"Pretend That She's Ugly" by Lamar Holley

Hopefully this will be the first of many 'Sunday Songs'. I plan to pick a song that I have particularly enjoyed in the past week, and write a bit about it here for you!

This week I re-discovered this little gem when it randomly popped in my head at work, and I decided to listen to it. From Lamar Holley's Confessions of a College Student, "Pretend That She's Ugly" is one of those songs you listen to and think, "Why wasn't I clever enough to write this?" According to It Starts With a Song, Vol. 2, produced by Tantara Records, this song was a huge hit when it was first presented in songwriting class at BYU. Listening to it, you can really see why. The lyrics are very humorous, but also ring very true with anyone who has ever been snubbed in a relationship. The music is catchy, and the bridge with its silent movie feel is very fun.

I wanted to put this in a format that you all could watch, so I decided the easiest thing to do would be to look on YouTube. Since it's a lesser-known song, I wasn't expecting to find it, but I figured I'd give it a shot. When this little animation (see below) popped up, I was very pleased and surprised. It's quite nifty, and does a good job of illustrating the song in a manner that corresponds well with the style. Hope you enjoy it!



Lyrics:
I watch her play piano
While I'm singing with the choir,
And I think she's awfully cute in yellow.
And when we ride the bus,
I pretend I'm comparing the size of our hands,
But I just want to touch her.

I walk with her on Sunday;
She talks and holds my hand,
And I think she's terribly sweet in sweaters.
But Monday she won't call,
And Tuesday she's responsibly eager to say
She can't go out on weekdays.

So I'll pretend that she's ugly,
Justify rejection,
And say
I didn't like her anyway;
'Cause actually her eyes are too big,
And her mouth is too wide,
And her freckles too much.
Yeah, she's talented and smart,
But she's ugly, so I don't care that
She doesn't like me

I write a note on e-mail,
I check for her reply,
But I guess she's honestly losing interest.
And I can't get to sleep
'Cause she's a ghost who is floating through all of my thoughts
And I can't have the real thing.

So I'll pretend that she's ugly,
Find some imperfection,
And say I didn't like her anyway;
'Cause actually her eyes are too big,
And her mouth is too wide,
And her freckles too much.
(I'll make a mountain of a molehill)
Yeah, she's talented and smart,
But she's ugly, so I don't care that
She doesn't like me.

I have a wild imagination,
But for me this is stretch:
Trying to transform a princess
Into a toad

And pretend that she's ugly.
Actually, she's perfect;
I'd say she's beautiful in every way.
'Cause actually her thumbs are so cute,
And her arms are so strong,
And her cheeks are so pink.
She's also talented and smart,
But I'm ugly.
But I guess I can pretend that she likes me,
Justify attraction,
And play I'm hard to get.
But anyway, someday, she'll admit
That she likes me.