The Pretender
by Jackson Browne
[Chords Used]
G C/G C D G/B Am7 Em B7 A9 A9/G
E|-3----0-----0----2----3-------0------0-----2-----3------3-----|
B|-0----1-----1----3----3-------1------0-----4-----2------2-----|
G|-0----0-----0----2----0-------0------0-----2-----4------4-----|
D|-0----2-----2----0----0-------2------2-----4-----2------2-----|
A|-x----3-----3---------2-------0------2------2----0------0-----|
E|-3----3-------------------------------------------------3-----|
D/F# G/D D/C D#7
E|---x---------3-------2--------2-------------------------|
B|---3---------3-------3--------1-------------------------|
G|---2---------0-------2--------2-------------------------|
D|---x---------x-------x--------1-------------------------|
A|---x---------5-------3----------------------------------|
E|---2----------------------------------------------------|
[Intro Part 1]
E|-7---------7--------7h8---------------8-----------8----------8-------|
B|-8--8--------8------------7s8--10----8---8----------8----------------|
G|-7------7--------7----------------------9------9----------9----------|
D|-0---------0--------0------------------10---------10--------10-------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------8----------|------------------------------|
B|-8---------8------|------------------------------|
G|----9----------9--|---REPEAT---------------------|
D|-------10---------|------------------------------|
A|------------------|------------------------------|
E|------------------|------------------------------|
[Intro Part 2]
E|-3---------------------|---------------------|
B|-3--0--1--0------0-----|---------------------|
G|-0--0--0--0---2--0--0--|-REPEAT--------------|
D|----0--2--0---2--0--2--|---------------------|
A|-----------------3--3--|---------------------|
E|-3------------------3--|---------------------|
[Verse 1]
G C/G
I'm gonna rent myself a house in the shade of the freeway,
G D
C
Gonna pack my lunch in the morning, and go to work each day
G C
And when the evening rolls around,
G C
I'll go on home and lay my body down
G D
And when the morning light comes streaming in
C G/B Am7 G
I'll get up and do it again Amen
C G/B Am7 G
Say it again Amen
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|-----------0-------------|
A|--2---3------------------|
E|-------------------------|
[Verse 2]
G
I want to know what became of the changes,
C/G
We waited for love to bring
G
Were they only the fitful dreams
D C
Of some greater awakening
G C
I've been aware of the time going by
G C
They say in the end it's the blink of an eye
G D
And when the morning light comes streaming in
C G/B Am7 G
You'll get up and do it again Amen
D
Caught between the longing for love
C Em B7
And the struggle for the legal tender
C/G
Where the sirens sing and the churchbells ring
Em
And the junkman pounds his fender
C G
Where the veterans dream of the fight,
B7 Em
Fast asleep at the traffic light
A9 A9/G D/F#
And the children solemnly wait for the ice cream vendor
Em D C D
Em
Out into the cool of the evening, strolls the pretender
C D
He knows that all his hopes an dreams
G
Begin and end there
E|-----------------------------------3---------------|
B|--------3--5----------------------0----------------|
G|--2s4---------4--2-0-2-0-----0---------------------|
D|-------------------------------2-------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------3---------------|
C G
Ah the lovers as they run through the night
C Em
Leaving nothing but to choose off and fight
D#O7 G/D C
And tear at the world with all their might
G/D Em
While the ships bearing their dreams
G/D D
Sail out of sight
[Verse 3]
G
I'm gonna find myself a girl,
C/G
Who can show me what laughter means
G D
Then we'll fill in the missing colors in each others
C
Paint by number dreams
G C
And then we'll put our dark glasses on
G C
And we'll make love until our strength is gone
G D
And when the morning light comes streaming in
C G/B Am7 G
We'll get up and do it again
C G/B Am7 G
Get it up again
G D D/C
Em
I'm gonna be a happy idiot, and struggle for the legal tender
B7 C/G
Where the ads take aim, and lay their claim
Em
To the heart and the soul of the spender
C G
And believe in whatever may lie
B7 Em
In those things that money can buy
A9 A9/G D/F#
Though true love could have been a contender
Em D C D Em
Are you there, say a prayer for the pretender
C D G
Who started out so young and strong only to surrender
[Over Intro Part 2]
G C
Say a prayer for the pretender
G C
Are you there for the pretender
G C
Are you prepared for the pretender etc.
