I'm gonna rent myself a house in the shade of the freeway
I'm gonna pack my lunch in the morning and go to work each day
And when the evening rolls around
I'll go on home and lay my body down
And when the morning light comes streaming in
I'll get up and do it again
Amen

I wanna know what became of the changes we waited for love to bring
Were they only the fitful dreams of some greater awakening?
I've been aware of the time going by
They say in the end it's the wink of an eye
When the morning light comes streaming in
You'll get up and do it again
Amen

Caught between the longing for love and the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring and the junk man pounds his fender.
Where the veterans dream of the fight
Fast asleep at the traffic light
And the children solemnly wait
For the ice cream vendor
Out into the cool of the evening strolls the Pretender
He knows that all his hopes and dreams begin and end there

I'm gonna find myself a boy who can show me what laughter means
And we'll fill in the missing colors in each others paint by number dreams
And then we'll put our dark glasses on
And we'll make love until our strength is gone
And when the morning light comes streaming in
We'll get up and do it again
Do it again

I'm gonna be a happy idiot and struggle for the legal tender
Where the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart and the soul of the spender
And believe in whatever may lie
In those things that money can buy
Where true love could have been a contender
Are you there?
Say a prayer for the pretender
Who started out so young and strong
Only to surrender

Ah, the laughter of the lovers as they run through the night
Leaving nothing for the others but to choose off and fight
And tear at the world with all their might
While the ships bearing their dreams
Sail out of sight

Say a prayer
Say a prayer
For the pretender
Say a prayer
For the pretender
Oh, the pretender
Say a prayer
Say a prayer
Say a prayer for the pretender

I'm gonna rent myself a house in the shade of the freeway
I'm gonna pack my lunch in the morning and go to work each day
And when the evening rolls around
I'll go on home and lay my body down
And when the morning light comes streaming in
I'll get up and do it again
Amen