Words and music © 2007 by Tom Maynard
Tom Maynard: Vocal, guitars
Karen Sauer: Keyboard
During the COVID 19 pandemic, I joined the Peter Mulvey songwriting group, hosted through his Patreon page. At that time, it was set up to provide a weekly assignment based on a prompt, and all songs would be critiqued by the group with Peter adding his own feedback on a few of the songs each week. This went on for a year; I ended up with maybe 14 songs during that time.
“Let’s Pretend” came from a prompt of the same name. I guess we all at some time think about the affect that time, choices and circumstances have on our relationships, especially with those closest to us.
Lyrics:
Let’s pretend
That we’ve just met and we’re first sensing that spark
And forty years haven’t swiftly flown past
Let’s pretend
Let’s imagine
We’ve yet to taste kisses, then in the trembling dark
We’re swept away, our hearts beating fast
Let’s pretend
And our hearts unbroken will never need mending
So innocent and free
That the miles and years and smiles and tears
have not yet come to be
have not yet come to be
Let’s pretend
That I haven’t hurt you in all of those little ways
and you still looked at me with ‘your shining eyes
Lets pretend
Let’s imagine
That all of our choices added up to say
We live in a place where regrets cause no sighs
Let’s pretend
And our hearts unbroken will never need mending
So innocent and free
That the miles and years and smiles and tears
have not yet come to be
have not yet come to be
Instrumental
But what if
The trial and strife, and even the innocence lost
Have been transformed into an even greater love
And we don’t have to pretend
No, we don’t have to pretend
Tom Maynard 