In a 2007 interview with XFM, frontman Dave Grohl stopped short of explaining the meaning behind "The Pretender," but alluded its roots go to current political unrest. Grohl noted:
That's the thing with lyrics, you never want to give away specifics, because it's nice for people to have their own idea or interpretation of the song. But, you know, everyone's been fucked over before and I think a lot of people feel fucked over right now and they're not getting what they were promised, and so something to do with that.
Grohl also told XFM "The Pretender" wasn't initially planned for the album and happened really quickly.
That song didn't happen until later on in the session. We didn't go into making the record with that song and it happened after we recorded a lot of stuff. Up until that point, I didn't know if we had a good opening song or not. So after we recorded it, I thought, 'oh this is perfect, we have the song to open the record,' and it just became everybody's favorite song. ... It's the type of song that I look forward to opening shows with and it came together really easily. We put that song together in, I don't know, a day, whereas a lot of the other songs we worked on for weeks."
MUSIC VIDEO
The video was directed by Sam Brown. It is presented in letterbox format and heavily employs pans, zooms, and tracking shots. It consists of the band performing the song in an airplane hangar with many strip lights on the ceiling. Behind the band is a large red screen, which is thick and solid. The band is then faced by what appears to be a riot police officer, who stands behind a black line on the floor, around 30 feet or so from the band. He has the number 21 on his bullet-proof vest. As the song progresses, he is joined by more riot police officers, and a panning shot shows us that to his left, the numbers on the officers' vests descend all the way to "01". Assuming that there are the same number of officers on the man's right side, it can be gathered that there are 41 officers overall. As the quieter bridge begins, the video slows down as the officers charge at the band. Just as the band repeats the song's louder chorus, the screen suddenly explodes and a red liquid erupts from the red screen overwhelming the police officers but affecting the band to a lesser extent. At the end of the video, Dave Grohl is shown slamming his guitar on the floor as he falls to his knees.
RECEPTION
This song was #47 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.[3]The song was a 2008 Grammy Award nominee for Best Rock Song. It won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance the same year. This song was also #94 on MTV Asia's list of Top 100 Hits of 2007.
This album was the fourth consecutive Foo Fighters album to have a song reach the top of the U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks. "The Pretender" is one of Foo Fighters' most successful songs; only "Learn to Fly" and "Best of You" beat its position on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. "The Pretender" was the most densely played alternative rock song of 2007. It holds the record for longest running #1 in the Modern Rock Tracks' history, with 18 weeks at #1[5]. It also spent 6 weeks at #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks. It made the Triple J's Hottest 100 in Australia placing in at number 6.
MEDIA
*The song was used for the opening of TBS's broadcast of the 2007 NLCS and possibly the 2007 ALCS.
*The song was used in the ending sequence of "Filthy Lucre", the 9th episode of the Showtime show Californication.
*The song was featured in Tony Hawk's Proving Ground.
*The song was used in the ending sequence for the sixth season premiere of CSI: Miami.
*The song was used in a Sky One advert for Prison Break.
*The song was included as downloadable content in Guitar Hero III.
*A short clip of the video was used in a commercial for the iPod Touch.
*Foo Fighters performed the song live, along with Learn to Fly, at the Spike Video Game Awards 2007.
*The song was used frequently by Channel Nine during the 07-08 ODI Cricket season.
*The song was used for the advert of the new series of Primeval on ITV1.
*The beginning of the song is featured in the TV series Medium.
*The song was used in the FIA Gala video to sum up the Formula 1 World Championship of 2007
*The song was played at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.
*At the 2008 Grammy Awards a version of the song was played with the My Grammy Moment orchestra (conducted & arranged by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones). The winner of the My Grammy Moment competition was Ann Marie Calhoun, who played a violin solo.
The Pretender
Foo Fighters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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?
The lyrics of "The Pretender" by the Foo Fighters is about challenging the norm and standing up against conformity. The lyrics "keep you in the dark, you know they all pretend" suggest that people are often kept in the dark about the real truths and important issues of the world. The imagery of "skeletons" and "secrets" being revealed reflects the idea that the truth needs to come out and people need to be held accountable for their actions. The chorus reinforces this message, with the singer questioning the listener's role in perpetuating the cycle of deception and conformity.
The lines "what if I say I'm not like the others?" and "what if I say I will never surrender?" reflect a sense of rebellion and individualism. The singer is asking the questions to encourage the listener to think for themselves and not fall into the trap of living their lives according to someone else's playbook. The repeated line "who are you?" asks the listener to reflect on their own identity and purpose.
Overall, the song is a call to action for people to challenge the status quo, think for themselves, and stand up against conformity and deception.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep you in the dark
They hide information from you
You know they all pretend
You know they are not sincere
And so it all began
This is how it started
Send in your skeletons
Reveal your hidden secrets
Sing as their bones go marching in, again
Others will criticize and condemn you for your secrets
The need you buried deep
The desires and wants you’ve hidden inside
The secrets that you keep are ever ready
Your hidden secrets are always there, available to be discovered
Are you ready?
Are you prepared to face what you’ve been hiding?
I'm finished making sense
I no longer want to live with this hypocrisy
Done pleading ignorance
I'm no longer pretending to be blind to the problem
That whole defense
The excuses and reasoning for not revealing the truth
Spinning infinity, boy
Being stuck in the same cycle forever
The wheel is spinning me
I’m trapped in this cycle I can’t escape
It's never-ending, never-ending
This problem just continues, without any hope of resolution
Same old story
This has happened before and it will happen again
What if I say I'm not like the others?
I’m not the same as the people hiding the truth
You're the pretender
You’re the one who is hiding the truth
What if I say I will never surrender?
I will never give up trying to reveal the truth
In time our soul untold
Our true selves remain hidden
I'm just another soul for sale, oh well
I’m just like everyone else, in terms of being dishonest
The page is out of print
The story is over and can’t be changed
We are not permanent
We are not meant to last forever
We're temporary, temporary
Our existence is fleeting
I'm the voice inside your head
I’m your conscience
You refuse to hear
You ignore my advice
Yeah, I'm the face that you have to face
I’m the reality you have to confront
Mirrored in your stare
Reflected in your gaze
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I represent the choices you’ve made
I'm the enemy
I’m your obstacle
I'm the hand that will take you down
I’m the force that will make you suffer the consequences
Bring you to your knees
Make you face the truth and its consequences
So who are you?
Who are you really, deep down?
You're the pretender (who dares)
You’re the one hiding the truth, and I challenge you to face it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christopher A. Shiflett, David Eric Grohl, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kamyu931
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
They need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are ever ready
Are you ready?
I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That old 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 never surrender?
In time, or so I'm told,
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 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 I will never surrender?
I'm the voice inside your head you refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face mirrorin' your stare
I'm what's left; I'm what's right; I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that'll take you down and 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)
You're the pretender
(Pretend)
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)
You're the pretender
(Pretend)
What if I say I will never surrender?
So, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
@NYRAPPERFULL
+Eric Pivaral Is this true or false, Eric?
Foo fighters can only make 10 types of songs:
1 Hard rock
2 post-grunge
3 punk rock
4 Rock
5 Alternative rock
6 grunge
7 power pop
8 alternative metal
9 soft rock
10 acoustic rock
@surferboy2005
the rest of the lyrics from the description:
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
They 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
But 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 that 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 ever surrender?
In time, or so I'm told
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
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrorin' your stare
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that'll 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 you're 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)
You're the pretender
(Pretend)
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)
You're the pretender
(Pretend)
What if I say I will never surrender?
So, who are you? Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
@leventenagy6645
I'm leaving this comment here so that whenever someone likes it I'll come back and listen to this masterpiece
@Rigbyyyy
Just come back and listen to the song on your own accord douche
@neebs929
It's so fucking awesome. Set volume to eleventy Brazillian. The guitar bridge told epic it needs a better word. Dave Grohl is hero status.
@zekeiwa5837
Have you tried asking your parents for attention? Trust me, you'll want less validation from strangers that way
@coolblueberry7897
@@zekeiwa5837 bro he doesn't care about the likes it's not that deep. He just complemented this absolute banger.
@dfoofigther
hello
@dabelli3818
This guy is a drummer, singer, guitarist, Jesus, and Johnwick all at the same time...
@lifeIover
simply a god amongst men
@jesse_reznor
God help anyone that kills his dog
@dabelli3818
@@jesse_reznor given the fact that he himself is also the son of God, I don't know how much it will help lol