Lyrics for The Pretender as interpreted by intothegrinder2

The Pretender Lyrics
Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark
And so it all began

Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones come marching in...again
They need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are at the ready
Are you ready?
I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That whole...defense

Spinning infinity, boy
The wheel is spinning me
It's never-ending, never-ending
Same old story

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

In time our soul untold
I'm just another soul for sale... oh, well
The page is out of print
We are not permanent
We're temporary, temporary
Same old story

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that will take you down
Bring you to your knees

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
(You know they all... pretend)
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
(You know they all... pretend)
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

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sangsue
08-31-2007

Rated 0 
Excellent drums. Excellent song. Raw, driving emotion that brings you to your knees. The Foo Fighters just keep getting better!

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Duckie_Explosion_72
09-02-2007

Rated 0 
I think this song is just standing up and saying, "I'm not gonna take your shit." Simple as that.



Oh, and PS, this song friggin rocks!

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T_Cap
09-03-2007

Rated 0 
Frickin' awesome.

This is their best 1st single since "Learn to Fly." Yes, that means it's better than the great songs "All My Life" and "Best of You."

I thought it was a ballad at first, but the song switches gears quickly to become an anthemic rocker. This song might be the best full-out rock song of the year so far. After everyone thought FF went "soft", it's nice to hear them raging out like this.

As for the meaning, I think the song is about the protagonist not succumbing to become one of the government's pawns. He doesn't want to be a fake, a "pretender", while the poor and less fortunate are still left with nothing.

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slomifier
09-04-2007

Rated 0 
I think this song is directed towards bush, but it's his soildiers standing up to tell him; hence "im not just another one of your plays"

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michara
09-05-2007

Rated 0 
Most definitely a protest song... check out the video: http://www.mojoitv.com/2007/08/foo-fighters-pretender-rapidshare-music.html

To me, "Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones come marching in, again" refers to Bush sending soldiers to their deaths without a second though.

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lozzer
09-05-2007

Rated 0 
But is George Bush really like that?
He seems a right idiot to me.
Selfish and racist yes maybe
But he's got the IQ of a fish

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XchelsatthediscoX
09-05-2007

Rated 0 
God this song is addicting. =]

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eatonj22
09-08-2007

Rated 0 
Now that I hear the political insight and have seen the video, I agree with that. However, all of the words are also completely consistent with my attitude toward people of authority. I always question them, and if I'm in authority people had better question me. Some managers and such roles of people in life can become very arrogant once in a position of power, and their behavior should be called out. Even if silently, just the act of not surrendering, not "pleading ignorance" just to appease, not "making sense" just to appease, but instead being yourself, while at the same time remaining productive and not wasting other peoples' valuable time or even bothering them with your opinions. In some situations no one needs to know anything much about you except that you are reliable, generally good, and a hard worker.

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eatonj22
09-08-2007

Rated 0 
ps some of the lyrics to this are not written down correctly

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TablePepper
09-09-2007

Rated 0 
This song is just amazing. If the rest of the album is even close to this song I may actually pay for it.

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Maredith
09-11-2007

Rated 0 
Hellooo um i think in this one part

I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left
I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that took you down
Bring you to your knees

It means that Jesus/God is the one who is right and the truth and meaning to everyones life
and he is the one you will have to face in the end
and he seems to be the enemy (but he is not)
and he is the one who will bring you to your knees and pray to him and worship him and love him back
(wich is not wrong at all)
and he is also the conscience The Voice inside your head that you choose to not listen to

and when it says



What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

When he says
(What if I say I'm not like the others?)
it makes me feel like He is saying Im not like all the people in the world I will not betray you or hurt you

I think he is useing his self as a metaphor as Jesus So he can sing out and help people feel Jesuses personality and feelings and get some truth thru to people


And he dose look alot like Jesus in the Video
(From pictures i have seen) He really dose look like Him!
And the people going against him in the vid is kind of like the people of the world that are going against Him
and all that colored water splashing out is a metaphor for the Blood that was shed when Jesus was sacrificed

and when he says (You're the pretender)
It remindes me of how alot of us pretend to be
christians and Right in any way
Or it could be him pointing out the antichrist that is pretending to be God/Jesus
Or how World says they are living the right way and pretending to be right
instead of following the bible or somthing

i think there is big connection with knowing Jesus
and following him in this song
i feel it strongly

I Don't Know
i have not figured it all out yet
But it is somthing to think about

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fool352
09-12-2007

Rated 0 
this song is the best song ever.

everytime foos bring out a new single, its timing could never be better.

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Maredith
09-13-2007

Rated 0 
I also relate to this song for my own reasons too
You probly can guess if you think about it.

Anyways I LOVE this song
its realy awesome

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{5x5}Fallen
09-15-2007

Rated 0 
I definately think this is about the president and politics in general.

Keep you in the dark you know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark and so it all began

Talks about how everyone in politics hides the truth and pretends to be something else.

Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones come marching in, again
The need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are at the ready
Are you ready?

That speaks to the "skeletons in the closet" or secrets about themselves which they have to hide, but they know the secrets could and do come out at any time.

I'm finished making sense
Done bleeding ignorance at your defense
Spinning and fill it deeper
The wheel is spinning me
It's never-ending, never-ending
Same old story

Talks about the war and how it's time to stop, whether it makes sense or not there's too much blood being shed as the "wheel" keeps turning every day.

What if I say you're not like the others?
What if I say you're not just another one in your place?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

He's talking about how this particular person isn't just another president, he's "the pretender" or in this context the biggest liar, the one with the most skeletons and the one who does the most harm. But when he says "I will never surrender" he means that no matter how bad the president is, he'll never give up his country or ideals.

I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left
I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that took you down
Bring you to your knees

This is pretty straight forward about how it's the people he has to answer to, and the people are more powerful than he knows.

So who are you?
Yeah who are you?

Basically just a "We're the people that this country is made of, who the fuck are you?" to that.

Anyway, that's how I interpret it.

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revolushun084
09-16-2007

Rated 0 
I think this song is directed at the Bush administration and the corporate elitists who "keep us in the dark" about what really lies behind their evil agenda: World domination at the expense of the human race

"Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones come marching in, again"- More money and more power, no matter who dies. They sing because you are inferior and worthless, and get in the way of their cause.

"I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance at your defense" - Means that he is tired of being ridiculed for spreading awareness the real truth of what "THEY" are up to, and is not going to be among the "sheep" who trust them.

"What if I say I will never surrender?" He refuses to submit to a life of fear and submission, and is not going to the slaughterhouse with the rest of the "sheep".

"I'm just another soul for sale, Oh well" - We are being sold out by our government one by one, all in the name of money and power.
"I'm the enemy...bring you to your knees" refers to himself as someone who is an enemy to their cause because he knows the truth, and the truth will bring them to their knees.

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ultimatejerk
09-17-2007

Rated 0 
i do like the foo fighters... but these particular lyrics are really nothing special...it's an alright song but it's not too poetic, and it's lyrical content isn't original in the least bit

the whole skeletons/soldiers comparison, a sort of "dead man walking" situation, has been sooo overdone... and the chorus is quite vague

one thing about songmeanings is whenever a song's lyrics are generic and vague, you have some idiot who is gonna make a comment about how it's about bush or on how it's about current politics in the united states
so, this time, i applaud all those who said it... because for once, they were right... keep it up

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Ecnalyr
09-19-2007

Rated 0 
I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left
I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that took you down
Bring you to your knees

^^^ One of the most genius verses ever written - especially the dual punnage with the left/right ness.

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bjk214
09-19-2007

Rated 0 
I'd agree that these lyrics are relatively vague. First few times through, I thought it was the protagonist struggling with their own identity, if you will. It sounded like Grohl was singing to himself in the mirror, telling himself that even though he pretends to be like the others around him, he is in fact different, and is itching to tell the world about it. The tempo of the song, the urgency of Dave's voice, they sounded more urgent/nervous (which would describe a person uncomfortable in his own skin), and I wouldn't have said outright angry (at the state of politics/Bush).

I read the song reviews here, many of which said they thought the song was a jab at U.S. politicians, namely Bush. Couldn't really say I agreed--after all, when have the Foo Fighters been overtly political? Then I saw the video...

An inordinate amount of riot police--who don't seem particularly fond of mainstream rock--appear from nowhere, line up opposite the band, and eventually charge at the defenseless Foo Fighters. Then, naturally, the set explodes and, like a giant fire hose, repels the riot police. Okay, then.

A logical interpretation is that the Foo Fighters' music is a protest against the U.S. government, and the riot police were sent to break up said protest. On the other hand, one could still take a more generalized approach and reason that the riot police in the video symbolize the protagonist's personal demons, which he finally rebels against and now will show his true colors to the world. Still, the political interpretation seems more straightforward, and also would account for the "I'm the left/I'm the right" verse. For my money, that's the winner.

I haven't read any interviews with Grohl or the band though. I'm not sure I trust the one previous reader who writes in all-caps broken english that Dave said the song was about politics in an interview.

Last thing: I think the line "Done bleeding ignorance at your defense" is actually "Done pleading ignorance, that old defense." Anyone else hearing that?

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ToM !!!
09-20-2007

Rated 0 
LMAO like foo fighters wud sing about a girl like that this song is either about the goverment or sum1 kind of fighting thing loike that THE FIGHTERS OF THE FOO RULE :p !!!!!!

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Rethink
09-20-2007

Rated 0 
Ok first of all not everything is political or about the war in Iraq, not everybody hates Bush, some people actually get their information from other more credible sources than tv.

I also think Dave has alot more guts than to have to use figurativeness in his lyrics to tell them how he feels.

I personally think dave may be speaking of "skeletons" in the sense of being fake nothing to them defense mechanisms.

I also agree with a few of the others that he may be saying that he won't let someone or maybe something control him.

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Tylercwxzy
09-20-2007

Rated 0 
It's about the US Goverment for sure, don't try and change it, It's fine to have your own view of it but back to the guy about jesus and gods love? I don't see where you got that at all man, take your preaching to the jesus forums.
The song is about are current establishment and the threat of US domination around the world for bankers and dick cheney's company stock..

Everyday we get closer to a police state, enjoy what freedoms you have left while you can.

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bacon and eggs
09-21-2007

Rated 0 
I think this song is compatible with FREE ME. When Dave sings "send in your skeletons again". I think that person from Free Me has been finally liberated.

Anyone else sees that connection?

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Azazel23
09-23-2007

Rated 0 
"One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song? "

Please someone tell me i am not the only one who keeps hearing this song. Sesame St & Foo Forever

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Shhsnitches
09-23-2007

Rated 0 
I love how they sampled the sesame street song
"One of these things is not like the other."
Thats pure genius. I love the Foo Fighters.

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Shhsnitches
09-23-2007

Rated 0 
Ohh hey Azael23 I didnt see your post before mine.
Yeah I heard it too.

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