The Great Pretender
Br. Eno Lyrics
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Rolled on her side
She was so impressed that she just surrendered
She was moved by his wheels
She was just up from wales
He was fueled by her coals and he was coming to catch her
Lose the sense of time
Nail down the blinds
Joking aside
The mechanical bride
Has fallen prey to the great pretender.
Let me just point out discreetly
Though you never learn
All those tawdry late night weepies
I could make you weep more cheaply
As the empty moon enamels
Monica with spoons and candles
Bangs around without the light on
Furniture to get it right on
Settled in a homely fish pool
Hung with little eels
Often thinks that travel widens
'stay at home, the trout obliges'
Monica sighed
Rolled on to her side
She was so impressed that she just surrendered.
The song "The Great Pretender" by Brian Eno is a dreamy and atmospheric ballad that leaves the interpretation open to the listener. The lyrics of the song seem to be about a woman named Monica who has surrendered to a man who impresses her. The man is described as being fueled by her coals which could symbolize her passion for him. There is a sense of urgency in the lyrics, as the man is coming to catch her, and there is a sense of ending in the succulent dark. The mechanical bride may refer to Monica, who has become vulnerable to the great pretender, possibly the man who has caught her attention.
The lyrics of the song are cryptic and metaphoric, leaving much open to interpretation. The empty moon enamels Monica, which could symbolize her being filled with wonder and admiration for the man who impresses her. However, the singer warns that all those tawdry late-night weepies could make her weep more cheaply than by surrendering to the great pretender. Monica is described as being unsettled in a homely fish pool, hung with little eels. This imagery suggests that Monica is out of her depth and in a situation she cannot easily escape.
Overall, "The Great Pretender" seems to be about the vulnerability of falling for someone who may not be what they seem. The lyrics caution against surrendering too easily to such individuals and suggest that it is important to keep a sense of perspective when it comes to matters of the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Monica sighed
Monica let out a sigh
Rolled on her side
She turned over onto her side
She was so impressed that she just surrendered
She was highly impressed by someone or something and gave in to it
She was moved by his wheels
She was attracted to his car/mode of transportation
She was just up from wales
She had recently come from Wales or was originally from there
He was fueled by her coals and he was coming to catch her
He was motivated by her energy and was coming to pursue her
Lose the sense of time
Forget about time
Nail down the blinds
Close the blinds tightly
And in the succulent dark there's a sense of ending
In the darkness, there is a feeling that something is coming to an end
Joking aside
All joking aside
The mechanical bride
A female robot or machine with human-like qualities
Has fallen prey to the great pretender.
The robot has been deceived by someone pretending to be something they are not
Let me just point out discreetly
Allow me to subtly mention
Though you never learn
Even though you never learn from mistakes or experiences
All those tawdry late night weepies
All those melodramatic or emotionally manipulative films/shows that people watch late at night
I could make you weep more cheaply
I could make you cry for less money or effort
As the empty moon enamels
As the moon, which appears to be empty, shines brightly
Monica with spoons and candles
Monica holding spoons and candles
Bangs around without the light on
Moving around without turning the lights on
Furniture to get it right on
Moving furniture to get it in the right place
Settled in a homely fish pool
Calmly resting in a comfortable fish tank
Hung with little eels
Decorated with small eels
Often thinks that travel widens
Believes that traveling broadens one's horizons
'stay at home, the trout obliges'
If you stay at home, life will still go on as normal
Monica sighed
Monica let out a sigh
Rolled on to her side
She turned over onto her side
She was so impressed that she just surrendered.
She was highly impressed by someone or something and gave in to it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN ENO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind