Pretend

Words & Music by Lew Douglas, Cliff Parman, and Frank Lavere
Recorded by Nat "King" Cole, 1953


Intro:   C  -  Dm7   -   G7


(N.C.)          G7   G7+         C    B7    C
Pretend you're happy when you're blue;

         C/B          Dm    A7    Dm
It isn't very hard to do

                F             Dm7     G7
And you'll find happiness without an end

    F     G7     C     B7    G7 
Whenever you pretend.


(N.C.)    G7 G7+      C    B7   C
Remember anyone can dream,

              C/B            Dm    A7   Dm
And nothing's bad as it may seem;

             F        Dm7     G7
The little things you haven't got

       F    G7           C   Dm7   C
Could be a lot if you pretend.


Bridge:

              Em           F
You'll find a love you can share,

            Cdim          C6     G7    C6
One you can call all your own;

      Am6       B7      F#m7     B7
Just close your eyes, she'll be there --

       Em   Cdim   G7
You'll never be alone.


(N.C.)      G7       G7+  C     B7    C
And if you sing this melody,

              C/B              Dm   A7   Dm
You'll be pretending just like me.

               F              Dm7       G7
The world is mine, it can be yours, my friend,

    F         G7 G7+  C         Cdim      G7
So why don't you pretend?


(instrumental interlude)


(N.C.)     G7        G7+  C     B7  C
And if you sing this melody,

              C/B              Dm    A7   Dm
You'll be pretending just like me.

             F                Dm7          G7  
The world is mine, it can be yours, my friend,

     F       G7  G7+  C      Cdim      C
So why don't you pretend?


Competing versions charted in 1953 by Ralph Marterie (6) and Eileen Barton (#17). The song charted again in 1957 by Tab Smith (#89) and also in 1959 by Carl Mann (#57)


 
The lyric and guitar chord transcriptions on this site are the work of The Guitarguy and are intended for private study, research, or educational purposes only. Individual transcriptions are inspired by and and based upon the recorded versions cited, but are not necessarily exact replications of those recorded versions.