The Pretender
Foo Fighters爀 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 that I'll never surrender?
I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
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?
In "The Pretender," Foo Fighters (Infected Mushroom Cover) are talking about being kept in the dark, pretending, secrecy, and masks. It starts by talking about being kept in the dark and being oppressed by the ones who pretend, then they send in skeletons, which could be a metaphor for exposing truths. The need buried deep and the secrets kept are always ready to surface. The singer is done making sense and done pretending ignorance.
The song then shifts to talking about being different and not surrendering to the ones who always pretend. They talk about how they are not like others and they are not just another one of their plays. The singer or the band is the Pretender according to the song, and they will never surrender despite all odds. The song ends with questioning who the other person or people are and who the singer is.
Overall, the song could be a commentary on the music industry and how everyone is expected to conform and put on a certain persona, but the singer or the band refuses to do so and will stand out among the crowd.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep you in the dark
They hide the truth from you
You know they all pretend
You know they're lying
Keep you in the dark
They still won't reveal the truth
And so it all began
This situation started somewhere
Send in your skeletons
Expose your shameful secrets
Sing as their bones go marching in, again
Confront and acknowledge your past mistakes
The need you buried deep
You have deep desires you keep hidden
The secrets that you keep are ever ready
Your secrets could come out at any time
Are you ready?
Can you handle your secrets being exposed?
I'm finished making sense
I'm done trying to explain myself
Done pleading ignorance
I won't pretend I don't know things anymore
That whole defense
I won't defend my actions anymore
Spinning infinity, boy
Endless cycle of life
The wheel is spinning me
Life is controlling me
It's never-ending, never-ending
Life will go on forever
Same old story
Life is predictable
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I'm not what you expect?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
What if I won't follow your plan?
You're the pretender
You're the one who's pretending
What if I say I will never surrender?
What if I won't give up?
In time our soul untold
One day all secrets come out
I'm just another soul for sale, oh well
I'm just like everyone else trying to survive
The page is out of print
The past is in the past
We are not permanent
Our existence is fleeting
We're temporary, temporary
We're only here for a short while
I'm the voice inside your head
I'm your conscience
You refuse to hear
You ignore what I'm telling you
I'm the face that you have to face
I'm the one you have to confront
Mirrored in your stare
You see me in yourself
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm both good and bad in you
I'm the enemy
I'm the thing holding you back
I'm the hand that will take you down
I will be the one to bring you down
Bring you to your knees
Make you submit to reality
So who are you?
Who are you really?
Yeah, who are you?
Who are you at your core?
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I'm different than you expect?
You're the pretender
You're the one pretending
What if I say that I'll never surrender?
What if I won't give up?
Keep you in the dark
They still won't reveal the truth
You know they all pretend
You know they're lying
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I'm different than you think?
You're the pretender
You're the one hiding the truth
What if I say that I'll never surrender?
What if I won't give up?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER A. SHIFLETT, DAVID ERIC GROHL, NATE MENDEL, TAYLOR HAWKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind