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Aren’t we perhaps the 'great pretenders'?

Posted October. 12, 2016 08:54,   

Updated October. 12, 2016 08:59

한국어
Since I was young, I have lied a lot.

One lie even deceived myself. Though it was only the crystallization of a rebellious desire, a pathetic indolence, or even nothing that is worthless, it was not hard for me to pretend to be a quite a good member of society or a family with good thoughts. The price I had to pay for nasty pretending was solitude.

One day, I found the album in my brother’s LP record collection. It was Freddie Mercury’s single album, “The Great Pretender.” When I put the LP on a turn table, I was surprised at the sound. “Wooooo Yeeeees Iiiiiiiiii’m the Greeeaaat~” sounded like the sound of an evil spirit. The slowly-played music was like a scary lie for me who didn’t know that a single album should be played at 45 rpm.

“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 … Pretending that you're still around.”

The music played at 45 rpm was fantastic. The song that describes oneself as the great pretender who lost his lover but pretends to be happy and do well as if nothing has happened sounds neat and nice like a lie. Even the sound of the synthesizer mimicking an orchestra is also the great pretender. Mercury’s voice flies like a butterfly.

Mercury shaved off his mustache, his identity, in this music video. Then, he wanders around his past appearance, singing, “I’m the great pretender.” It’s not a sad farewell song. Mercury is said to have always wanted to re-interpret the song, which was first released by the Platters in 1955, saying that the song was carved out for him. The macho with mustache or the tyrant with a crown must have been lonely. Like me. Like anyone lonely in the world.



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