REVIEW
He walked on to the stage at Windsor’s Theatre Royal on Sunday evening as cool as a cucumber. Des O'Connor walked out cold into the spotlight. No warm up act, no fanfare, no music, Quietly and without introduction he took the mic and a near packed audience gave him the applause only a consummate artiste and firm family favourite entertainer would get – rapturous.
Des was his own warm up act and had the audience hotter than July by the time his 45 minute first half cracker of show was done for a quick libation.
You forget that Des was a class, polished act. When you see him on one of his great TV shows, you expected him to be slick and stylish. But with an enviable quintet and a simple black, nightclub style stage backdrop, Des simply oozed charm and sophistication as first the jokes and anecdotes and then the songs came to the fore.
Wonderful reminiscences of how great entertainers are brought up in showbiz. How as a youngster he was the warm up for Buddy Holly, touring with the songster and giving the thumbs up to classic rock and roll numbers the Cricket was writing at the time and which have now gone down in musical history.
How he watched Frank Sinatra sneak in through the back door of a tiny club in Las Vegas before singing "One More For The Road", a number Des brought to life in his own inimitable way.
How he and Tom Jones got along while both playing Las Vegas.
And talking about the many, many entertainers, both British and American, who have become household names after appearing on his illustrious TV show over the years.
Down to earth, good looking and self deprecating, Des had wit and charm in bundles.
Great numbers by some of the great song writers all fell under Des’ spell as mirth and music filled the theatre.
Cheeky, cheerful and just downright brilliant as an entertainer, Des, who only had to drive in from his home in Hedgerley, showed us all what a true gentleman of show business he was and why he was loved by so many. He left so many others in his wake.
A delightful night out and one I hope will be repeated.
I Pretend
Des O'Connor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Listening for a footstep on the stairs
All I have to talk to is the moonlight
Shining on an empty chair
So I'll pretend, your loving arms are reaching out for me
Yes I'll pretend, and though my eyes are closed I still can see
As I pretend, the world is new and like it used to be
Till then I'll just pretend
Something made her change, what could it be now
Wish I knew exactly what I'd done
If there's someone else I'll set you free now
Guess I've lost and he has won
So I'll pretend, your loving arms are reaching out for me
Yes I'll pretend, and though my eyes are closed I still can see
As I pretend, the world is new and like it used to be
One day our love must end
Till then I'll just pretend
One day our love must end
Till then I'll just pretend
The lyrics to Des O'Connor's "I Pretend" speak of the pain of loneliness and heartbreak. The singer is sitting alone, listening for someone to come and fill the emptiness. All that's left is the moonlight shining on an empty chair. In order to cope with this feeling of abandonment and loss, the singer decides to pretend that their love is still there. They close their eyes and imagine that the world is new again, the way it used to be. They hold on to this fantasy because they know that one day their love will have to end, but until then, they'll just pretend.
The second verse introduces a new element to the song: the singer starts to wonder what caused their partner to change. They don't know what they did wrong, and they're left to speculate about the other person's motives. The pain of this uncertainty is compounded when the singer considers the possibility that there is someone else in their partner's life. Despite their fear of losing their love, the singer knows they must set them free if that's what it takes to make them happy. In the meantime, they'll continue to pretend that their love is still there, and that everything is just as it used to be.
Overall, "I Pretend" is a poignant portrayal of loneliness, longing, and heartbreak. The lyrics capture the feeling of being left behind, without anyone to turn to for comfort. They also showcase the human tendency to hold onto our fantasies, even when we know they can't last forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting here so lonely in the firelight
I am alone and sad, sitting by the fire with no one for company.
Listening for a footstep on the stairs
I'm hoping to hear someone coming up the stairs to be with me.
All I have to talk to is the moonlight
I have no one to talk to, so my only companionship is the moonlight.
Shining on an empty chair
The moonlight is shining on an empty chair, symbolizing the absence of someone special.
So I'll pretend, your loving arms are reaching out for me
To ease my loneliness, I'll imagine that you are here, holding me tight.
Yes I'll pretend, and though my eyes are closed I still can see
Even if I close my eyes, I can still pretend that you are with me.
As I pretend, the world is new and like it used to be
By pretending, I can escape to a time when things were better, and the world was full of possibilities.
One day our love must end
I know that our love can't last forever, and that it will eventually come to an end.
Till then I'll just pretend
Until our love ends, I'll continue to pretend that you're with me, despite knowing that it won't last.
Something made her change, what could it be now
There was something that caused her to change, and I'm not sure what it was.
Wish I knew exactly what I'd done
I wish I knew what I did to make her change her feelings towards me.
If there's someone else I'll set you free now
If there's someone else who has taken my place in your heart, I'll let you go for your own happiness.
Guess I've lost and he has won
I have lost in the competition for her love, and someone else has won her heart.
One day our love must end
Despite the pain of losing her, I know that our love cannot last forever.
Till then I'll just pretend
Until the end of our love comes, I'll continue to pretend that she is still mine and with me.
Contributed by Dylan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@paulbloom8847
Make no mistake this man could sing.A true gentleman RIP
@davidchamberlain5425
Des your no.1 Hit in UK.rip.🎵🙏
@John-mg9df
Absolutely fantastic entertainer , and NEVER in the papers for the wrong reasons.
👍👍👍
@jbrimble1957
Hello this song takes me back so many years beautiful 🙂🏴
@gcook1493
I can remember watching Des on telly when I was just a kid with my parents and I'm 70 now so he's been part of my life and will be sorely missed
@gordonreichel127
Another legend has gone. Sleep well and thankyou for all the great memories.
@suzanneandrews2942
Thanks for the memories Des, you remind me of home. Sing a song to my dear Dad today in heaven, its his birthday...RIP handsome...xxx
@mr.pastry8077
Des oconnor, bob monkhouse,eric and ernie, two ronnies,bruce forsyth,larry grayson,all gone yes i remember the 1970s of my childhood and teens.Never to be forgotton all of you rest in peace.
@stephenandrews8419
I loved Des. He was a true gentleman, a great entertainer & a very underrated singer. I think this was his best ever song. R.I.P Des 💙💙💙
@johnchappell8120
So true