The single is released as a 7" and CD featuring the b-sides "Weekend Wars" and "Metanoia," respectively.
It was the iTunes Single of the Week for the second week of January, 2008. It was made available as a free download on iTunes during that time. MGMT performed the song on The Late Show with David Letterman on January 8, 2008. The song subsequently hit #38 on the Mediabase Alternative chart .
The track was originally recorded for the Time to Pretend EP (2005). It was re-recorded for the Oracular Spectacular album.
It was featured in the the 2008 film 21 and in the Season 1 finale of Gossip Girl. It was also the final song played on the second series of popular UK teen drama Skins, after the song reached a new peak in the UK charts.
Time to Pretend
MGMT Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm in the prime of my life
Let's make some music, make some money
Find some models for wives
I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin and fuck with the stars
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars
This is our decision to live fast and die young
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do?
Get jobs in offices and wake up for the morning commute?
Forget about our mothers and our friends
We're fated to pretend
To pretend
We're fated to pretend
To pretend
I'll miss the playgrounds
And the animals and digging up worms
I'll miss the comfort of my mother
And the weight of the world
I'll miss my sister, miss my father
Miss my dog and my home
Yeah, I'll miss the boredom
And the freedom and the time spent alone
But there is really nothing, nothing we can do
Love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew
The models will have children, we'll get a divorce
We'll find some more models, everything must run its course
We'll choke on our vomit and that will be the end
We were fated to pretend
To pretend
We're fated to pretend
To pretend
I said yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
MGMT's song "Time to Pretend" is a satirical take on the ambition and hedonism of rock stars, contrasting the glamorized idea of success with the inconveniences of everyday life, and suggesting that happiness and meaning cannot be bought. The lyrics explore the fantasies of escaping mundane responsibilities, being famous and rich, indulging in excesses like drugs and sex, and ignoring consequences such as addiction and failed relationships. The opening lines "I'm feelin' rough, I'm feelin' raw, I'm in the prime of my life" set the tone of youthful rebellion and restlessness, while the second line "Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives" establishes the trio of goals deemed essential for rock stardom. The nihilistic attitude towards conventional success is conveyed in lines like "Get jobs in offices and wake up for the morning commute?" and "But there is really nothing, nothing we can do, love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew".
Throughout the song, there is an undercurrent of melancholy and nostalgia for simpler things and relationships that have been left behind. The chorus "We're fated to pretend" suggests a resignation to facades and illusions as a way of coping with disillusionment and uncertainty. The second verse, starting with "I'll miss the playgrounds and the animals and digging up worms" reveals a more vulnerable and sentimental side to the singer, who recognizes that fame and fortune come at a cost. The trivialization of love and family ("The models will have children, we'll get a divorce") further emphasizes the hollowness and superficiality of the lifestyle being pursued. The final line "We were fated to pretend" is repeated four times in a reverberating chorus, possibly suggesting a sense of regret or acceptance of the consequences of chasing after an unattainable ideal.
Overall, MGMT's "Time to Pretend" is a clever and evocative commentary on the cultural myth of rock and roll excess and the pursuit of success, offering a nuanced critique of the fantasies that drive many young people's aspirations.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm feelin' rough, I'm feelin' raw
I am feeling unrefined, untreated
I'm in the prime of my life
I am in the peak stage of my life
Let's make some music, make some money
Let's create some tunes and earn cash
Find some models for wives
Search for stunning individuals to marry
I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin and fuck with the stars
I'll relocate to Paris, partake in drugs, and provoke celebrities
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars
You handle the island, the drugs, and the luxurious cars
This is our decision to live fast and die young
It's our choice to live recklessly and pass away early
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun
We have the idea; let's enjoy ourselves
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do?
Yes, it's intense, however, what other options do we have?
Get jobs in offices and wake up for the morning commute?
Should we work in offices and follow the daily routine?
Forget about our mothers and our friends
Ignore our mothers and friends
We're fated to pretend
We are destined to fake
I'll miss the playgrounds
I'll long for the play areas
And the animals and digging up worms
And the creatures and excavating earthworms
I'll miss the comfort of my mother
I'll yearn for my mother's comfort
And the weight of the world
And the burden of the world
I'll miss my sister, miss my father
I'll miss my sister, miss my father
Miss my dog and my home
Miss my dog and my house
Yeah, I'll miss the boredom
Indeed, I'll miss the monotony
And the freedom and the time spent alone
And the liberty and the moments spent in solitude
But there is really nothing, nothing we can do
But there's nothing genuinely that we can accomplish
Love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew
Love must be disregarded; existence can always begin again
The models will have children, we'll get a divorce
The models will bear offspring, we'll divorce
We'll find some more models, everything must run its course
We'll discover more models, all things must go on
We'll choke on our vomit and that will be the end
We'll suffocate due to our vomit, and that will be the conclusion
We were fated to pretend
We were destined to pretend
I said yeah, yeah, yeah
I said yes, yes, yes
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yes, yes, yes
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yes, yes, yes
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yes, yes, yes
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andrew Vanwyngarden, Ben Goldwasser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind