Pretenders

I was sharing my apartment with a guy from MIT Paul Revere outside my window in Little Italy He said man what are you doing, you're gonna waste your life away One person in a million's gonna catch the golden break I was torn between the North End and Back Bay She couldn't see herself in the songs that I was playing Learned some rhythm and some riffs, I couldn't put down any roots I was a redcoat lost in Boston town, I had to face the truth I was singing to myself like I was someone else A stranger among strangers in the street When I couldn't find a place to call my own I knew I'd have to bring it all back home Had a drink with Mr. Nichols at the Phoenix off Kings Road The deal he offered was about as far as I could go Went from London out to Nashville, all the way to California Trains and planes and changing lanes but no one ever warns ya You can fly and you can ride You can run and you can hide But what you think you gotta keep is what you gotta leave behind I was singing to myself like I was someone else A stranger among strangers in the street Another ticket in my hand, another foreign land To get away from the pretenders in my dreams When I couldn't find a place to call my own I knew I'd have to bring it all back home Bring it all back home I stumbled down to Camden Town to get my spirits back again I couldn't find a single soul, was like the plague had taken them Found some bottles of cachaça and drank them till I dropped The devil checked in on Thursdays I woke up when he knocked He picked me off the floor and said as though he had rehearsed To build a strong foundation you gotta hit rock bottom first I was singing to myself like I was someone else A stranger among strangers in the street Another ticket in my hand, another foreign land To get away from the pretenders in my dreams If you can't find a place to call your own One day you gotta bring it all back home Bring it all back home Bring it all back home