The Platters formed in Los Angeles, CA, USA in 1953 and were initially managed by Ralph Bass. They had a contract with Federal Records but experienced little record success until they met music entrepreneur and songwriter Buck Ram. He added lead vocalist Tony Williams (who gave the Platters their distinctive sound) and female vocalist Zola Taylor. Under Ram's guidance, the Platters recorded seven singles for Federal in an R&B/gospel style, scoring minor regional hits on the West Coast. One song recorded at Federal, "Only You (And You Alone)", originally written by Ram for the Ink Spots was deemed unreleasable by the label.
Despite lack of chart success, the Platters were a profitable touring group--so successful that The Penguins, fresh from their No. 2 single Earth Angel, asked Ram to manage them too. With the Penguins as a bargaining chip, Ram persuaded Mercury Records into a 2-for-1 deal. In order to sign the Penguins, he insisted, the label also take the Platters. Ironically, the Penguins never had a hit for the label.
Convinced by Tony Williams that "Only You" had potential, Ram had the group re-record it during their first Mercury session. Released in the summer of 1955, it became the group's first Top Ten hit on the pop charts, and topped the R&B charts for seven weeks. It has since become one of the most played records in any genre and the song has been covered by innumerable artists. Ironically, the follow-up, The Great Pretender, with lyrics written by Ram in the washroom of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, exceeded the chart success of their début and became the Platters' first national No.1 hit. The Great Pretender was also the act's biggest R&B hit, with an 11-week run at the top of that chart. In 1956. The Platters appeared in the first major rock n roll movie, Rock Around the Clock, and performed both "Only You" and "The Great Pretender"[2] and they sang "You'll Never Never Know" in The Girl Can't Help It, produced the same year.
The Platters' unique vocal style touched a nerve in the music-buying public, and a string of hit singles followed, including two more Top 100 No. 1 hits, one Hot 100 No. 1 hit, and more modest hits such as "I'm Sorry" (No. 11) and "He's Mine" (No. 23) in 1957, "Enchanted" (No.12) in 1959, and "The Magic Touch" (No.4) in 1956. The Platters hit on a successful formula of updating older standards, such as "My Prayer", "Twilight Time", "Harbor Lights", "To Each His Own", "If I Didn't Care" and Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes". This latter release caused a small controversy after Kern's widow expressed concern that her late husband's composition would be turned into a "rock n roll record". It topped both American and British charts in a tasteful Platters-style arrangement.
The group was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1998. The Platters were the first rock n roll group to have a Top Ten album in America. They were also the only act to have three songs included on the American Graffiti soundtrack that sparked an oldies revival in the early to mid-1970s: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "The Great Pretender" and "Only You (and You Alone)".
Many groups have toured bearing the name The Platters but only one member of the original line-up, Herb Reed, was still touring and performing with Herb Reed's Platters in 2008.
Zola Taylor died on April 30th 2007 of pneumonia whilst recovering from surgery.
The Great Pretender
The Platters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pretending that I'm doing well
My need is such I pretend too much
I'm lonely but no one can tell
Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender
Adrift in a world of my own
I've played the game but to my real shame
Too real is this feeling of make-believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughin' and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around
Too real is this feeling of make-believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughin' and gay like the clown
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around (still around)
The Great Pretender by The Platters is a powerful song that talks about the human tendency to wear a mask to cover up their real emotions. The singer takes on the role of the "great pretender," someone who is pretending to be doing well even though they are lonely and grieving. Although the persona is trying to maintain the facade that they are okay, they are unable to conceal the real pain in their heart. They are aware that they are pretending too much and are lost in a world of their own creation.
The lyrics suggest that the persona is struggling to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. They have played the game of pretending to be strong, but they are left to grieve all alone. The feeling of make-believe is too real for them, and they can no longer contain what their heart is feeling. The persona talks about wearing their heart like a crown, a metaphor that suggests vulnerability and the burden of emotional pain.
Overall, The Great Pretender is a deeply emotional song that speaks to the human condition of hiding our true emotions, even when we are hurting inside. It is a reminder that we should be open and honest about how we feel, as wearing a mask can be exhausting and isolating.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender
I am pretending to be someone I am not
Pretending that I'm doing well
Acting like everything is okay, but it's not
My need is such I pretend too much
I am pretending so much that my facade is beginning to consume me
I'm lonely but no one can tell
Despite feeling lonely, I am very good at hiding it
Adrift in a world of my own
I feel like I am lost in my own imagination
I've played the game but to my real shame
I have been faking my personality, and I am embarrassed about it
You've left me to grieve all alone
I am sad, and feel like I have been abandoned
Too real is this feeling of make-believe
My fantasy life feels too real, even to me
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
When I am forced to confront the reality of my situation, it hurts
Just laughin' and gay like a clown
I am trying to be happy and carefree, but I am struggling to maintain this facade
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
I am trying to convince others (and myself) that I am someone else
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
I am being vulnerable and emotional, even if it is not my usual style
Pretending that you're still around
I am acting as if someone special has not left my life
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Buck Ram
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Chiquito022
The Platters
Oh yes I'm the great pretender
Pretending that I'm doing well
My need is such I pretend too much
I'm lonely but no one can tell
Oh yes I'm the great pretender
Adrift in a world of my own
I play the game but to my real shame
You've left me to dream all alone
Too real is this feeling of make believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughing and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not (you see)
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around
Too real is this feeling of make believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughing and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around
(Still around)
@helenwilliams5999
First song I ever took notice of. I was 11 years old. Still a favourite. I am now 75. Great.
@rulerworld1289
Wow youre old
@juliocaesar9623
@Ruler World bruh
@maliketh2951
@Ruler World smh
@alismarpevia6635
Ruler World LMAO
@clacktloc5816
Oh...wow
@farrellvanessa
This song doesn't get old. Simply perfect.
@davidderitis9068
Many great memories of being a kid in the 70's and my parents playing this song and other hits from the '50's every weekend. Of course I 'pretended' that I hated it but got myself busted one day when my dad came home and found ME listening to this!
@melissasalasblair5273
Perfection especially the title because it's a great movie too lol 🃏
@swellmate12
umm, actually it got pretty old, if it was born in 1955 then it would be 68 years old this year, which is pretty old in my personal opinion.