| Jackson Browne – The Pretender Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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@[djm19:39089] 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). 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. 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) 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". 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. |
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