Paper Route is composed of Chad Howat (bass, piano, programming), J.T. Daly (vocals, keyboards, percussion), Andy Smith (vocals, guitars, harmonica), and Gavin McDonald (drums). Howat, Daly, and Smith first began playing together late at night after a previous musical endeavor had disbanded. Paste magazine deemed Paper Route an artist to watch.
From late July through August 2008, Paper Route was part of the Final Riot Tour, with Paramore, Phantom Planet, and Jack's Mannequin. They have also toured with Copeland and Passion Pit.
In early 2008, the TV show One Tree Hill featured Paper Route songs in the episodes "Life Is Short" and "Cryin' Won't Help You Now". The band's song "Last Time" was chosen to be the theme song for the August 31, 2008 Nike+ Human Race.
The band's major label debut, Absence, was issued on Universal Records on April 28, 2009. The album reached #13 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.
Pretend
Paper Route Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know that we're giving in
I know that you know the feeling
I woke up with my head in the clouds
Asleep with you on my mind
I guess I need to figure this out
Before I see you tonight
I'll hide my favorite scars with the shirt and the tie
You'll let your hair fall down while you're saving my life
I'll leave my bourbon [?] for your body of wine
If I come over again
We can pretend
We're wanting different things and then
We can pretend
We'll never end up here, end up here again
You found out I was broken at heart
And you let me [?]
Each words from your lips made a mark
I didn't care anymore
I play my favorite songs when I'm driving you home
You let your hair fall down when you know we're alone
It's such a careful dance when your feet have been cold
The only way to defend
We can pretend
We are wanting different things and then
We can pretend
We'll never end up here, end up here again
Oh we can pretend all day but we know that it's true
And then pretend to see from the different view
I've got a whole routine I've been playing for you
Over and over again
We can pretend
We can pretend
I know that you know the feeling
I know that we're giving in
I know that you know the feeling
I know that we're giving in
I know that you know the feeling
I know that we're giving in
I know that you know the feeling
We can pretend
The lyrics of Paper Route's song Pretend are about two people who are in a complicated and confusing relationship. The singer is in love with the other person, but they are uncertain about the other person's feelings towards them. They both know that their relationship is not going anywhere, but they keep pretending that everything is okay because they don't want to lose each other.
The first verse describes the singer waking up with their head in the clouds, thinking about the other person. They know that they need to figure out their feelings before they see the other person that night. The second verse talks about the other person finding out that the singer is broken-hearted and how their words have made a mark on the singer. The chorus talks about how they can pretend that they want different things and that they'll never end up together again.
The bridge talks about how they both know that they are pretending, but they still go through the motions because they don't want to lose each other. The final chorus repeats the first chorus, emphasizing that they both know that they're giving in to their feelings, even though they're pretending.
Overall, the lyrics of Pretend are a bittersweet portrayal of a complicated relationship where two people are too scared to admit their feelings for each other. They keep pretending because admitting the truth might lead to their relationship falling apart.
Line by Line Meaning
I know that you know the feeling
Both of us are aware of the emotions we share
I know that we're giving in
We're giving up on our reservations and giving into our emotions
I woke up with my head in the clouds
I woke up with a lot of thoughts and feelings in my mind
Asleep with you on my mind
I was thinking about you even while I slept
I guess I need to figure this out
I need to make sense of what's happening between us
Before I see you tonight
Before we meet up and interact with each other
I'll hide my favorite scars with the shirt and the tie
I'll conceal my emotional wounds and scars with my clothing
You'll let your hair fall down while you're saving my life
You'll let down your guard while you're showing me love and support
I'll leave my bourbon [?] for your body of wine
I'll put aside my vices in order to indulge in your beauty and sweetness
If I come over again
If I visit you again in the future
We can pretend
We can put on a facade and pretend that everything is okay
We're wanting different things and then
We're not really on the same page but choose to pretend otherwise
We'll never end up here, end up here again
We'll avoid getting ourselves into this situation again
You found out I was broken at heart
You discovered that I was hurting and emotionally damaged
And you let me [?]
And you accepted me despite my flaws and emotional baggage
Each word from your lips made a mark
Everything you said to me had a lasting impact
I didn't care anymore
I didn't mind being vulnerable around you anymore
I play my favorite songs when I'm driving you home
I share my personal interests and likes with you while spending time together
You let your hair fall down when you know we're alone
You drop your defenses when we're together in private
It's such a careful dance when your feet have been cold
It's difficult to navigate when we're both guarded and hesitant to open up
The only way to defend
The only way to protect ourselves
Oh we can pretend all day but we know that it's true
Even if we pretend for a long time, we know the truth deep down
And then pretend to see from the different view
We can pretend to have different perspectives on the situation
I've got a whole routine I've been playing for you
I have a whole act prepared to impress and attract you
Over and over again
Repeatedly
Contributed by Colton O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.