… Read Full Bio ↴Enrico Ruggeri (born June 5, 1957) is an Italian singer-songwriter.
A native of Milan, Ruggeri made his debut in the 1970s with a punk band, the Decibel. In 1981 he began the career as a sole singer and established as a songwriter: his most famous success in this latter role is "Il mare d'inverno" ("The Sea in Winter"), brought to chart by Loredana Bertè.
He won the Sanremo Music Festival twice: in 1987 singing "Si può dare di più" ("You can give more") together with Gianni Morandi and Umberto Tozzi and in 1993 singing "Mistero" ("Mistery"). He represented Italy at Eurovision Song Contest 1993 with the song "Sole D'Europa" ("Sun of Europe").
His personal web site can be found at http://www.enricoruggeri.net/
The Great Pretender
Enrico Ruggeri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pretending I'm doing well;
My need is such, I pretend too much,
I'm lonely, but no one can tell.
Oh, yes, I'm the great pretender,
Adrift in a world of my own,
I play the game, but to my real shame,
Too real is this feeling of make believe,
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal.
Oh, yes, I'm the great pretender,
Just laughing and gay like a clown,
I seem to be what I'm not, (not) you see, (you see)
I'm wearing my heart like a clown,
Pretending that you're still around.
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal.
Oh, yes (yes), I'm the great pretender,
Just laughing and gay like a clown,
I seem to be what I'm not (what I'm not), you see (you see),
I'm wearing my heart like a clown,
Pretending that you're... pretending that you're still around.
Enrico Ruggeri's song The Great Pretender is a melancholic tune about loneliness and heartbreak. The opening line "Oh, yes, I'm the great pretender" reveals that the singer is not doing well and is merely pretending to be okay. He's putting on a façade of happiness and acting like a clown to hide his true feelings. The second line "Pretending I'm doing well" drives the point home that the singer is not being honest about his emotions and is trying to convince himself that everything is fine when it's not.
The third line, "My need is such, I pretend too much", suggests that the singer is dependent on the act of pretending to get through life, so much so that he does it more than he should. The line "I'm lonely, but no one can tell" highlights the irony of this situation - the singer is surrounded by people, yet he's still lonely as he's not able to connect with anyone. The second verse "Adrift in a world of my own... You've left me to dream all alone" cements the singer's isolation, suggesting that he's living in a fantasy world that is entirely of his own making.
The chorus repeats the opening line, reinforcing that the singer is indeed the great pretender. The line "Too real is this feeling of make-believe" conveys that he's starting to feel the strain of pretending all the time. But he continues to pretend by "laughing and gay like a clown" as he inserts the refrain "Pretending that you're still around." In conclusion, Ruggeri's evocative lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person who is struggling to come to terms with loneliness and heartbreak while trying to hide behind a mask of joy and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, yes, I'm the great pretender,
I am pretending to be someone I am not.
Pretending I'm doing well;
I am pretending to be happy and successful.
My need is such, I pretend too much,
I pretend too often because of my needs.
I'm lonely, but no one can tell.
I feel lonely, but I am hiding it from everyone.
Adrift in a world of my own,
I feel detached from reality and lost in my thoughts.
I play the game, but to my real shame,
I am pretending to be someone else, but I feel ashamed of it.
You've left me to dream all alone.
You are not here with me, and I am dreaming alone.
Too real is this feeling of make believe,
The feeling of pretending is too real for me to ignore.
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal.
My true emotions are too strong for me to hide.
Just laughing and gay like a clown,
I am pretending to be happy and carefree like a clown.
I seem to be what I'm not, you see,
I am pretending to be someone I am not, and you can see through it.
I'm wearing my heart like a clown,
I am displaying my emotions like a clown would wear a costume.
Pretending that you're still around.
I am pretending that you are still with me, even though you are not.
Just laughing and gay like a clown,
I continue to pretend to be happy and carefree like a clown.
I seem to be what I'm not, you see,
I am still pretending to be someone I am not, and you can still see through it.
Pretending that you're... pretending that you're still around.
I am pretending that you are pretending to be with me, even though you are not.
Contributed by Lincoln V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Magic32Jackson
Signor Socrate, lei non sa che la canzone originale non è di Freddie Mercury bensì dei The Platters? É patetico signor Socrate.
Socrates
Signor Ruggeri, ma come si permette di cantare una canzone di Freddie Mercury? É patetico signor Ruggeri.