the group's 1st entry into the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #38 in its release year of 1998. Though the song did not chart well on the U.S. pop charts, it was a major hit on adult contemporary radio stations.

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 and a rainmaker, in addition to being a boss at a job.