Dolly Parton

Released: January 23, 1983

Songwriter: Buck Ram

Producer: Val Garay

[Verse 1]
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 tell

[Verse 2]
Oh-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 dream all alone

[Chorus]
Too real is this feeling of make-believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal

[Verse 3]
Oh yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughing 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

[Chorus]
Too real is this feeling of make-believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal

[Verse 4]
Oh yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughing and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
I'm wearing this old heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around

[Outro]
But I know what I am
I am the great pretender

Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, author, and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music

Beginning her career as a child performer, Parton issued a few modestly successful singles from 1959 through the mid-1960s, showcasing her distinctive soprano voice. She came to greater prominence in 1967 as a featured performer on singer Porter Wagoner’s weekly television program; their first duet single, a cover of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind”, was a top-ten hit on the country singles charts, and led to several successful albums before they ended their partnership in 1974. Moving towards mainstream pop music, Parton’s 1977 single “Here You Come Again” was a success on both the country and pop charts. A string of pop-country hits followed into the mid-1980s, the most successful being her 1981 hit 9 to 5" (from the film of the same name), and her 1983 duet with Kenny Rogers “Islands in the Stream”, both of which topped the U.S. pop and country singles charts. A pair of albums recorded with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris were among her later successes. In the late 1990s, Parton returned to classic country/bluegrass with a series of acclaimed recordings

more tracks from the album

The Great Pretender

From the album

The Great Pretender (1984)

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The Great PretenderDolly Parton

Dolly Parton

The Great Pretender