A great 20th century musician\arranger\conductor. His arrangements and orc… Read Full Bio ↴A great 20th century musician\arranger\conductor. His arrangements and orchestral backing were used on the great Frank Sinatra albums starting with "Songs for swingin' lovers" in the 50's. A very modest man, his remuneration for the Sinatra works were only those of a session musician, improving only when Nat King Cole insisted Capitol records pay him the full entitlement. Very highly regarded amongst musicians and his many fans worldwide.

Pretend
Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Pretend you're happy when you're blue
It isn't very hard to do
And you'll find happiness without an end
Whenever you pretend

Remember, anyone can dream
And nothing's bad as it may seem
The little things you haven't got

Could be a lot if you pretend

You'll find a love you can share
One you can call all your own
Just close your eyes, she'll be there
You'll never be alone

And if you sing this melody
You'll be pretending just like me
The world is mine; it can be yours, my friend
So, why don't you pretend?

And if you sing this melody
You'll be pretending just like me

The world is mine; it can be yours, my friend
So, why don't you pretend?

Overall Meaning

The song Pretend by Nelson Riddle is all about choosing to put on a façade of happiness even when feeling down, with the belief that acting as if can create reality. The song begins by advising to pretend being happy when feeling blue, as it can be easy to do so. This translates into finding joy that seemingly has no end, as long as you are able to pretend. The chorus encourages dreaming, as nothing is as bad as it seems. Even the things you don’t have can seem like plenty if you pretend.

The lyrics continue with the idea that pretending can lead to finding a love that you can call your own, and that if you just close your eyes, that love can be yours. The final verse emphasizes the power of the melody, to the point that singing it can lead to pretending and imagining a world that is yours. The song’s message is essentially that if you act as if your world is okay, it may just become okay in reality.

Line by Line Meaning

Pretend you're happy when you're blue
If you act like you're happy, despite being sad, you'll eventually become happy

It isn't very hard to do
It's quite easy to pretend to be happy

And you'll find happiness without an end
By pretending, you will find perpetual happiness

Whenever you pretend
Every time you pretend to be happy

Remember, anyone can dream
Everyone has the ability to dream

And nothing's bad as it may seem
Things may not be as bad as they appear to be

The little things you haven't got
Things that you don't have, no matter how small they may seem

Could be a lot if you pretend
They can seem significant if you pretend

You'll find a love you can share
By pretending to be happy, you'll attract a love that you can share

One you can call all your own
A love that will be exclusively yours

Just close your eyes, she'll be there
Visualize and imagine the love of your life, and she will come to you

You'll never be alone
You'll always have love and never be lonely

And if you sing this melody
If you sing this song

You'll be pretending just like me
You'll be pretending to be happy like I am

The world is mine; it can be yours, my friend
The world is mine, and it can be yours too if you pretend

So, why don't you pretend?
Why don't you try pretending and see the magic happen?

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cliff Parman, Dan Belloc, Frank La Vere, Lew Douglas

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS