I disagree. Underneath this song's cheery notes, and whimsical lyrics, I believe there lies a great ache of regret. I believe this song is about a chap who goes to see his old lover with whom he has at least one child maybe two—the little kids playing in the park downtown. He lets himself into her apartment or house and waits for her return. When she does, they keep the conversation superficial and light, though they haven’t seen each other for awhile—both trying to avoid the regret and past that they share. They “pretend” that they don’t have a past and are not the parents of these children or child. What leads me to believe this is the way the song lyrics run together: “Pretending in everyday life we don’t have…Little kids playing in the park downtown.” And of course, he will wake up to a life that’s hollow without the love of his old lover, and maybe without the love of his own children who are portrayed as distant, unknown characters in the song.
I disagree. Underneath this song's cheery notes, and whimsical lyrics, I believe there lies a great ache of regret. I believe this song is about a chap who goes to see his old lover with whom he has at least one child maybe two—the little kids playing in the park downtown. He lets himself into her apartment or house and waits for her return. When she does, they keep the conversation superficial and light, though they haven’t seen each other for awhile—both trying to avoid the regret and past that they share. They “pretend” that they don’t have a past and are not the parents of these children or child. What leads me to believe this is the way the song lyrics run together: “Pretending in everyday life we don’t have…Little kids playing in the park downtown.” And of course, he will wake up to a life that’s hollow without the love of his old lover, and maybe without the love of his own children who are portrayed as distant, unknown characters in the song.