Her debut EP Lights was released in July 2008 and achieved commercial success which enabled the release of her first full-length album, The Listening, on September 22, 2009. Her second album, Siberia, was released on October 4, 2011. Both albums have been certified gold in Canada. Lights released her third studio album, Little Machines, on September 19, 2014, which debuted on the Canadian Albums Chart at number five. Her fourth album, Skin&Earth, which featured "Giants", was released in September 2017, accompanied by a graphic novel of the same name. Her albums won the Juno Award for Pop Album of the Year in 2015 and 2018.
Lights has collaborated with artists including Bring Me the Horizon, Silverstein, Deadmau5, Felix Cartal, i_o, Owl City and Sleepy Tom. Lights signed with Fueled by Ramen in 2019 and released Skin&Earth Acoustic, which included three new songs.
Pretend
Lights Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To feel like a kid again
It gets like a prison
In the body I'm living in
Because everyone's watching
Quick to start talking
I'm losing my innocence
Without the weight of the world
It would be nice to start over again
Before we were men
I'd give, I'd bend
Let's play pretend
Remember the time
We had soda for wine
And got by on gratitude
The worst they could do to you
Was check your attitude
Yeah, when fights were for fun
We had water in guns
And a place we could call our own
How we lost hold of home
I guess I'll never know
It would be nice to start over again
Before we were men
I'd give, I'd bend
Let's play pretend
And when it's the end
Our lives will make sense
We'll love, we'll bend
Let's play pretend
It's not going to be long
Before we're all gone
With nothing to show for them
Stop taking lives, come on
Let's all grow up again
It would be nice
To start over again
Before we were men
I'd give, I'd bend
Let's play pretend
And when it's the end
Our lives will make sense
We'll love, we'll bend
Let's play pretend
The lyrics of Lights’s song “Pretend” revolve around nostalgia for childhood and a desire to return to simpler times. The first verse describes feeling trapped in one’s adult body and the constant scrutiny and judgment of others that comes with maturity. The singer wishes to regress to a time when they had no responsibilities or worries. They long for the freedom of childhood, where they can play pretend and just be carefree.
The second verse reminisces about the joys of childhood, when the worst “they” could do was check one’s attitude, there were water guns and a place to call one's own. The singer is wistful about the loss of childhood innocence and how they lost their sense of “home.” The lyrics reflect a sense of confusion and sadness about growing up too fast and missing out on relishing the moments of childhood.
The chorus emphasizes the desire to “start over” and return to a time before the weight of adulthood. The singer wants to go back before they were “men” and take on the simplicity of childhood, to “play pretend.” The last stanza brings this longing for simplicity to a broader scale, lamenting the loss of life and a call to unite.
Overall, the song reflects the universal experience of looking back on childhood and longing for simpler times, a message that resonates with many people.
Line by Line Meaning
Once in a while I act like a child
Occasionally I behave in a youthful manner
To feel like a kid again
In order to reconnect with my childhood self
It gets like a prison
Sometimes life feels stifling and oppressive
In the body I'm living in
Because of the expectations placed upon me by my physical form
Because everyone's watching
Due to the scrutiny I receive from others
Quick to start talking
Often leading to judgement and criticism
I'm losing my innocence
My carefree spirit is being eroded by societal pressures
Wish I were a little girl
Longing for the simplicity and freedom of childhood
Without the weight of the world
Unencumbered by the burdens of adulthood
It would be nice to start over again
A desire for a fresh beginning
Before we were men
To return to a time before societal expectations took hold
I'd give, I'd bend
Willing to make compromises to achieve this
Let's play pretend
Imagining a life unencumbered by the stresses of adulthood
Remember the time
Reflecting on the past
We had soda for wine
When even the simplest things could bring joy and excitement
And got by on gratitude
A time when the smallest things were appreciated
The worst they could do to you
The consequences of poor behavior were insignificant
Was check your attitude
As long as you had a good attitude, life was good
Yeah, when fights were for fun
When conflict was not taken seriously
We had water in guns
A simpler time when water fights could bring joy
And a place we could call our own
A time when home felt safe and secure
How we lost hold of home
Reflecting on how life has changed since then
I guess I'll never know
Uncertainty about how we ended up where we are today
And when it's the end
Looking towards the future
Our lives will make sense
Hoping that everything will fall into place eventually
We'll love, we'll bend
We will persevere and be flexible as we grow and change
It's not going to be long
Acknowledging the finite nature of life
Before we're all gone
Before we depart this life
With nothing to show for them
Reflecting on the value of our life's work
Stop taking lives, come on
A plea for an end to violence and unnecessary death
Let's all grow up again
An acknowledgement of the importance of growing and changing
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: VALERIE POXLEITNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind