Almost Unreal
| Almost Unreal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Composed by: Per Gessle | |
| Publisher | Capitol Records |
| Release dates |  1993[1] May 10, 1993[2][3] May 10, 1993[4] June 16, 1993[5] |
| Format | 7" single, 12" single, cassette single, CD single, CD maxi single |
| Number of tracks | 2 (7" & CD) 3 (12") 4 (CD maxi-single) |
| Length | 3:59 |
| Catalog numbers |  8806494 (cassette) 8806492 (CD) TODP-2415 CAP-45-831 7243 8 80676 2 1 (CD maxi-single) 0742 3 88064 9 2 (CD single) 0742 3 88064 9 2 0742 3 88064 9 2 7243 8 80649 7 2 (7") 12EMPD 268 (12") TCEM 268 (cassette) 7243 8 80676 2 1 (CD) 4KM 0777 7 44942 4 3 4KM 0777 7 (cassette) 4KM 0777 7 (cassette) C2 715992 (CD) |
"Almost Unreal" is a pop rock song by Swedish pop duoRoxette released on May 10, 1993, as the lead single of the albumSuper Mario Bros. (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). The song peaked at number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 in North America,[6] and reached 29 in Canada.[7] It is featured in theSuper Mario Bros. film as the first song played during the credits, and is the first song on the official soundtrack's album.
Reportedly, the song was written byPer Gessle for theWalt Disney Pictures filmHocus Pocus.[8] The song was transferred to be used in theSuper Mario Bros. film instead, and the lyrics were slightly reworked to remove most references toHocus Pocus, barring a namedrop in the chorus. According to Gessle, the duo approved the song's use inSuper Mario Bros. because both members were fans ofDennis Hopper andBob Hoskins.[9]
The song was later featured on the Japanese release of Roxette's 1994 albumCrash! Boom! Bang! and would later be featured on their 1995 greatest hits albumDon't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!, which features liner notes about the band's feelings towards the song.Marie Fredriksson referred to the track as "not one of our most inspired moments", while Per Gessle stated, "I still like the song, in a way... but if you wanted to make a parody of Roxette, it would probably sound something like this."
Music videos[edit]
There are two versions of the music video, one with references to the film and one without. The former includes clips from the film and several minor references, including one of the king's Mushrooms and several warnings ofde-evolution. The video ends with the main character being De-Evolved into an iguana, which crawls out of his clothes. This scene is cut out of the latter version of the video, along with the De-Evolution warning. In both videos the main character plays a video game, progressing through levels as the video continues.
Tracklisting[edit]
7", cassette, and 2-track CD single[edit]
- Almost Unreal (3:59)
- The Heart Shaped Sea (4:10)
12" single[edit]
- Almost Unreal (3:59)
- The Heart Shaped Sea (4:10)
- Fingertips '93 (3:42)
Maxi-Single[edit]
- Almost Unreal (3:59)
- The Heart Shaped Sea (4:10)
- Fingertips '93 (3:42)
- Almost Unreal (adult contemporary mix) (3:56)
Lyrics[edit]
Babe
Come in from the cold
And put that coat to rest
Step inside
Take a deep breath
And do what you do best
Yeah
Kick off them shoes
And leave those city streets
I do believe
Love came our way
And fate did arrange
For us to meetI love when you do
The hocus-pocus to me
The way that you touch
You've got the power to heal
You give me that look
It's almost unreal
It's almost unrealHey
We can't stop the rain
Let's find a place by the fire
Sometimes I feel
Strange as it seems
You've been in my dreams
All my lifeI love when you do
The hocus-pocus to me
The way that you touch
You've got the power to heal
You give me that look
It's almost unreal
It's almost unrealIt's a crazy world out there
Let's hope our prayers
Are in good hands tonightOh, I love when you do
The hocus-pocus to me
The way that you touch
You've got the power to heal
You give me that look
It's almost unreal
It's almost unreal
So unrealYeah come on and do
The hocus-pocus to me
The way that you touch
You've got the power to heal
You give me that look
It's almost unreal
It's almost unreal
Gallery[edit]
Single CD
Back of single case
Links[edit]
- Music video on official Roxette Youtube channel
- Side by side comparison of the two different music video versions
- High quality rip of audio
References[edit]
- ^Roxette – Almost Unreal (Releases).Discogs (English). Retrieved January 26, 2026. (Archived January 26, 2026, 16:55:47 UTC via archive.today[deprecated link].)
- ^Roxette – Almost Unreal – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM, Single).Discogs (English). Retrieved January 26, 2026. (Archived January 26, 2026, 16:47:16 UTC via archive.today[deprecated link].)
- ^Roxette – Almost Unreal – Cassette (Single).Discogs (English). Retrieved January 26, 2026. (Archived January 26, 2026, 16:49:35 UTC via archive.today[deprecated link].)
- ^Roxette – Almost Unreal – CD (Single).Discogs (English). Retrieved January 26, 2026. (Archived January 26, 2026, 16:53:44 UTC via archive.today[deprecated link].)
- ^Roxette = ロクセット* – Almost Unreal = ～スーパーマリオ愛のテーマ～オールモスト・アンリアル – CD (Mini, Single).Discogs (English). Retrieved January 26, 2026. (Archived January 26, 2026, 16:51:31 UTC via archive.today[deprecated link].)
- ^"Roxette Chart History (Hot 100)".Billboard.
- ^Canada Top SinglesRPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^15 Things You Didn't Know About Hocus Pocus.ScreenRant. Published Oct 21, 2016.
- ^"Written for a Bette Midler movie, but ended up in theSuper Mario Bros. flop instead. We thought it was cool to have a song in that movie, because we both liked Dennis Hopper and Bob Hoskins." – Marie Fredriksson, Per Gessle (October 30, 1995). Don't Bore Us - Get to the Chorus! Roxette's Greatest Hits (Album liner notes).EMI (English). Page 17. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
