Pretend is a classic pop standard from the early 1950s, written in 1952 by Dan Belloc, Lew Douglas, Cliff Parman, and Frank Lavere. The best known recording is Nat King Cole with an orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle, released as a single by Capitol in 1953. It reached No 3 on the Billboard Best Seller chart and No 2 in the UK, and Cole later re-recorded it for the 1961 album The Nat King Cole Story. The song tells a little fairy tale of finding happiness and love through imagination—pretend you’re happy when you’re blue, dream big, and you might discover a love you can share. It’s generally considered traditional pop or a pop standard. Other notable versions include Brenda Lee’s 1960 cover and Ralph Marterie’s 1952 recording, showing how widely the tune was interpreted.
