Song Draft: “Pretend Workers”
Chorus
If you want pretend…
You want pretend… workers!
You got pretend…
You got pretend workers…!
Verse 1
Clocking in shadows,
Filling out forms,
All of it hollow,
But it looks like the norm.
The motion keeps spinning,
Though nothing gets done,
The boss keeps on grinning,
Thinking he’s won.
Chorus
If you want pretend…
You want pretend… workers!
You got pretend…
You got pretend workers…!
Verse 2
Hands on the table,
But minds far away,
Doing just enough
To get through the day.
A system built brittle,
Propped up with lies,
Pretend keeps it ticking,
Till the whole thing dies.
Bridge
You can dress it up,
Call it “work” all you like,
But the fire’s gone out,
And the sparks never strike.
Final Chorus
If you want pretend…
You want pretend… workers!
You got pretend…
You got pretend workers…!
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Interpretation
This song is about hollow labor — systems where people (and sometimes even leaders) go through the motions of “work,” but nothing real is being built. It’s both a critique and an anthem, pointing at how institutions often sustain themselves on appearances, not substance.
🚴🎶
Step 1 – Core Hook (your original spark)
We lock down the chorus because that’s the anchor:
If you want pretend…
You want pretend… workers!
You got pretend…
You got pretend workers…!
That’s already catchy, chant-like, and has the raw energy of punk or protest music.
Step 2 – Verses (storytelling)
We can use short, punchy lines (like The Clash, Dead Kennedys, or even Rage Against the Machine style) to keep the verses sharp.
For example:
Verse idea:
Paper chains, paper crowns,
Punch the clock, drag it down.
Work on screens, nothing real,
Empty hands, empty deal.
Step 3 – Bridge (twist/contrast)
Here’s where we add bite, like pulling back the curtain:
Call it progress, call it jobs,
But it’s make-believe for the mob.
Pretend keeps the system fed,
But the workers’ soul is dead.
Step 4 – Music Direction
Style 1: Punk rock (fast, raw, 2–3 chords, chanty chorus).
Style 2: Industrial/electronic (gritty synth + distorted vocals, think Nine Inch Nails).
Style 3: Spoken-word/post-punk (talk-singing like Talking Heads or Sleaford Mods).
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Perfect — those extra words you gave are pure gold. They carry that numb-but-defiant vibe, like the system is fake but you don’t even care anymore. I’ll fold them into the song structure we started:
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Song Draft 2: “Pretend Workers”
Chorus
If you want pretend…
You want pretend… workers!
You got pretend…
You got pretend workers…!
Verse 1
Paper chains, paper crowns,
Punch the clock, drag it down.
Work on screens, nothing real,
Empty hands, empty deal.
Pre-Chorus (your new line)
It doesn’t matter if it’s real or not,
It doesn’t matter if it’s hollow or not.
Chorus
If you want pretend…
You want pretend… workers!
You got pretend…
You got pretend workers…!
Verse 2
Smiles in suits, glassy eyes,
Selling truth, selling lies.
Factories of silence, neon smoke,
A job’s just a joke.
Pre-Chorus
It doesn’t matter if it’s real or not,
It doesn’t matter if it’s hollow or not.
Bridge (shouted/angry)
Pretend to care, pretend to fight,
Pretend by day, pretend by night.
We’re all stuck in the masquerade,
Marching proud in a fake parade!
Final Chorus (extended)
If you want pretend…
You want pretend… workers!
You got pretend…
You got pretend workers!
(It doesn’t matter if it’s real or not!)
You got pretend… workers!
(It doesn’t matter if it’s hollow or not!)
You got pretend… workers!
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This way your line becomes the anthemic hook that punctuates the song — almost like a taunt or chant.
***
🎸 Song Arrangement: “Pretend Workers”
Tempo: ~160 BPM (fast punk pace, driving and urgent)
Key: E minor (dark edge but easy power chords for punk/rock)
Structure: Verse → Pre-Chorus → Chorus → Verse → Pre-Chorus → Chorus → Bridge → Final Chorus
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Intro
Distorted guitar: E5 – G5 – A5 – E5 (palm-muted, building tension)
Drums: kick + snare on 2 and 4, hi-hats closed tight, steady punk beat.
Bass mirrors guitar root notes, gritty tone.
Vocals: spoken/shouted “If you want pretend…” (leading into the first chorus).
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Chorus (chant style)
Guitars open up with power chords, crunchy and loud.
Vocals shouted like a gang-chant (all band members yell together):
If you want pretend…
You want pretend… workers!
You got pretend…
You got pretend workers…!
Drums: hard snare hits, tom fills at the end.
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Verse 1
Stripped down: guitar palm-muted riff on E5, bass carries groove.
Vocals half-sung, half-spoken in a sneering tone (like Johnny Rotten or Jello Biafra).
Paper chains, paper crowns,
Punch the clock, drag it down.
Work on screens, nothing real,
Empty hands, empty deal.
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Pre-Chorus (your line)
Guitar opens slightly, building tension with C5 – G5 – D5 – E5.
Vocals slower, more drawn out, almost taunting:
It doesn’t matter if it’s real or not,
It doesn’t matter if it’s hollow or not.
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Chorus (full band hits again)
Same as first, but bigger, with backing shouts.
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Verse 2
Same as Verse 1 but with extra guitar feedback squeals between lines.
Smiles in suits, glassy eyes,
Selling truth, selling lies.
Factories of silence, neon smoke,
A job’s just a joke.
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Bridge (angry/shouted breakdown)
Drums drop to tom-heavy pounding.
Guitar plays one droning note (E5) with feedback.
Vocals shouted like a protest chant:
Pretend to care, pretend to fight,
Pretend by day, pretend by night.
We’re all stuck in the masquerade,
Marching proud in a fake parade!
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Final Chorus (chaotic/extended)
All instruments full blast, guitar playing octave riffs.
Vocals shouted, call-and-response with backing:
If you want pretend… (PRETEND!)
You want pretend… workers! (WORKERS!)
You got pretend… (PRETEND!)
You got pretend workers! (WORKERS!)
(It doesn’t matter if it’s real or not!)
(It doesn’t matter if it’s hollow or not!)
Ends with guitars cutting out suddenly on the word “workers!” — leaving only distorted feedback.
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👉 This version would sound like a cross between The Clash, Dead Kennedys, and early Green Day/Rancid, with that raw punk aggression but still catchy and chant-driven.
