Pretend Love

I think there's a possibility that this song isn't as straight-forward as it seems. I say this because the lyrincs can interpreted as sarcasm and/or denial, like a relationship has ended and the person speaking (or, in this case, singing) is bitter and sad and heartbroken over things ending. I think the speaker did really did love the person he was with, but now that things have ended, perhaps due to betrayal, he wants to deny that he ever loved at all. Sometimes admitting how much you love/loved someone hurts more than pretending you didn't really love them as much as you actually did, even if you know you're just lying to yourself. Therefore, I think that when he says "pretend love," it could mean that he's saying to his ex-lover to pretend that everything he's saying is true, and that he didn't love her as much as he did, so that they can both move on. It's a sort of heartbroken denial- very sad indeed.

Another interpretation could be that he and his lover have to leave each other, for whatever reason it may be, and though he does love her, he's telling her to pretend he never loved her, so that the break-up doesn't hurt as much, or as a way to otherwise alleviate the pain of parting. Hence the lyrics "pretend love" (or, for the sake of my theory: "pretend, Love"), which are a sweetly tragic way of telling his lover to pretend what he's saying is true, even if they both know it isn't (meaning, he really does love her). Also, when he says "Don't you know I've a gift / And I've wrapped it in truth / Your birthday's tomorrow / But the gift's not for you," it could be his way of once more saying that everything he's saying are lies, and the love he has for her is his "gift" and the "truth," but, for some reason, he can't love her (or give her his gift) the way he wants to, and so that is why he is lying by saying he never loved her and whatnot

Maybe this is just the hopeless romantic in me, but I would rather believe the above theory, than believe that this is just a heartless declaration of fake love. What's more, I think The Avett Brothers are too poetic to have this song be exactly what it says.

Moreover, look at the first stanza

"Don't be fooled by my words Don't be fooled by my song If you choose to belive them You'll plainly be wrong"

This can be intepreted as a warning to not believe anything he's about to say. :) I like it, I think this is a very sad and romantic song

Honestly no comments?!?!

Off maybe their best album, I honestly love this song. very blunt and no two ways about it, even if you are oblivious you get the point with this song.

Puts a smile on my face in all honesty.

Defiantly one of my favorites!

It's such a blunt, straight-to-the-face song. The meaning is quite obvious. I love how they show no mercy...