Pretender

(album: XOXO: From Love & Anxiety In Real Time - 2021)

There's always a reason
To stay inside your head
But you'll never make it out
So you found a reason (give me a reason)
To make-believe instead
Now you're somebody else

But you don't have to hide your scars
Not from me tonight, at all

(Show me the real you)
Misunderstood, can feel so good
You don't have to hide yourself
Pretender, pretender
(Show me the real you)
Surrender, yeah, I wish you would
You don't have to hide yourself
Pretender, pretend

That you are an ocean (you are an ocean)
Strong but delicate (strong but delicate)
It doesn't matter where you run
For the next two minutes
Pretend that you are infinite (you are infinite)
And the hiding out is done

But you don't have to hide your scars
No not at all from me tonight, at all

(Show me the real you)
Misunderstood, can feel so good
You don't have to hide yourself
Pretender, pretender
(Show me the real you)
Surrender, yeah, I wish you would
You don't have to hide yourself
Pretender, pretender
Pretender, pretender
You don't have to hide
Pretender, pretender
No, you don't have to hide from me

We all play roles as people, believe me
We're lying to ourselves
You don't belong, you don't belong at all (yeah, yeah)
You gotta be brave to be here, believe me
I hope you find yourself
You don't belong, you don't belong

(Show me the real you)
Misunderstood, can feel so good
You don't have to hide yourself
Pretender, pretender
(Show me the real you)
Surrender, yeah, I wish you would
You don't have to hide yourself
Pretender, pretender
Pretender, pretender
You don't have to hide from me no more
Pretender, pretender
No, you don't have to hide no more

Pretender, pretender
Pretender, pretender