I'm A Fake

Album: In Love And Death (2004)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Used lead singer Bert McCracken wrote the lyrics to this song, which starts off with a spoken word piece from a poem he wrote when he was younger. It's a very cathartic song about creating an image for yourself that comes to define you, and then suffering under that pretense as the anger builds up. The Used bassist Jeph Howard tells us that McCracken wrote the song from the viewpoint of another person, and sings about what it would be like to be in their shoes.
  • Although touring can be intense, The Used bassist Jeph Howard doesn't think the band would ever "fake it" or "dial it in" as talked about in this song. "We try to be as true in a song as we can all the time," says Howard. "But at the same time, music is such an evil world. It's like the music industry is a bunch of Mafia guys."

Comments: 1

  • Kyse from Sydney, AustraliaThe verses spoken by Bert at the begining are verses from a poem he wrote when he was younger.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Intentionally Atrocious

Intentionally AtrociousSong Writing

A selection of songs made to be terrible - some clearly achieved that goal.

00s Music Quiz 1

00s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

Do you know the girl singer on Eminem's "Stan"? If so, this quiz is for you.

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

John Waite

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.