The Pretender

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

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 agai  n   Ame   n

Say it agai  n Amen

I want to know what became of the changes,

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 the wink of an eye

And when the morning light comes streaming in

I’ll get up and do it agai  n   Ame   n

Say it agai  n Amen

Caught between the 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

He knows that all his hopes an dreams

Begin and end there

Ah the lovers as they run through the night

Leaving nothing but to choose off and fight

And tear at 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

Then we’ll fill in the missing colors in each others

Paint by number dreams

And then we’ll put our dark glasses on

And we’ll make love until our strength is gone

And when the morning light comes streaming in

we’ll get up and do it agai  n   Ame   n

get it up agai  n 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 buy

Though true love could have been a contender

Are you there, say a prayer for the pretender

Who started out so young and strong only to surrender

Say a prayer for the pretender

Are you there for the pretender

Are you prepared for the pretender

Are you there for the pretender