My Gen X Playlist: Brass in Pocket – The Pretenders

I once worked with a guy who I thought had an abundance of confidence. He projected it in his speech, his presence, his appearance. The only thing I couldn’t figure out was why he treated people so poorly and constantly put others down. It later dawned on me that he wasn’t confident at all. He was the complete opposite. It turns out, he was an incredibly insecure person.

I think it’s good meeting all walks of life. Role models to emulate are helpful, but so are people who are the complete opposite. It’s necessary to have reminders of people you don’t want to be like. That one guy definitely fit the bill for me. Thank god our paths only crossed briefly. That was enough to last a lifetime.

Because that guy was an imposter, it made me think about the Pretenders. Brass in Pocket was probably the first Pretenders’ song I ever heard. Reading the backstory, I was surprised how it fits today’s prompt quite nicely.

“Brass In Pocket” was written by Pretenders lead singer Chrissie Hynde and guitarist James Honeyman-Scott. Hynde rarely explains what her songs are about, but she let on with this one in a 1980 interview with Sounds. “It’s very lightweight pop type of song, nothing heavy about it,” she said. “It’s along the lines of the guy who is feeling very insecure, not about pulling a girl but, say, trying to be accepted by the guys down at the pub. It’s a front he’s putting up. It’s like buying a pair of new boots and you feel great but then you get home and see your spots in the mirror.”

– Songfacts

We all have our own insecurities. We wear masks to cover them up and hide them from the world. Once in awhile we say or do things that are out of character that we later regret. It’s human. I get it. I’ve been there many times. But it’s completely another thing to be mean or cruel every day. I wanted to tell that one guy a basic rule in life.

Don’t be a dick.

I wish I had. He certainly could have used the advice.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Got brass in pocket
Got bottle, I'm gonna use it
Intention, I feel inventive
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

Got motion, restrained emotion
Been driving Detroit leaning
No reason, just seems so pleasing
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

[Chorus:]
Gonna use my arms
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my side step
Gonna use my fingers
Gonna use my, my, my imagination

'Cause I gonna make you see
There's nobody else here
No one like me
I'm special so special
I gotta have some of your attention give it to me

Got rhythm I can't miss a beat
Got new skank it's so reet
Got something I'm winking at you
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

[Chorus]

'Cause I gonna make you see
There's nobody else here
No one like me
I'm special, so special
I gotta have some of your attention
Give it to me
'Cause I gonna make you see
There's nobody else here
No one like me
I'm special, so special
I gotta have some of your attention

Give it to me