The Pretender

I'm gonna rent myself a house in the shade of the freeway

I'm gonna pack my lunch in the morning and go to work each day

And when the evening rolls around

I'll go on home and lay my body down

And when the morning light comes streaming in

I'll get up and do it again, amen

Do it again, amen

I wanna know what became of the chance

We waited for love to bring

Were they only the fitful dreams

Of some greater awakening?

I've been aware of the time going by

They say in the end it's in the wink of an eye

(It's in the wink of an eye)

And when the morning light comes streaming in

You'll get up and do it again, amen

Do it again, amen

Caught between a longing for love

And the struggle for the legal tender

Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring

And the junkman pounds his fender

Where the veterans dream of the fight

Fast asleep at the traffic light

And the children solemnly wait

For the ice cream vendor

Out into the cool of the evening strolls the pretender

(Pretender)

He knows that all his hopes and dreams begin and end there

All the laughter of the lovers as they run through the night

Leaving nothing but to choose or to fight

And tear the world with all their might

While the ships bearing their dreams sail out of sight

I'm gonna find myself a girl

Who can show me what laughter means

And we'll fill in the missing colors

In each other's paint-by-number dreams

And then we'll put our dark glasses on (Put our dark glasses on)

And we'll make love until our strength

Is all gone (Strength is all gone)

And when the morning light comes streaming in

We'll get up and do it again, amen

Do it one more time, amen

I'm gonna be a happy idiot

And struggle for the legal tender

Where the ads take aim and lay their claim

To the heart and the soul of the spender

And believe in whatever may lie

In those things that money can't buy

Thought that true love could have been a contender

Hey, are you there?

Then say a prayer for the pretender

Who started out so young and strong

Only to surrender

Say a prayer for the pretender

Say a prayer, say a prayer

Say a prayer for the pretender

Are you there? Say a prayer

Say a prayer for the pretender

Can you hear me? Then say a prayer for the pretender

Say a prayer for the pretender

Everybody, everybody, everybody say a prayer

Say a prayer for the pretender

Listen to me, listen to me

Say a prayer for the pretender

And say a prayer for the pretender

Are you there, y'all?

Say a prayer for the pretender

Come on, come on, everybody