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Let’s Pretend Lyrics by John McCutcheon

Stand Up! Broadsides for Our Times

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Heading home to San Diego
They could almost see the dock
The USS Abe Lincoln
Was returning from Iraq
They were thinking of their loved ones
They were thinking of a home
Of the many sad and lonely nights
On the battlefront alone

He stepped out on the flight deck
In a fighter pilot's suit
You know, dress up can be fun
And make believe is cute
But I wonder what they wondered
As they surveyed the scene
After what they'd been through
After what they'd seen

Chorus
Life is hard, times are tough
When the going gets too rough
And the truth's not good enough
Let's pretend, let's pretend, let's pretend

Let's pretend I fly an airplane
Let's pretend I fought in war
Let's pretend I wasn't AWOL
For sixteen months or more
Let's pretend I know exactly
What you folks are going through
Let's pretend that everything I say
Is absolutely true

Chorus

Let's pretend Iraq is grateful
Let's pretend they waved and cheered
Let's pretend the whole damn thing
Isn't getting too damn weird
Let's pretend that we found weapons
Let's pretend we caught Saddam
Let's pretend this doesn't feel
A bit like Viet Nam

Chorus

Let's pretend affirmative action
Had nothing to do with me and Yale
And the fact that despite three arrests
I never went to jail
Three strikes and you're out
Is for losers and for jerks
For guys who have to fight in wars
For guys who have to work

Chorus

About “Let’s Pretend” by John McCutcheon

Read the complete lyrics to "Let’s Pretend" by John McCutcheon from the album "Stand Up! Broadsides for Our Times". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country, Folk.

"Let’s Pretend" is performed by John McCutcheon. from the album "Stand Up! Broadsides for Our Times" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Let’s Pretend", explore more songs by John McCutcheon using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for John McCutcheon · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Let’s Pretend" is credited to John McCutcheon. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Let’s Pretend" appears on "Stand Up! Broadsides for Our Times".

Visit the John McCutcheon artist page at /artist/john-mccutcheon for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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