This to me is the craft of the songwriter at its very ,very best . Not only that ,but when you assemble some of the cream of musicians to enhance the song ... how can you go wrong ? These guys make their work so enjoyable and a joy to behold .
I think this song is about going through the motions as our dreams "sail out of sight". We continue to struggle for the legal tender and pretend that we can still achieve our dreams but we're living in a rented house in the shade of the freeway and every day is a mundane struggle to even maintain that existence, much less achieve our dreams. And true love is one of those dreams. He wants "to find a girl who can show him what love means and fill in the missing colors of his paint-by-number dreams" but even that hasn't happened for the pretender.
And meanwhile in that existence the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender. How someone sees an ad and thinks that material possessions can bring that happiness they're looking for but it doesn't either
Jackson Browne was and is the great bard of the generation that came of age during the 1960s and 70s, so it always helps in deciphering the meaning of his lyrics to understand the history of those times and what that generation of young people experienced. And, for those of us who were there and traveled roughly the same road that Jackson did, he was/is our great lyrical historian, both in personal ways and collectively. Also, he has kept the faith politically as an artist over the years, remaining humble and dedicated to the values of the peace and environmental movements that he and the rest of us came of age with. I'd like to highly recommend three specific songs of his that demonstrate what I'm talking about: Before the Deluge, For A Dancer, and Lives in the Balance. His catalog is vast and filled with impressive and meaningful work, but those three have long been among my very favorite Jackson Browne masterpieces.. . . And, I might add that I am not generally inclined toward celebrity worship or gushy nonsense, but Jackson is the real deal!
We start out young and strong with a fire in our hearts to do great things and find our one true lover, but then we see how the world really is. And the day to day struggle of surviving mentally and physically sooner or later and bit by bit takes it toll, and our big dreams slip away and we surrender those dreams. Are we still who we thought we were or are we now The Pretender?
I met him, he has this ethereal air about him, like almost an angel, he is truly special. If we all could be like Jackson, the world would be a better place.
I've always interpreted it as discovering the moment when you have to choose between following the naive ideology of your youth and dealing with the real world and real life and finding out you can't do both at the same time. You can pretend to, at least to yourself but reality tends to be a high card over dreams.
He starts out working everyday, getting up doing it again for “tender-money “ The Pretender has the money but he doesn’t have love in his life. So Jackson he decides to forget about being rich and finds love. We have to pray for the Pretender!❤ Thank y’all!
My favorite Jackson Browne song.They used it in the movie Mr Holland's Opus, about a music teacher over 30 years of time...it's a song about the rat race created by industrialzation and greed, you make a living but you don't get anywhere. Yes good point "this world is like a routine" over and over, kissing the boss man's ass for bread crumbs while they get the whole loaf, generally....
I think yours is a pretty accurate description of the theme of "The Pretender." We, most of us are pretenders. Where we begin verses who we are all but forced to become is what Jackson was saying. We, al begin our time on this planet filled with hopes, dreams and expectations. We are idealist. Then the world begins to erode who we are and reshape us so we fit neatly into a mechanism dependent on predictable replication. Eventually we become realists who sacrifice themselves, their lives, their dreams, inspirations, and aspirations. And for what? Conformity? The almighty dollar? What are our costs? We sacrifice creativity. We relinquish our very lives in service to the demands and dreams of others. We exist, yet fail to live. And we pretend we are good with the bargain we have been bullied into entering. Yeah, most all of us pretend from the moment we arise in the morning until we sleep at night. Our dreams are restricted to unconscious states. We dare not to live our dreams for this would make maintaining a pretense of living impossible. We only exist.
It's about a man who has given up on his dreams because they aren't financially viable. He's resigned to doing what average people do (rent myself a house in the shade of a freeway, go to work each day). He knows his dreams have been shipped away and all he can do now is be a happy idiot and struggle for the legal tender as most of us do. He's hoping to find solace in a partner that can round out these paint-by-number dreams (and have a lot of sex). That's the best that this life is able to give him. It's a sermon. "Say a prayer for the Pretender who started out so young and strong only to surrender." He's out there, living a normal life, but he had more to give. Now he's just pretending to fit in. There are plenty of us pretenders out there. Say a prayer. Amen.
I recently read this was written after his first wife died. She committed suicide while he was on the road, left their 3 year old son to him to raise. He felt a lot of guilt for a long time .
Jackson is SOOO "California"!!! His line, "Though true love could have been a contender" is a play on Marlon Brando's character in 1954's "On the Waterfront" (movie). In it, one of the closing lines is uttered by Brando: "I could have been a contender..."
Here's a happy thought for you -- If you are doing this RUclips channel because it is something you love that brings joy to your life, not merely for money, you are avoiding becoming the Pretender. Live your dreams.
My favirute JB song. Do some more. For me, he doesn't have a purpose. He started out with high hopes and dreams and life just turns into a routine. He's faking it. A happy idiot.
He's pretending he's happy, its kinda 😔 sad. I think his prayer is a good woman would help him achieve the bright side of life. When you're a young man or woman, in the error Jackson and i grew up in, that's what we thought would make us happy and whole.
The Pretender is About Slaving Away in Poverty because He's Working So Hard to Make Ends Meet the Line I'm Going ti Rent Myself a House in the Shade of the Freeway thats Very Low Rent Area Due to Traffic Noise & Etc His Hopes & Dreams Have Sailed out if Site While He Barely Eked out a living. He Never Found True Love & Marriage or Bought A Home He's Just Going thru sane Repeated Routine Every Day. Although Hes Quite Sad He Tries to Hide it & Pretends to be OK so others Dint See he is sad & Dusappointed in Life
This song represents 95% of the population with me included.
💯, brother. Breaks my heart every time I realize how long ago I surrendered.
Ronald Tucker. You comment felt like a punch in the gut
This to me is the craft of the songwriter at its very ,very best . Not only that ,but when you assemble some of the cream of musicians to enhance the song ... how can you go wrong ? These guys make their work so enjoyable and a joy to behold .
I think this song is about going through the motions as our dreams "sail out of sight". We continue to struggle for the legal tender and pretend that we can still achieve our dreams but we're living in a rented house in the shade of the freeway and every day is a mundane struggle to even maintain that existence, much less achieve our dreams. And true love is one of those dreams. He wants "to find a girl who can show him what love means and fill in the missing colors of his paint-by-number dreams" but even that hasn't happened for the pretender.
And meanwhile in that existence the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender. How someone sees an ad and thinks that material possessions can bring that happiness they're looking for but it doesn't either
Jackson Browne was and is the great bard of the generation that came of age during the 1960s and 70s, so it always helps in deciphering the meaning of his lyrics to understand the history of those times and what that generation of young people experienced. And, for those of us who were there and traveled roughly the same road that Jackson did, he was/is our great lyrical historian, both in personal ways and collectively.
Also, he has kept the faith politically as an artist over the years, remaining humble and dedicated to the values of the peace and environmental movements that he and the rest of us came of age with. I'd like to highly recommend three specific songs of his that demonstrate what I'm talking about: Before the Deluge, For A Dancer, and Lives in the Balance.
His catalog is vast and filled with impressive and meaningful work, but those three have long been among my very favorite Jackson Browne masterpieces.. . . And, I might add that I am not generally inclined toward celebrity worship or gushy nonsense, but Jackson is the real deal!
Jackson also had one of the best touring bands. His live shows are excellent.
Jackson Browne is a great singer songwriter
He is.
Browne is a stickler for detail, the music is very well produced great arrangement of instruments.
We start out young and strong with a fire in our hearts to do great things and find our one true lover, but then we see how the world really is. And the day to day struggle of surviving mentally and physically sooner or later and bit by bit takes it toll, and our big dreams slip away and we surrender those dreams. Are we still who we thought we were or are we now The Pretender?
Great interpertation! Think you are spot on..
Thank you kindly!
Jackson Browne : one great , meaningful song after the other. Huge talent.
I met him, he has this ethereal air about him, like almost an angel, he is truly special. If we all could be like Jackson, the world would be a better place.
I've always interpreted it as discovering the moment when you have to choose between following the naive ideology of your youth and dealing with the real world and real life and finding out you can't do both at the same time. You can pretend to, at least to yourself but reality tends to be a high card over dreams.
Life is about discovering things you didn't know.
Jackson is such a great musician and songwriter.You cant really go wrong with any of his music.great song and reactuon guys.😊
Brandon seemed to like this one, haha. Good reaction
Great tune. It's pretty deep if you dig into it.
one of the greatest songs lyrically of all time...
Bro, the struggle between love and the material world. That material world becomes more important than love...!!!
He starts out working everyday, getting up doing it again for “tender-money “ The Pretender has the money but he doesn’t have love in his life. So Jackson he decides to forget about being rich and finds love.
We have to pray for the Pretender!❤ Thank y’all!
My favorite Jackson Browne song.They used it in the movie Mr Holland's Opus, about a music teacher over 30 years of time...it's a song about the rat race created by industrialzation and greed, you make a living but you don't get anywhere. Yes good point "this world is like a routine" over and over, kissing the boss man's ass for bread crumbs while they get the whole loaf, generally....
I think yours is a pretty accurate description of the theme of "The Pretender." We, most of us are pretenders. Where we begin verses who we are all but forced to become is what Jackson was saying. We, al begin our time on this planet filled with hopes, dreams and expectations. We are idealist. Then the world begins to erode who we are and reshape us so we fit neatly into a mechanism dependent on predictable replication. Eventually we become realists who sacrifice themselves, their lives, their dreams, inspirations, and aspirations. And for what? Conformity? The almighty dollar? What are our costs? We sacrifice creativity. We relinquish our very lives in service to the demands and dreams of others. We exist, yet fail to live. And we pretend we are good with the bargain we have been bullied into entering. Yeah, most all of us pretend from the moment we arise in the morning until we sleep at night. Our dreams are restricted to unconscious states. We dare not to live our dreams for this would make maintaining a pretense of living impossible. We only exist.
For a Dancer, These Days and In the Shape of a Heart.
It's about a man who has given up on his dreams because they aren't financially viable. He's resigned to doing what average people do (rent myself a house in the shade of a freeway, go to work each day). He knows his dreams have been shipped away and all he can do now is be a happy idiot and struggle for the legal tender as most of us do. He's hoping to find solace in a partner that can round out these paint-by-number dreams (and have a lot of sex). That's the best that this life is able to give him. It's a sermon. "Say a prayer for the Pretender who started out so young and strong only to surrender." He's out there, living a normal life, but he had more to give. Now he's just pretending to fit in. There are plenty of us pretenders out there. Say a prayer. Amen.
Dang that's deep
You're both exactly right.
Noone paints a lyrical picture better than Jackson best lyricist ever born.
one of the best songs ever written.
david crosby and graham nash on backing vocals.
My personal favorite
Lots of other great tunes on that lp. Mucho songwriting skills.
I recently read this was written after his first wife died. She committed suicide while he was on the road, left their 3 year old son to him to raise. He felt a lot of guilt for a long time .
He was a Kid when He did this. how can a Kid write this ? a born Poet.
Great song! Got to get it up again!
Jackson is SOOO "California"!!! His line, "Though true love could have been a contender" is a play on Marlon Brando's character in 1954's "On the Waterfront" (movie). In it, one of the closing lines is uttered by Brando: "I could have been a contender..."
The anthem for the working man/woman.
It’s about joining the rat race and shelving your dreams
Oh thanks for that.
Id suggest some Bob Seger if you haven't...
I think John Lennon put it in a nutshell. "Life's what happens while you're busy making other plans." It's about settling.
It’s about being eaten up by the routine, and eventually selling out your dreams for the “legal tender”
Nice reaction 💪🏿💪🏿💯can ya react to Bryan Adams songz call please forgive me👍🏿
Here's a happy thought for you -- If you are doing this RUclips channel because it is something you love that brings joy to your life, not merely for money, you are avoiding becoming the Pretender. Live your dreams.
Well said!
Lee Sklar on bass...
My favirute JB song. Do some more. For me, he doesn't have a purpose. He started out with high hopes and dreams and life just turns into a routine. He's faking it. A happy idiot.
So, for some perspective, he wrote this album after his wife died. Idk if that was mentioned b4, but the “pretender” is pretending to be alive.
*promosm* 😃
He's pretending he's happy, its kinda 😔 sad. I think his prayer is a good woman would help him achieve the bright side of life. When you're a young man or woman, in the error Jackson and i grew up in, that's what we thought would make us happy and whole.
The Pretender is About Slaving Away in Poverty because He's Working So Hard to Make Ends Meet the Line I'm Going ti Rent Myself a House in the Shade of the Freeway thats Very Low Rent Area Due to Traffic Noise & Etc His Hopes & Dreams Have Sailed out if Site While He Barely Eked out a living. He Never Found True Love & Marriage or Bought A Home He's Just Going thru sane Repeated Routine Every Day. Although Hes Quite Sad He Tries to Hide it & Pretends to be OK so others Dint See he is sad & Dusappointed in Life
Umm that's deep of an interpretation!