The meaning and story of The Cure's song "Fake" revolves around the feeling of not being understood and not being able to be your true self. The lyrics express a sense of not being able to fly or dream, and feeling like the people around you don't really know or understand you. The song talks about not being able to come back if you never leave, and not being able to live if you never give. It's about the struggle of feeling fake and not being able to live authentically. In United States expressions, the song is about feeling like a phony or a fraud and not being able to be true to oneself. It's about feeling like others don't really know or understand you, and the frustration that comes with that. The lyrics also touch on the idea of not being able to live life to the fullest if you can't be genuine and real. Overall, the song "Fake" captures the struggle of feeling misunderstood and unable to be authentic.