Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark
And so it all began
Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones go marching in, again
They need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are ever ready
Are you ready?
I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That whole defense
Spinning infinity, boy
But the wheel is spinning me
It's never ending, never ending
Same old story
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say that I will never surrender?
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never ever surrender?
In time, or so I'm told
I'm just another soul for sale, oh, well
The page is out of print
We are not permanent
We're temporary, temporary
Same old story
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?
I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrorin' your stare
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that'll take you down
Bring you to your knees
So, who are you? Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you? Yeah, who are you?
Keep you in the dark, you know they all pretend
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?
What if I say you're not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
(You know they all)
You're the pretender
(Pretend)
What if I say I will never surrender?
What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
(You know they all)
You're the pretender
(Pretend)
What if I say I will never surrender?
So, who are you? Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
About This Song
"The Pretender" is a defiant rock anthem about breaking free from societal manipulation and refusing to conform to false expectations. The lyrics express frustration with being kept "in the dark" by those in power and a rejection of pretending to be something you're not, with Dave Grohl declaring he's "finished making sense" and "done pleading ignorance." Musically, the song builds from a quiet, brooding verse to an explosive, driving chorus with heavy guitars and Grohl's signature powerful vocals, creating a sense of mounting rebellion. The track captures the band's ability to blend melodic accessibility with hard rock intensity, while its themes of authenticity versus pretense resonated strongly during an era of political disillusionment. It became one of Foo Fighters' biggest hits and a defining anthem about standing up against deception and staying true to yourself.
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