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 go marching in, again
The need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are ever 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
Yeah, 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 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?

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 (who dares)
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 (who dares)
What if I say I will never surrender?

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


Lyrics submitted by intothegrinder2, edited by kobe107, SomebodyElse01

The Pretender Lyrics as written by David Eric Grohl Christopher A. Shiflett

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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The Pretender song meanings
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  • +3
    My Interpretation

    To me this can and probably is political, but what i love about it is that it can apply to anyone, and anything. Anyone who is miss treated, or unproportionately appreciated can relate to this. It doesn't need to be about government, although it can. It can be about people that take advantage of you, friends, family, work, school, whatever. To me, it's about people who keep you around just when it's convenient to them, and the rest of the time it's like you don't exist. This song is just a way of saying you may be able to treat other people like that, and they may be blissfully ignorant about the way they are being treated, but i'm not going to let you treat me like that anymore. Who gave YOU the right to mistreat ME like that. Now you've got to watch out, because one day you're going to call me up out of the blue and need me, and i'm going to laugh. After everything i've done for you and everything you've done TO me, why would i help you? Now you've got to find another puppet to manipulate. "What if i say i'm not just another one your plays?"

    ME68on May 15, 2012   Link

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