The Greatest Oldies Music

Oldies Musics

‘The Great Pretender’ – The Platters

Introduction

“The Great Pretender” by The Platters, released in 1959, is a timeless classic that has etched its mark in the annals of music history. With its hauntingly beautiful melody and emotive lyrics, this song takes listeners on a journey through the depths of human emotions, exploring themes of yearning and the facade of pretense. Let’s delve deeper into this iconic track and uncover the fascinating story behind it.

Did You Know?

  • The Platters: The Platters, an American vocal group formed in the early 1950s, played a pivotal role in shaping the doo-wop and R&B music genres. Their distinct harmonies and soulful performances catapulted them to fame, making them one of the most celebrated vocal groups of their era.
  • “The Great Pretender”: Written by Buck Ram, “The Great Pretender” became The Platters’ biggest hit, topping charts and winning the hearts of millions. It remains a beloved classic, known for its emotional depth and the stunning vocal prowess of the group’s lead singer, Tony Williams.Where - song and lyrics by The Platters | Spotify

Video 

Lyrics: The Great Pretender

Oh-oh, yes I’m the great pretender
Pretending that I’m doing well
My need is such I pretend too much
I’m lonely but no one can tellOh-oh, yes I’m the great pretender
Adrift in a world of my own
I’ve played the game but to my real shame
You’ve left me to grieve all aloneToo real is this feeling of make-believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can’t conceal

Yes, I’m the great pretender
Just laughin’ and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I’m not, you see
I’m wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you’re still around

Too real is this feeling of make-believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can’t conceal

Yes, I’m the great pretender
Just laughin’ and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I’m not, you see
I’m wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you’re still around

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By June 1977, Elvis Presley no longer looked like the unstoppable young man who had shaken America two decades earlier. His health was deteriorating, exhaustion followed him from city to city, and people close to him could see that performing had become increasingly difficult. Yet Elvis continued walking onto the stage. It was not simply because another concert was scheduled. For Elvis, the stage remained one of the few places where the weight of everything else could briefly disappear. Once the lights came up and thousands of voices called his name, something inside him seemed to awaken again.

August 16, 1977 began quietly at Graceland, with no sign that before the day was over, the world would be talking about Elvis Presley in the past tense. He was only 42. Within hours of the news spreading, people began gathering outside the gates. Some brought flowers. Others simply stood there crying beside strangers. What made the scene so powerful was that many of them had never met Elvis. Yet his voice had been present at their first dances, their heartbreaks, their family gatherings, and the private moments when a song somehow understood what they could not put into words. They were mourning someone famous, but the grief felt strangely personal.

There was one person who could make Elvis Presley forget, at least for a moment, that the world called him “The King.” To Lisa Marie Presley, he was simply Daddy. She was born on February 1, 1968, exactly nine months after Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding, and from the beginning she occupied a place in his heart that fame could never touch. Elvis could walk into an arena and hear thousands screaming his name, but those closest to him understood that the small voice calling him “Daddy” meant something entirely different. Lisa was not another part of the Elvis Presley story. She was his child, and his love for her was intensely personal.

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