Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

The Platters’ “The Great Pretender” Mastered The Art of Pain and Denial

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

The Platters were the first-ever African-American who made it big as a pop supergroup in the early 50s. With a classic lineup of David Lynch, Zola Taylor, Herb Reed, and Paul Robi, the group was formed in 1952, adding Tony Williams as the lead vocalist in 1953.

After their first couple of records failed to make it to the charts, producer and songwriter Buck Ram became the group’s manager. He made some changes to the group and negotiated a record deal with Mercury Records. From there, The Platters became the most successful vocal group of the era.

Two of Buck Ram’s songs turned out to be the first big hits for the Platters too. The first was “Only You,” and the second major success was “The Great Pretender,” which was released at the end of 1955. The song made it all the way to No. 1 for The Platters.

It Could Be One of The Most Heartbreaking Song You’ll Ever Hear

“The Great Pretender” is delivered with flashy touches, from singer Tony Williams’s hiccupy “Oh oh, yes I’m the great pretender” that opens the song to the soaring high-register harmonies that back him. The lyrics are remarkably simple and catchy too. 

It describes a man who deals with his heartbreak by denying it and mastering the art of smiling through the pain. “Yes, I’m the great pretender. Just laughin’ and gay like a clown. I seem to be what I’m not, you see. I’m wearing my heart like a crown. Pretending that you’re still around,” the song goes.

Pressed for a follow-up to their previous hit, “Only You,” Buck Ram quickly drafted “The Great Pretender” in the washroom of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, where the group was performing. A year later, both “The Great Pretender” and “Only You” found their way into the soundtrack for Rock Around the Clock, a film musical about the fall of big bands and the rise of rock and roll.

In 1987, Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the rock band Queen, revived “The Great Pretender” when he released his version of the single. Though it didn’t make an impact in America, it went to No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart. 

In one of his last videotaped interviews in the spring of that year, Mercury explained that the song was particularly fitting for how he saw his career and being on stage. Though he did not reveal the real reason, it was most likely due to his HIV diagnosis that he discovered just a couple of months after filming the music video for “The Great Pretender.” For the next four years, Mercury would continue to tour, be in the public eye, and deny that he was ill. So during this time, you could say Freddie Mercury himself was a “great pretender.”

A lot more artists released their version of “The Great Pretender” through the years, but nobody does it better than The Platters. Watch one of their most notable performances in the video below. 

Latest Stories

Toby Keith performs with his American flag guitar, the same patriotic spirit that fueled his song "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue."

The Untold Truth Behind Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)”

When Toby Keith sat down with a fantasy football stat sheet and scribbled out “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue”, he didn’t just write a song. He lit a ...

Toby Keith plays guitar with an American flag design, capturing the patriotic vibe perfect for a Fourth of July country playlist.

35 Patriotic Country Songs to Turn Your Backyard Into the Ultimate 4th of July Party

Nothing says freedom like blasting a rowdy country playlist while you torch a few burgers, keep the cooler stocked, and watch your drunk uncle light fireworks way too close to ...

Keith Urban sits next to Nicole Kidman looking serious, a moment that echoes him shutting down talk about her steamy movie scenes.

Keith Urban Shuts Down Interview When Nicole Kidman’s Scenes With Younger Men Are Mentioned

Some lines just ain’t worth crossing, especially when you’re asking Keith Urban about Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron rolling around on screen. This week, the whole thing went sideways when ...

Tim McGraw sits outdoors with Faith Hill, leaning on a cane, sparking questions about his health but showing their strong bond.

Tim McGraw Using a Cane With Faith Hill Beside Him Raises Questions About His Health

Sometimes country music’s strongest cowboys need a little help standing tall, and Tim McGraw’s latest photo has folks asking how much longer he can keep carrying that torch. It’s not ...

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood smile together at an event, standing united amid the ongoing sexual assault lawsuit drama.

Garth Brooks’ Marriage With Trisha Yearwood Reportedly Unshaken by Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Nothing tests a marriage like ugly headlines, but Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are riding out this storm shoulder to shoulder. Since last October, Garth Brooks has been staring down ...

Country legend George Jones plays guitar under spotlight, embodying the raw heartbreak behind these 12 most depressing country songs.

These 12 Depressing Country Songs Will Have You Sobbing and Hitting Repeat All Night

Straight from the depths of Reddit’s country corner, here’s a list built by real fans who know heartbreak better than any Nashville hit machine ever could. These songs weren’t picked ...

Jimmy Swaggart preaching passionately in an undated photo, remembered now after his death at 90 from a heart attack.

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Dies at 90 Just Weeks After Suffering a Massive Heart Attack

There’s a hush across Pentecostal churches this week as believers remember Jimmy Swaggart, the firebrand evangelist, gospel singer, and TV preacher who spent decades filling stadiums, living rooms, and airwaves ...

Gavin Adcock onstage raising a whiskey bottle while blasting Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ as “not real country music.”

Viral Country Star Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Says ‘That S— Ain’t Country Music’

Some headlines feel like a parody of the country music circus these days, and this is one of them. Gavin Adcock, the beer-slinging viral star who built half his brand ...

George Strait beams onstage at Patriots Stadium, guitar in hand, as he brings Texas charm with “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

George Strait Brings Lone Star Magic to Patriots Stadium With “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Some legends don’t need confetti cannons or stadium-shaking pyros. They just need a guitar, a baritone voice, and a song about every ex they ever outran in a pickup truck. ...

Beyoncé points at her Buffalo Soldiers shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour, the shirt that sparked backlash for its wording.

Beyoncé Under Fire for Wearing Shirt That Calls Native Americans “Enemies of Peace”

Some controversy doesn’t fade with the stage lights. Just ask Beyoncé. The Houston-born superstar is facing backlash after wearing a T-shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour in Paris that some ...

Leave a Comment

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.