Pretender
Jackson Browne/David Lindley Lyrics

I'm going to rent myself a house
I am going to hire a house

In the shade of the freeway
Near the highway

Gonna pack my lunch in the morning
I will prepare my lunch in the morning

And go to work each day
Then I will go to work everyday

And when the evening rolls around
In the evening time

I'll go on home and lay my body down
I will go home and rest

And when the morning light comes streaming in
In the morning

I'll get up and do it again
I will do it again

Amen.
So be it.

Say it again
Repeat it.

I want to know what became of the changes
I would like to know what happened to the changes

We waited for love to bring
We were expecting changes from love

Were they only the fitful dreams
Were they just unreal and brief dreams

Of some greater awakening?
By some great realization?

I've been aware of the time going by
I have been realizing the passage of time

They say in the end it's the wink of an eye
They say it all ends quickly

When the morning light comes streaming in
In the morning

You'll get up and do it again
You will do it again

Caught between the longing for love
In between desire for love

And the struggle for the legal tender
And the fight for money

Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring
Where the sirens and church bells make sounds

And the junk man pounds his fender.
With the scrap-dealer striking his fender.

Where the veterans dream of the fight
Where the war veterans think of fighting

Fast asleep at the traffic light
Asleep on a traffic signal

And the children solemnly wait
And kids wait patiently

For the ice cream vendor
For ice cream seller

Out into the cool of the evening
In the fresh evening air

Strolls the Pretender
Walks the impostor

He knows that all his hopes and dreams
He is aware that all his ambitions and aspirations

Begin and end there
Start and finish there

Ah the laughter of the lovers
Oh, the sound of laughter from lovers

As they run through the night
As they rush through the night

Leaving nothing for the others
Leaving nothing for others

But to choose off and fight
Only to pick and struggle

And tear at the world with all their might
And to strive and achieve their dreams relentlessly

While the ships bearing their dreams
While the vessels carrying their aspirations

Sail out of sight
Disappeared out of view

I'm gonna find myself a girl
I'll find myself a girl

Who can show me what laughter means
Who can make me feel the meaning of joy

And we'll fill in the missing colors
And we will add the colors missing

In each other's paint-by-number dreams
In each other's easy and predictable dreams

And then we'll put our dark glasses on
Then we will put on our dark glasses

And we'll make love until our strength is gone
And we will make love till our stamina gets over

And when the morning light comes streaming in
In the morning

We'll get up and do it again
We will do it again

Get it up again
Do it again

I'm gonna be a happy idiot
I plan to be a cheerful fool

And struggle for the legal tender
And fight for money

Where the ads take aim and lay their claim
Where ads target and state their importance

To the heart and the soul of the spender
At the very core of the buyer's heart and soul

And believe in whatever may lie
And believe in all possible

In those things that money can buy
In everything cash can purchase

Thought true love could have been a contender
Once believed love was capable

Are you there?
Are you present?

Say a prayer for the Pretender.
Request for Pretender's well-being.

Who started out so young and strong
Who began so full of youth and vigor

Only to surrender.
To eventually give up.

Say a prayer for the pretender
Request for Pretender's well-being.

Are you there for the pretender?
Are you present for the Pretender?

Are you prepared for the pretender?
Are you ready to face the Pretender?