Masquerade

Album: Pleasure Victim (1982)
Charted: 82
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about older actors and musicians who never made it in the entertainment industry, which is "the masquerade." The lyrics, "[they] knock on doors and empty halls" is a reference to the auditioning process.
  • The line, "Past eight by tens in shattered frames" references essential "headshot" photographs actors/actresses and some musicians need in the industry. The "shattered frames" symbolize shattered dreams.
  • Most Berlin songs were written by their bass player, John Crawford, but "Masquerade" was written by their guitarist, Chris Ruiz-Velasco. The song was part of their second album, Pleasure Victim, which also includes the tracks "Sex (I'm A...)" and "The Metro."

Comments: 1

  • Jim from Long Beach, CaTerri Nunn still looks great after all these years!! God Bless her!!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?

Band Names

Band NamesFact or Fiction

Was "Pearl" Eddie Vedder's grandmother, and did she really make a hallucinogenic jam? Did Journey have a contest to name the group? And what does KISS stand for anyway?

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.