Mixing engineer Rich Costey stated that making all these dynamics work, as well as balancing the instruments, was challenging, as Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkins always want more focus on their instruments. Then comes an escalating hard rock sound, interrupted by breakdowns and escalations in the bridge, including a repeat of the intro. The song is written in the key of A minor and showcases the shifting dynamics which Grohl wanted to employ on Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, starting with a very stripped-down introduction, featuring soft guitar and vocals along with a small string section. Grohl described 'The Pretender' as 'a stomping Foo Fighters uptempo song, with a little bit of Chuck Berry in it.' Not to mention the song was much slower.' During a 10-day break from recordings in April 2007, Grohl listened to the monitor mixes and thought that the record needed another uptempo song, so he spent his time developing 'Silver Heart.' The band then recorded a demo for 'The Pretender,' which Norton approved, leading to the song getting a proper recording the following day.

According to producer Gil Norton, 'The chorus was there, but the verse and the middle hadn't been written. Dave Grohl first showcased the song, which had the working title 'Silver Heart,' during pre-production of Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, but the song did not see much development.

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