There’s a special kind of heartbreak in “It’s Only Make Believe.”
Not the loud, dramatic kind — but the quiet ache of loving someone who doesn’t love you back quite the same way. Conway Twitty captured that feeling with a voice so raw and aching that even if you’ve never lived the story, you feel it.
What makes this song powerful is how honest it is. Conway doesn’t try to hide anything. He gives you a narrator who’s putting on a brave face for the world, pretending everything is fine, pretending he’s loved the way he loves — when deep down, he knows it’s all just a beautiful illusion he can’t let go of yet.
And the way Conway sings it…
that trembling intensity, that slow build in his voice…
it’s like he’s letting you hear every thought he’s been holding in. There’s desperation in it, but not shame — just a man wishing the story in his heart matched the story in his life.
The wild part? This was Conway’s breakthrough. His first big hit. And it wasn’t some polished love song — it was a confession wrapped in melody. A young singer saying, “Here’s the truth I don’t want to admit.” And people connected to that honesty instantly. Because almost everyone has lived some version of this — loving deeply, hoping quietly, pretending bravely.
That’s why the song endures.
“It’s Only Make Believe” isn’t just a heartbreak song.
It’s a reminder of how far we’ll go to hold onto a dream…
and how tender the human heart can be when it’s trying to stay strong.
Conway gave that moment a voice — and it still echoes today.
Video
Lyrics
People see us everywhere
They think you really care
But myself I can’t deceive
I know it’s only make-believe
My one and only prayer
Is that some day you’ll care
My hopes, my dreams come true
My one and only you
No one will ever know
How much I love you so
My only prayer will be
Some day you’ll care for me
But it’s only make-believe
My hopes, my dreams come true
My life, I’d give for you
My heart, a wedding ring
My all, my everything
My heart, I can’t control
You rule my very soul
My only prayer will be
Some day you’ll care for me
But it’s only make-believe
My one and only prayer
Is that some day you’ll care
My hopes, my dreams come true
My one and only you
No one will ever know
How much I love you so
My prayers, my hopes, and my schemes
You are my every dream
But it’s only make-believe (make-believe)