Paul Dempsey formed Something For Kate just after leaving high school in 1994 with school friend, drummer Clint Hyndman. They then found bass player, Julian Carroll from an advertisement in a record store. The three played only a couple of shows and released a demo tape before they were approached by Chris Dunn, then A&R representative for Sony subsidiary label Murmur records who signed them instantly. All members were 17 years old. Dempsey wrote all songs and lyrics and after releasing 2 EP's, the band went to New Zealand to record their first album, Elsewhere for Eight Minutes. In 1998, he then released a solo album under the name Scared of Horses for which he wrote and played all the music whilst inviting guest vocalists to record the vocals. After this came album number 2, Beautiful Sharks for which Paul and the band won a Music Critics Award for Best Australian Album and Best Australian Live band and 2 ARIA nominations. This album gained much critical acclaim in particular for Paul's insightful lyrics and unique and understated observations on science, physics, astronomy and a general questioning nature. It was album no. 3 Echolalia, that really propelled Paul into being recognized as one of Australia's most gifted songwriters. He was voted Best Male Vocalist in Rolling Stone and the album was nominated for 5 ARIA Awards. It debuted at No.2 and has gone on to sell double platinum. Paul experienced writers block and depression (see below) at around this time. He and the band toured the U.S and Europe while he tried to write lyrics for the band's fourth album. No doubt feeling the pressure from the band's success, it wasn't until 2003 that The Official Fiction was released. Debuting at Number 1, this album displayed Paul's lyrical talent and maturity and a sense of anger at the political events of the time.
In 2003 Paul also produced and played drums, bass, guitar and keyboards on the Givegoods' 2003 album I Want to Kill a Rich Man , the side project for Tom Morgan and Evan Dando.
In 2005 after another bout of writer's block and debilitating depression, Paul and the band went to Los Angeles to make album number 5, Desert Lights which again displayed another leap in Paul's songwriting abilities and unique observations on the world around him. The album was released in 2006 and again debuted at Number 1 pointing to the longevity of the band and Paul's uniqueness in an ever changing musical climate.
In 2007 Paul began writing his first official solo album and produced the debut album for Melbourne singer-songwriter Brendan Welch titled The Gleaner.
Paul has also appeared on several of Melbourne Dance Artist T-Rek albums, playing a variety of instruments on the albums as well as playing keyopards on Melbourne band, The Nation Blue's album, 'Protest Songs'.
Recording was completed for Paul's debut solo album in April 2009 in Los Angeles with Mix engineer/ producer, Doug Boehm. The first song to be released from the album is titled Out the Airlock and was initially given away as a very limited free download on http://www.pauldempseymusic.com. The single was released through "itunes" May 15 2009.
The Daily Telegraph revealed on May 29 that the title of Dempsey's album is Everything Is True and is to be release on August 14 2009
Time To Pretend
Paul Dempsey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.
I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and fuck with the stars.
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars.
This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Forget about our mothers and our friends
We're fated to pretend
To pretend
We're fated to pretend
To pretend
I'll miss the playgrounds and the animals and digging up worms
I'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world
I'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my home
Yeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone.
There's really nothing, nothing we can do
Love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew.
The models will have children, we'll get a divorce
We'll find some more models, everything must run it's course.
We'll choke on our vomit and that will be the end
We were fated to pretend
To pretend
We're fated to pretend
To pretend
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
In Paul Dempsey's song "Time to Pretend," the singer voices out his desire to live fast, have fun, and die young. He is feeling raw and rough and is at the prime of his life. He wants to make music, make money, and find models for wives. He is willing to move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and mess with the stars. He plans to do all that while his partner mans the island, cocaine, and elegant cars. According to the singer, this is their decision to live fast and die young because they have a vision of their future. They are overwhelmed by it all, but what else can they do, get jobs and work in offices? The singer believes that they are fated to pretend because they are young, and they must live life to the fullest while they can. They need to forget about their mothers, fathers, and friends and live their lives without any limitations.
In the second verse, the singer begins to talk about the things he will miss while living his fast life. He will miss the playgrounds, the animals, and digging up worms. He will miss the comfort of his mother and the weight of the world. He will also miss his sister, father, dog, home, and the time spent alone. He then goes on to say that there is nothing they can do about it, and love must be forgotten. He believes that life can always start anew, and with time, everything must run its course. He projects his future and reveals that the models they will find will have children, and they will get a divorce. They will find more models, but they will all end up the same. According to the singer, they will choke on their vomit, and that will be the end of their lives. They are fated to pretend, to live fast and die young, that's their destiny.
In conclusion, the song "Time to Pretend" by Paul Dempsey is about living fast, having fun, and dying young. The singer is determined to live his life to the fullest and not be limited by anything. He believes that he is fated to pretend because he is young and he must take advantage of that while he can. He is willing to let go of everyone and everything, including love, to achieve his goals. He is willing to do anything, including shooting heroin and fucking with stars, as long as it brings him pleasure.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life.
I am experiencing the harsh reality of life, but I am confident and energetic due to my youth.
Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.
Let's pursue our dreams of becoming famous musicians, earning wealth and status, and finding attractive partners.
I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and fuck with the stars.
I will live a life of luxury and pleasure, even if it means engaging in risky and destructive behavior.
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars.
You can handle the responsibility of managing our drugs, money, and fancy vehicles while I indulge in my desires.
This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We have chosen to embrace a life of indulgence and excitement, even if it means sacrificing our longevity.
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.
We have a clear idea of what we want in life, so let's enjoy the journey and pursue our dreams.
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Our ambitions are ambitious and daunting, but there is nothing else that can satisfy us more than pursuing them.
Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.
Conforming to societal norms of working in mundane jobs and living repetitive lives is not an option for us.
Forget about our mothers and our friends
We are willing to disregard the relationships we have built with our loved ones in order to pursue our desires.
We're fated to pretend
Our lives are predetermined to be lived in a way that satisfies our illusions and beliefs.
I'll miss the playgrounds and the animals and digging up worms
Even though I crave a life of indulgence, I will eventually miss the simple pleasures of childhood such as playing outside and exploring nature.
I'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world
I will miss the safety and stability that my mother provided, despite the challenges that come with growing up.
I'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my home
I will long for the familial connections and sense of belonging that I previously felt before living a life of indulgence.
Yeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone.
I will also miss the moments of calm, reflection, and independence that are lost in a life of indulgence.
There's really nothing, nothing we can do
The consequences of our choices are inevitable, leaving us powerless to change the outcome.
Love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew.
We cannot allow ourselves to be held back by the emotional attachment of love, as we can always move on and start fresh.
The models will have children, we'll get a divorce
Our superficial relationships are doomed to fail, with the partners we sought after moving on and starting families of their own.
We'll find some more models, everything must run it's course.
We will move on to pursuing new partners and desires, as everything in life has a predetermined trajectory.
We'll choke on our vomit and that will be the end
Our lives of indulgence will lead us down a path to a premature demise.
We were fated to pretend
Our lives were predetermined by the illusions and fantasies that we created.
Writer(s): Benjamin Nicholas Huner Goldwasser, Andrew Wells Vanwyngarden
Contributed by Colin N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cbusch69
An absolutely magical cover of this song. Paul Dempsey has more soul embedded in his thumbnail than most of us have in our entire body. This guy is the real deal.
@DougWillis36
One of my favourite covers of all time.
@busking9113
I'm very much an advocate of there not being a "best" in music, but I think this is the best cover I've ever seen. The guitar work especially is absolutely fantastic and is delivered with soul, groove and zero douchey self indulgence. Massive respect and thanks, Mr Dempsey
@heimirarnarbirgisson1443
Again and again i come back to this.... So beautiful! To this day the best cover i have ever heard
@lemmasobakevich
OMG, this one guitar sounds like a whole track recorded on different instruments (well, you know what I mean). Here is the skill! Amazingly!
@jenniferswest
Absolutely beautiful interpretation of an already amazing song.
@kart44
Unbelievable talent never struck greatness
@oconnorjim111
Great cover. Love his guitar playing.
@barbaracameron-smith7093
Oh My! How can you past this MGMT take by Paul Dempsey.
@jaimerubionunez
Greatest cover, indeed