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 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 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.
@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.
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 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 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.
@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.