Jackson Browne - The Pretender

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the pretender chords
jackson browne

G C 2

x G C
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 Am G
i’ll get up and do it again amen
C G Am G
say it again amen

G
i want to know what became of the changes ,
C
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 wink of an eye
G D
and when the morning light comes streaming in
C G Am G
i’ll get up and do it again amen
C G Am G
say it again amen

G D
caught between the longing for love
C Em B7
and the struggle for the legal tender
C
where the sirens sing and the church bells ring
Em C
and the junkman pounds his fender
G C
where the veterans dream of the fight ,
B7 Em
fast asleep at the traffic light
A7 G D
and the children solemnly wait for the ice cream vendor

Em D C Em D
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

G C G C

C G
ah the lovers as they run through the night
C Em
leaving nothing but to choose off and fight
D G C
and tear at the world with all their might
G Em
while the ships bearing their dreams
G D
sail out of sight

D G
i’m gonna find myself a girl ,
C
who can show me what laughter means
G
then we’ll fill in the missing colors in each others
D 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 Am G
we’ll get up and do it again amen
C G Am G
get it up again amen

G D C Em B7
i’m gonna be a happy idiot , and struggle for the legal tender
C
where the ads take aim , and lay their claim
Em G
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
A7 D
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

G C Csus4
say a prayer for the pretender
G C Csus4
are you there for the pretender
G C Csus4
are you prepared for the pretender
G C Csus4
are you there for the pretender

( Csus4 = C chord + high E 3rd fret )

set8