In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I'm gonna rent myself a house
In the shade of the freeway
Gonna pack my lunch in the morning
And go to work each day
And when the evening rolls around
I'll go on home and lay my body down
And when the morning light comes streaming in
I'll get up and do it again
Amen
Say it again
Amen
I wanna know what became of the changes
We waited for love to bring
Were they only the fitful dreams
Of some greater awakening
I've been aware of the time going by
They say in the end it's the wink of an eye
And when the morning light comes streaming in
You'll get up and do it again
Amen
Caught between the longing for love
And the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring
And the junk man pounds his fender
Where the veterans dream of the fight
Fast asleep at the traffic light
And the children solemnly wait
For the ice cream vendor
Out into the cool of the evening
Strolls the Pretender
He knows that all his hopes and dreams
Begin and end there
Ah, the laughter of the lovers
As they run through the night
Leaving nothing for the others
But to choose off and fight
And tear at the world with all their might
While the ships bearing their dreams
Sail out of sight
I'm gonna find myself a girl
Who can show me what laughter means
And we'll fill in the missing colors
In each other's paint by number dreams
And then we'll put our dark glasses on
And we'll make love until our strength is gone
And when the morning light comes streaming in
We'll get up and do it again
Get it up again
I'm gonna be a happy idiot
And struggle for the legal tender
Where the ads take aim and lay their claim
To the heart and the soul of the spender
And believe in whatever may lie
In those things that money can buy
Though true love could have been a contender
Are you there?
Say a prayer for the Pretender
Who started out so young and strong
Only to surrender
Say a prayer for the Pretender
Are you there for the Pretender?
Say a prayer for the Pretender
Are you there for the Pretender?
Are you prepared for the Pretender?
In the shade of the freeway
Gonna pack my lunch in the morning
And go to work each day
And when the evening rolls around
I'll go on home and lay my body down
And when the morning light comes streaming in
I'll get up and do it again
Amen
Say it again
Amen
I wanna know what became of the changes
We waited for love to bring
Were they only the fitful dreams
Of some greater awakening
I've been aware of the time going by
They say in the end it's the wink of an eye
And when the morning light comes streaming in
You'll get up and do it again
Amen
Caught between the longing for love
And the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring
And the junk man pounds his fender
Where the veterans dream of the fight
Fast asleep at the traffic light
And the children solemnly wait
For the ice cream vendor
Out into the cool of the evening
Strolls the Pretender
He knows that all his hopes and dreams
Begin and end there
Ah, the laughter of the lovers
As they run through the night
Leaving nothing for the others
But to choose off and fight
And tear at the world with all their might
While the ships bearing their dreams
Sail out of sight
I'm gonna find myself a girl
Who can show me what laughter means
And we'll fill in the missing colors
In each other's paint by number dreams
And then we'll put our dark glasses on
And we'll make love until our strength is gone
And when the morning light comes streaming in
We'll get up and do it again
Get it up again
I'm gonna be a happy idiot
And struggle for the legal tender
Where the ads take aim and lay their claim
To the heart and the soul of the spender
And believe in whatever may lie
In those things that money can buy
Though true love could have been a contender
Are you there?
Say a prayer for the Pretender
Who started out so young and strong
Only to surrender
Say a prayer for the Pretender
Are you there for the Pretender?
Say a prayer for the Pretender
Are you there for the Pretender?
Are you prepared for the Pretender?
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I may only be 19 soon turning 20 but I'll tell ya. I work at a gym and I see many walks of life, and I see the 'pretender' type every damn day of my life. They'll come in with kids, a wife he may have loved many years before but they became bickering fools without as much as a glance at each other, eyes that wish he was somewhere else.
It's scary thinking my life could be what the song is about. Giving up my dreams to settle for a conditioned comfortable life in which I make enough to live in middle class suburbia. The song really strikes a chord because I think it's scary. Some people find love songs sad and all that, but I rank this up there as one of the saddest songs I have ever heard.
Simply, it's about being that guy with nothing but mediocrity surrounding him. A wife and kids is all he has, his dreams never fufilled. So he is left with a job he doesn't love, a wife he doesn't love and a life he wishes he didn't have.
Say a prayer for the pretender folks. We all know them and can only pray we don't become one.
@bearfan34 What an astute review/comment from a then-teenager. In my humble opinion, you hit it right on the head. I've been a lifelong fan of Jackson Browne, and it all began right here with this song. My question for you now, assuming you'll ever even see this, is do you feel...13 years later...that you were accurate with your synopsis? Have you worked to make sure you were never the unintended subject of the lyric? Hope you see this. I'd love to hear your take 13 years later.
@bearfan34 I would love to track your life since you posted this in 2008. I think you were wise beyond your years at the time, with eyes wide open. I hope you get this and update your life for us. It seems that flying against the wind is easy to recognize as a young person. Cheers. Here\'s to hoping your story is different that so many of us that identify with this song.
@bearfan34 I remember being that age and thinking the same thing about the song. I'm 42 now and realize how wrong I was. I wonder, 15 years past this comment if you feel any differently about it. The song is not about one kind of person, it's about every person.
It is interesting to hear such different views of this song. I don’t get some comments about yuppies (JB born in 1948), herds, lousy kids, military engagements, expectations etc. Over the years I have constructed a different take on this song. Great album. Listen to the upwelling at the beginning. This is a tenuously hopeful song. There is some urgency. This is a guy who doesn’t count himself among the junk man, the veteran and others who have watched their dreams sail out of sight, but he realizes he will be soon if he doesn’t snap out of it. He is aware of the time going by. This guy has chosen a living over a dream of being a fireman or an astronaut or a rock star. This is not some poor shlub that worked his way to asst manager at Taco bell at the age of 47. This is you. Are you doing what you dreamed of all your life? The Pretender feels the urgency of time going by. He’s not a kid anymore and the dream is eating at him. He has to choose to abdicate what is left of his dream and be able to rest OR run down the dream. I get the feeling he’s not sleeping much so he strolls “Out into the cool of the evening…He knows that all his hopes and dreams Begin and end there.” In these restless evening walks he is building to a decision. It would probably be easier if he just fell in love like those laughing lovers as they run through the night. Fall desperately and madly in true love (contender) and he won’t have to choose off and toil with the decision between a meaningless existence and possible failure chasing a fading dream. It would be easier to just fall in love. (Holy crap, isn’t that every mid-life crisis you have ever heard of?) Are you prepared for the Pretender? If it’s not you now, it will be. This is a very human song but it is not depressing to me. I am pulling for this guy. I’ll say a prayer for the Pretender. Come on man, it ain’t over. (By this post, you would think I have a bunch of time on my hands.)
@djm19 Good comment, but I think it can be taken several ways depending on the perspective of the listener. Fortunately for you, the glass appears to be "half full". Either way, it's most definitely a song about lament.
@djm19 Great comment, I use to find this song depressing when I was young and had no responsibility to myself nor my family. I had been a full-on rock n roller for a good portion of my life, that "dream" that is inherent in youthfulness was my religion. I gave all my strength and passion to music and made moderate success with my band In China. (I'm Chinese). <br /> I thought that once I'm doing what I love and give all I have to it, it would exalt me and exempt me from the misery of day-to-day life. but that is just simply not true. <br /> <br /> Now I find this song to be "true", neither depressing nor cheering, it just put it out there, we are all "pretenders", we all got to do it. Eat, Shit, and Die. at the same time making an illusion that love(or passion) will save you from it. The truth is nothing will, love is not the answer for everything, nor will money(material good). "we make love until our strength is gone\ when the morning light comes streaming in, i'll get up and do it again) <br /> <br /> So that's where you made a mistake I think, in saying that the pretender doesn't count himself in with the junk man ect. The pretender is the junkman, is the dreamer, is the rocknroller. The pretender is the one try forgetting that he is mortal by doing stuff to keep himself busy, or living in the illusion that love and passion will save him. He is the same guy in the opening song of the album "the fuse", now with a different illusion of "legal tender". <br /> <br /> I think the genius of this song, extended to the whole album, is portraying very specifically how the pretender made it from one illusion to a totally opposite illusion. (the beginning song and the end song are clearly critiquing each other, "there's part of me, alive in eternity, that nothing can kill - the Fuse" "was it only the fitful dreams of some greater awakening") And if you look at the start and the end without considering the order, it can go both ways, and in fact it will all go both ways in life, making a loop. We think of materialism and spiritual pursuit as polar opposites, but they are all desperate attempts, that is more affirmed as I grow and go back to listen to JB's music. Just don't ever forget that we all die and no way of life is more special than the other. The real challenge is how to lie to yourself while consciously living the lie. well, if you have wondered far enough, you will forget where you started, and if you travel long enough you will forget you are on the road. <br />
This song is about settling for less than what was envisioned and the resulting diminished expectations of the promises that were made about "free love", peace and the fulfillment that these were suppose to provide to a generation of people growing and living through the 1960s. Jackson Browne, an artist who was certainly influenced by the hippie culture, wrote the song in the mid-1970s after the crux of the hippie movement of the 1960s abated.
The hippies believed that love and the resulting peace stemming from love would conquer all that ails in the world. One of society's ailments included the abject materialism during the 1960s which was greatly spurred by "Mad Men" who "take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender." America was becoming wealthier and many consumers were nonchalantly buying material goods while ignoring the body bags of mostly economically poor soldiers coming back from Vietnam. The hippie movement wanted to highlight that the pursuit of material comforts is distracting people from what is important in life and preventing them from seeing the injustices done in the world.
As a backlash to consumerism, many hippies rejected material comforts and some even opted to live in a "bare essentials" world where food was self-sufficiently grown in communes and pursuit for materialism was shunned. This lifestyle was thought to provide inner peace, give valuable introspection, and freedom from being a slave to what one owned. The idea is similar to what Thoreau believed in his day. That is, the pursuit of a materialistic life was thought as a hindrance to mankind.
In "The Pretender", Browne is singing about the unrealized dreams of a fulfilling peace brought forth by "true love" and ironically has "surrendered" to a life he was protesting against just a decade ago. As a result the character in the song feels like a "pretender." That is, he doesn't wholly believe that the suburban and material-driven life he is leading is actually fulfilling, but he is resigned to this life now.
The pretender understands and knows in his heart that there is more to life than "the struggle for the legal tender," but nevertheless is mundanely resigned to "believe in those things that money can buy." His hopes of a life of love leading to true and lasting happiness and fulfillment is becoming dimmer and further away in the material wasteland of suburbia. Thus, "the ships bearing their dreams sail out of sight" and all the pretender's "hopes and dreams" from a decade ago "begin and end" in his suburban existence. "Veterans" of the hippie movement, such as himself, who "dreamed of the fight" against the pursuit of material comforts, are now "fast asleep at the traffic light" in their purchased cars somewhere in suburbia.
He is aware that the ingredient that makes life fulfilling is missing from his and so he hopes to find himself a girl who too feels the emptiness he does. He hopes that as a couple they can fill the void each other feels by filling "the missing colors in each other's paint-by-number dreams." The "paint-by-number dreams" refers to their abandoned dream of happiness through true love and peace. He plans to make love to this woman and thereby try to fill the emotional void through physical contact with someone he loves.
However, the pretender is doubtful that this in and of itself will be sufficient to quench his restlessness and disappointment with his suburban material-driven existence. He "thought true love could have been a contender." Meaning, true love could have been sufficient to truly make him happy, but he made the compromised decision to put faith in the pursuit of material comforts which now dominate his life and to some extent imprison him.
The pretender only "pretends" to believe that this routine suburban life in pursuit of creature comforts is fulfilling, but he is not fooling anyone, least of all himself, since he knows that the unrealized dream was supposed to be much better. As Thoreau has said, "most men lead lives in quiet desperation," but the "desperation" stems from compromising your own belief, in the pretender's case "true love", and putting faith in "those things money can buy."
This has been one of my favorite songs for as long as I can remember and I've always equated the "pretender" as the hippie you speak of that conforms but has the introspection to realize his conformity. Your interpretation is all that I believe the song to be...but have never put into words. Almost 30 years later, I believe the song still has relevance...we are told one thing and when the lies surface, our idealism is chipped away bit by bit. I also love the double meanings of his word choice in this song...esp "And believe in whatever may lie <br /> In those things that money can buy" LIE!!! The big lie that if you do the right things, get an education, get married, have 2.5 kids, make $300,000 per year, have a beach house, nanny, etc... you will be happy. Didn't work for me....legal tender only brings happiness if love and purpose are present as well. Do you know the Eagles "Last Resort"? Like to know your thoughts on that song...I use it and "Pretender" to teach a poetry unit...as well as some others.
Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead, Forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell And the profit and loss. A current under sea Picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell He passed the stages of his age and youth Entering the whirlpool.
-TS Eliot
This is a song about giving up and joining the crowd. Renting a crappy house, slaving away at a dead-end job, and spending life in pursuit of money. Even love is to blame, because we compromise our dreams to stay with our mate and try to lead a "normal" life. That part is ironic, because at first, as he points out, it seems like the love we find is that missing piece in the puzzle of our lives, and we think it will solve everything. But it ends up dragging us down with all the rest. A rare song for Jackson Browne, because instead of pining for love, he's lumping it in with the rest of the things that cause our dreams to fizzle out.
I think this is a song about a guy who only wants to be part of the crowd, just to blend in and be nothing special - no fame, no blame, so to speak. He just wants a nice girl, a modest house, and e decent job. the pretender is the guy who exalts himself and thinks he's better than everyone, only to be taken down later.
The line about the veterans fast asleep at the traffic light is one of my favorite in the song, but I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with old people (a few people have said it does). This song came out in '76, which means all the Vietnam veterans had just come home and were very young. I think the meaning has more to do with what someone else sais above about Veterans getting bored with the civilian life. I think there's even a little more to it than that...more like they are sleepwalking through a wasted life.
Interesting comments. I'm a female in my mid 40's and have been a HUGE JB fan since I was about 12 and my brother introduced him to me. I love how my own interpretation of lyrics that have been with me for so long evolves as I get older.
I too agree with many others comments about this song being about "leading lives of quiet desperation" but I often wonder, what is the realistic alternative? What is on the other side that people think will make them happy? Not having someone to love? Not having a job? Not having a roof over their head? Knowing that JB wrote this when he was in his late 20's makes sense, but not sure he would write the same lyrics 30 years later.
I'm also struck by how many people think that men are the ones who are trapped in these lives (but perhaps it's only men on this forum who comment). I can guarantee you that is not the case.
@mrsmonkey <br /> I only came to this song quite recently, due to a penpal (a woman) comparing herself to the character in the song. You’re right, it’s not only men, it’s all of us.. I guess we all live lives of quiet desperation, while dreaming of something more, and knowing time is flying by..<br /> I suppose the beauty of art is that we can all relate in our own way, take from it what we need to make sense of our lives.<br /> When I first listened to the song, I didn’t get into it right away, but now I can’t stop listening and crying to it. It’s a beautiful, moving piece of work.
@mrsmonkey Women are most certainly trapped as well. Sadly it is often the women who end up as caretakers of the world, and have little time to lament on what could have been.
It's just about America, and the silly charm eveyone has. How funny it is that we spend every day wanting something more, and the more we want and the more we believe in our pursuit of happiness...the more we turn ourselves into people who are only half aware.
pinkfloyd: I think the "veterans" part is referring to soldiers coming home from war and having to face civilized restrictions (traffic light) that are boring to them compared to a military engagement.