Almanac Music: ‘You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes’ – Songs Involving Lying
Chuck Berry, 1957. [Wikimedia Commons.]
Almanac Music: ‘You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes’ – Songs Involving Lying
Hi, Almanackers! This piece in my long-running series about key popular song themes concerns songs involving lying. By this, I mean songs involving words like lie, lying, fib, and closely related words which mean basically the same thing.
So, dear readers, please put your relevant ‘lying’ songs in the ‘Comments’ section. Below, as usual, are some examples from me to get the ball rolling.
‘Don’t You Lie to Me’, written by Hudson Whittaker (though some interpretations are credited to others), performed by Chuck Berry (1961)
‘Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)’, written by Ahmet Ertegün, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, performed by Ben E. King, (1962)
‘Suspicious Minds’, written by Mark James, performed by Elvis Presley (1969)
‘Let’s don’t let a good thing die / When, honey, you know I have never lied to you’
‘January’, written by David Paton, performed by Pilot (1974)
‘You make me sad with your eyes / You’re telling me lies’
‘Lyin’ Eyes’, written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey, performed by Eagles (1975)
‘Honesty’ written and performed by Billy Joel (1978)
‘But I don’t want some pretty face / To tell me pretty lies’
‘Little Lies’, written by Christine McVie and Eddy Quintela, performed by Fleetwood Mac (1987)
‘Brilliant Disguise’, written and performed by Bruce Springsteen (1987)
‘Well maybe, baby, the gypsy lied’
‘Better Man’ written by Eddie Vender, performed by Pearl Jam (1994)
‘She lies and says she’s in love with him / Can’t find a better man’
……………………………………………………………………
Now, dear readers / listeners – it’s over to you. Your responses to this topic are warmly welcomed. In the ‘Comments’ section, please add your own choice of a song (or songs) involving lying, along with any other relevant material you wish to include.
[Note: as usual, Wikipedia has been a good general reference for this piece, particularly in terms of checking dates and other details.]
Read more from Kevin Densley HERE
Kevin Densley’s latest poetry collection, Please Feed the Macaws…I’m Feeling Too Indolent, is available HERE
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About
Kevin Densley is a graduate of both Deakin University and The University of Melbourne. He has taught writing and literature in numerous Victorian universities and TAFES. He is a poet and writer-in-general. His fifth book-length poetry collection, Please Feed the Macaws ... I'm Feeling Too Indolent, was published in late 2023 by Ginninderra Press. He is also the co-author of ten play collections for young people, as well as a multi Green Room Award nominated play, Last Chance Gas, published by Currency Press. Other writing includes screenplays for educational films.
One that comes to mind KD is from the mid 60s:
‘Lies’ – The Knickerbockers
Another I remember is
‘Would I Lie to You’ – Eurythmics
Good Morning KD
Bob will surely have a field day with this theme….here’s the first that came to mind:
Masters Of War
Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
One from the sixties, one from the eighties – thanks for opening the batting in relation to our new theme, Col.
Good morning, Karl. Thanks for being a ‘fellow opener’ with Bob’s ‘Masters of War’.
And – of course – I certainly agree that his Bobness will be in his element in terms of this ‘lying’ theme.
Hold on to love: Orkestra
You’ve been telling lies: Kelly Groucutt
Endless lies: Electric Light Orchestra
Baby I apologise: Electric Light Orchestra
So glad you said goodbye: Electric Light Orchestra Part II
Two can play: Australian Crawl
Lying to yourself: Asia
You won’t have to cry: The Byrds
Why do I lie?: Luscious Jackson
Would I lie to you?: Charles and Eddie
The way of the world: Roger Daltrey
The last polka: Ben Folds Five
Brick: Ben Folds Five
I got you: Split Enz
Tell me the truth: Midnight Oil
Rule of threes: Mondo Rock
Don’t you lie to me: Mondo Rock
Lover boy: Supertramp
Cannonball: Supertramp
Walk it down: Talking Heads
She’s not there: The Zombies
Great selection of songs, as usual, Liam. To select just one of the many fine songs for comment – I loved your inclusion of Ben Folds Five’s ‘Brick’ – for me, one of THE songs of the 1990s.
Thanks for ‘She’s Not There’, Liam – another fine song: ‘No one told me about her / The way she lied…’ Of course, I’m familiar with The Zombies’ original version, though I came to the song via Santana’s wonderful rendition.
And you’ve triggered a memory for me, too – in a secondary school rock band I was in, we played a Santana-inspired version of ‘Evil Ways’. Though it may sound a pretty ambitious thing for a teenage band to play, from memory, the chords were pretty simple (at least what we’d reduced them to!) and we had a good lead guitarist who loved soloing away to his heart’s content in a very nineteen-seventies manner.
Thanks Kev.
Interesting choice in these pre-election days where there are plenty of election promises flying about the place. Flying lies rather than lying eyes.
Leiber and Stoller wrote Hound Dog.
In the original Big Mama Thronton (1952) sings,
“You told me you was high class
But I could see through that.”
In his 1956 version, Elvis Presley sings
“Yeah they said you was high-class
Well, that was just a lie.”
John Lennon – I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier
Well, i don’t wanna be a lawyer mama, i don’t wanna lie
Well, i don’t wanna be a soldier mama, i don’t wanna die
Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no
On the same album (Imagine, 1971), John sang ‘Gimme Some Truth’ which doesn’t mention ‘lying’ directly but ‘lying’ is implied throughout.
Hi Kevin,
I was in grade 10 when Brick was released, as part of the album Whatever and Ever Amen. My sister had the CD, so I must give her the credit for introducing me to Ben Folds Five.
Brick is indeed a fabulous song but my favourite from that album will always be Selfless, Cold and Composed. That song is a timeless classic, as much as Bridge Over Troubled Water (if there is such a comparison!).
Also in 1997, I remember No Aphrodisiac (The Whitlams) and the Spice Girls craze (call it a craze or a fad but NOT a phenomenon. I had NO interest at all).
But for me, the standout from 1997 (and the 1990s in general) is Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve. The video for this majestic song (which really does deserve the “phenomenal” tag) is absolutely iconic as well, especially these days. I am constantly dismayed and annoyed at how often people don’t watch where they’re going (in shopping centres, markets, in the streets, everywhere!), regardless of whether or not they’re looking at their phone. I have no idea why that is. As a youngster I was firmly taught to “watch where you’re going”. Apparently a lot of people never learned that fundamental lesson which was drummed into me at a very young age.
Thanks, Peter C, for the two versions of ‘Hound Dog’ you put forward, as well as the interesting comparison of key lyrics.
Neat, perceptive comment about lies and the upcoming election, too!
Imagine, to my way of thinking, is such a beautiful and superbly assembled album – it’s a bit like an extended suite of songs rather than a collection of separate musical entities. Thanks, Karl, for your two selections from this great work of art – which I certainly believe it is.
Hi Karl,
I’m a big fan of Gimme some truth, especially the lyrics:
No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of tricky dicky
Is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocketful of soap.
From my Rolodex of Truth KD
The Few – Billy Bragg
“Our neighbours shake their heads
And take their valuables inside
While my countrymen piss in their fountains
To express our national pride
And to prove to the world that England
Is not as rotten as she looks
They repeat the lies that caught their eyes
At school in history books
But the wars they think they’re fighting
Were all over long ago
What do they know of England who only England know?”
How Come – The Sports
New Lace Sleeves – Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Liar – Sunnyboys
Liars Bar – Beautiful South
Liars A to E – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Liar Liar – The Castaways
Dirty Lies – News
L-I-E-S – Saints
Little Girl Lies – Blondie
Panty Lies – Sonic Youth
The Night Before – Beatles
Stretch Out And Wait – Smiths
Object – Cure
The Outdoor Type – Lemonheads
Great bunch of songs, Swish, from your unimpeachable Rolodex. The quote from the Bragg song is a fine one, and got me mentally riffing, especially the line from Kipling in it, ‘What do they know of England who only England know?’ which in turn, long before Bragg’s song, was reworked by CLR James in what some consider the best book on sport ever written, Beyond the Boundary: ‘What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?’
A couple of other quick reflections: love ‘How Come’ by The Sports – they had a bunch of excellent songs, didn’t they? ‘Who Listens to the Radio?’, ‘Don’t Throw Stones’, ‘Strangers on a Train’ etc.
The fine Blondie (one of my favourite bands, as I’ve indicated many times on the Almanac website) song, ‘Little Girl Lies’, which was on their debut studio album and the B-side of one of their early singles, vividly brings back to me an era and a family house.
Thank you. Liam, for your further reflections on ‘Brick’, Ben Folds and the 1990s.
By the way, I love ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ too. And I can also relate to that ‘watch where you’re going’ instruction. (There’s an Almanac piece in terms of the that!)
Meant to say in the last line immediately above, of course: (There’s an Almanac piece in terms of that!)
Some Girls (Well I know I’ve got the fever, but I don’t know why. Some say they will and some girls lie) – Racey
Thanks, Fisho, for Racey’s ‘Some Girls’ – many will recall what a big hit it was in Australia in the late 1970s.
Here’s three from Cliff Richard
Every Face Tells a Story (It Never Tells A Lie)
Lies and Kisses
Don’t Talk to Him (And tells you lies while I’m not there)
Does this one from ABBA count?
One of Us (One of us is crying, one of us is lying)
Darling You Know I Wouldn’t Lie – Conway Twitty
Somebody Lied _ Conway Twitty
Big Stripey Lie – Kate Bush
Bad Blood (The woman was born to lie) – Neil Sedaka
Same Old Fool (But I realize I told myself a lie) – Neil Sedaka
Is It True (As you said goodbye if you have to lie) – Brenda Lee
Just Another Lie – Brenda lee
Sans Souci (But the plot of the lie was whole) – Peggy Lee
Give Up (From you telling lies so sweetly) – Roy Orbison
Under Suspicion (Lied to and cheated) – Roy Orbison
And here we go again, some The Clash songs:
Deny (from their first album and one of the best albums of the last 70 years)
Train in Vain (oh, you know this little Mick Jones ripper)
City of the Dead (punk reggae)
The Sound of Sinners (from Sandinista, v good)
Cheat (anotheree from their first album)
The Night Has a Thousand Eyes (So remember when you tell those little white lies) – Bobby Vee.
Another from Bobby Vee that i think should qualify – Stayin’ In (He was saying things that were not true about her).
Thanks, Fisho, for your latest fine contributions (and yes, the ABBA song certainly does count). To select one from these batches for comment, I’ll pick Sedaka’s “Bad Blood’. It’s just about my favourite Sedaka song and it’s edgier as well as more funky and rocky than his typically pop material – and at least equally as catchy.
Thanks, Rick, for your material by The Clash – a fine, iconic band, and never less than interesting, in my humble opinion. Incidentally – and somewhat tangentially in the context of the present thread – often when The Clash comes into my mind I think of one of my all-time favourite covers – their version of ‘I Fought the Law’ (1979).
A couple from Steely Dan (a definitive, distinctive, favourite band from the 70’s)
Only A Fool Would Say That (1972 – Can’t Buy A Thrill album)
Unhand that gun begone/There’s no one to fire upon
If he’s holding it high/He’s telling a lie
Doctor Wu (1975 – Katy Lied album) -extra bonus point for the album title KD!
Katy lies
You can see it in her eyes
But imagine my surprise when I saw you
Paper Tiger (Quit spyin’ and signin’ and lyin’ and trying to be so mean) – Sue Thompson
Ahem, may I offer, The River, with one of Springsteen’s more profound lyrics. Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true or is it something worse.
Cheers
There’s only one; Lulu’s song – Lies!!
Four 50s and 60s protest songs by and one song from the 80s that isn’t.
My Back Pages – Bob Dylan
“Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
“Rip down all hate,” I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull, I dreamed
Romantic facts of musketeers
Foundationed deep, somehow
[Refrain]
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now”
When I’m Gone – Phil Ochs
“All my days won’t be dances of delight when I’m gone
And the sands will be shifting from my sight when I’m gone
Can’t add my name into the fight while I’m gone
So I guess I’ll have to do it while I’m here
And I won’t be laughing at the lies when I’m gone
And I can’t question how or when or why when I’m gone
Can’t live proud enough to die when I’m gone
So I guess I’ll have to do it while I’m here
There’s no place in this world where I’ll belong when I’m gone
And I won’t know the right from the wrong when I’m gone
And you won’t find me singin’ on this song when I’m gone
So I guess I’ll have to do it, I guess I’ll have to do it
Guess I’ll have to do it while I’m here”
Too Many Martyrs – Phil Ochs
[Verse 1]
In the state of Mississippi many years ago
A boy of fourteen years got a taste of Southern law
He saw his friend a-hangin’, his color was his crime
And the blood upon his jacket put a brand upon his mind
[Chorus]
Too many martyrs and too many dead
Too many lies, too many empty words were said
Too many times for too many angry men
Oh, let it never be again
[Verse 2]
His name was Medgar Evers and he walked his road alone
Like Emmett Till and thousands more whose names we’ll never know
They tried to burn his home and they beat him to the ground
But deep inside they both knew what it took to bring him down
Bob Dylan also wrote a song about the murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers. It was called Only a Pawn in their Game.
The Ballad of Accounting – Ewan MacColl
“Did you stand there in the traces and let ’em feed you lies?
Did you trail along behind them wearing blinkers on your eyes?
Did you kiss the foot that kicked you, did you thank them for
their scorn?
Did you ask for their forgiveness for the act of being born,
act of being born, act of being born?”
And one by his daughter
There’s a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop – Kirsty MacColl
“… There’s a guy works down the chip shop swears he’s Elvis
Just like you swore to me that you’d be true
There’s a guy works down the chip shop swears he’s Elvis
But he’s a liar and I’m not sure about you”
Happy Saturday KD
I am awarding my ‘wish I had added that lyric’ medal early – to Rick K for ‘The River’. Not only is the lyric superb but the way that Bruce delivers it makes it even more heartfelt & memorable.
Also wanted to say ‘nice picks’ to Dave N. I would point out that Dylan not only write a song about Medgar Evers but also Emmett Till (although the latter is lesser known).
Finally, I wondered if this Dylan lyric qualifies as it seems to be = to a lie
Tell Me That It Isn’t True (1969 – Nashville Skyline album)
They say that you’ve been seen with some other man
That he’s tall, dark and handsome, and you’re holding his hand
Darlin’, I’m a-countin’ on you
Tell me that it isn’t true
Thanks for the Steely Dan pair of songs, Karl. They’re a band that does not often come up in our themed songlists.
Thank you for ‘Paper Tiger’. Fisho. I’ll have to check it out.
Ah Rick, Springsteen’s ‘The River’ – a big gun that you’ve fired relatively early in this themed songlist. Wonderful!
Thanks for Lulu’s very sixties ‘Lies’, Matt. When I hear ‘Lulu’ I think of two very different things – one, the Scottish singer, songwriter and all-round performer, and two, the opera by Alban Berg.
Thanks for some fine material (as usual), Dave – Dylan, Ochs and the MacColls.
The Kirsty MacColl lyric about the guy who swore he was Elvis reminded me of a classic Beatles related story… When the Beatles were recording ‘Fixing A Hole’ for Sgt Pepper’s, a bloke claiming to be Jesus Christ was a visitor at one of the sessions . According to Far Out magazine: ‘McCartney welcomed the apparent messiah into the room and had to justify his presence to the rest of the band. “He says he’s Jesus,” McCartney told the rest of the band … “I don’t know, but I’m not taking any chances.”
Happy Saturday, Karl! Thanks for the comments, and , most particularly, ‘Tell Me That It Isn’t True’, which is very much on point as far as this theme goes.
It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie – The Inkspots
I Want to Break Free (I want to break free from your lies) – Queen
Two particularly good ones in terms of your latest pair of choices, Fisho. Cheers!
The Generation Gap – Jeannie C Riley
“The generation gap is a mighty mighty big hole
You ain’t gonna fill it up with all the lies being told”
Sydney From A 727 – Paul Kelly
“Have you ever fallen for a girl with different coloured eyes?
And sent her letters full of lies”
I Won’t Lie – Tom Jones
Say You’ll Stay Until Tomorrow (You can’t live, you can’t live with a lie) – Tom Jones
Thanks, Swish, for this fine, interesting pair of choices – especially love the boogie style piano playing in Riley’s ‘The Generation Gap’.
Thank you for the two Tom Jones choices, Fisho. Jeez that man has great vocal chops.
What a Life I’ve Led (I’ve been real mean man, full of cheating and lying) – The Hollies
Can’t Lie no more _ The Hollies
You Know You’re Lying – The Dave Clark Five
Don’t you Know (First you tell me all your lies) – The Dave Clark Five
Don’t Lie To Me (You Know I know) – Ike and Tina Turner
A Fool In Love (You think I’m lying but I’m telling you like it is) – Ike and Tina Turner
Here a couple of 60’s Dylan:
Ballad In Plain D
Myself, for what I did, I cannot be excused
The changes I was going through can’t even be used
For the lies that I told her in hope not to lose
The could-be dream-lover of my lifetime
I Want You
But I did it, because he lied and
Because he took you for a ride
And because time was on his side and
Because I……..
Thanks, Fisho, for your latest selections, both British and American.
Thank you for the two latest Bob songs, Karl. As you indicated at the outset of this theme, the great man is up for a particularly big innings this time round.
Angel don’t cry: Toto
If you belong to me: Toto
Just not true: Carly Simon
Four songs about Lies from the sixties
Happy Jack – The Who
“The kids couldn’t hurt Jack
They tried and tried and tried
They dropped things on his back
And lied and lied and lied and lied and lied
But they couldn’t stop Jack, or the waters lapping
And they couldn’t prevent Jack from feeling happy”
Somebody To Love – Jefferson Airplane
“When the truth is found
To be lies
And all the joy
Within you dies
Don’t you want somebody to love?
Don’t you need somebody to love?
Wouldn’t you love somebody to love?
You better find somebody to love”
(I remember being mesmerised by this song when I first heard it in 1967. I thought that Grace Slick had the sexiest female voice in rock.)
The Night Before – The Beatles
“We said our goodbyes, ah, the night before
Love was in your eyes, ah, the night before
Now today I find you have changed your mind
Treat me like you did the night before
Were you telling lies, ah, the night before?
Was I so unwise, ah, the night before?
When I held you near you were so sincere
Treat me like you did the night before”
Big Girls Don’t Cry – The Four Seasons (not quite up to the standard of the three previous songs)
“(Silly boy) Told my girl we had to break up
(Silly boy) Hoped that she would call my bluff
(Silly boy) When she said to my surprise
“Big girls don’t cry”
Big girls don’t cry
(They don’t cry)
Big girls don’t cry
(Who said they don’t cry?)
(Maybe) I was cruel
(I was cruel)
Baby, I’m a fool
(I’m such a fool)
(Silly girl) Shame on you, your mama said
(Silly girl) Shame on you, you’re cryin’ in bed
(Silly girl) Shame on you, you told a lie
Big girls do cry
Thanks, Dave, for these fine sixties songs and quoted lyrics. Swish mentioned ‘The Night Before’ earlier in this thread. ‘Happy Jack’ is one of my favourite songs by The Who, incidentally.
Thank you, Liam, for your latest trio of choices – songs by Toto and Carly Simon.
It’s a wet & miserable Sunday over here KD – looks like an indoorsy type of day. Here’s a couple of Dylan lyrics (both from the 1966 Blonde on Blonde album) to kick the day along……
Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go MIne)
You say you disturb me
And you don’t deserve me
But you know sometimes you lie
Fourth Time Around
When she said, “Don’t waste your words, they’re just lies”
I cried she was deaf
And she worked on my face until breaking my eyes
And saying “What else you got left?”
The weather’s pretty much the same in my neck of the woods, Karl. Thanks for the pair of songs from Blonde on Blonde. Bob, as usual, keeps giving.
My Heart is an Open Book (Don’t believe all those lies) – Carl Dobkins Junior
Thank you, Fisho – and, as I often say, keep ’em coming!
The Only Time a Fisherman Tells the Truth (‘Cause the only time a fisherman tells the truth is when he calls another a liar) – Slim Dusty
It’s For You (They said that love was a lie) – Cilla Black
I’ll Try Anything (I’ll try anything to get you, I’ll cheat and I’ll lie) – Dusty Springfield
I Can’t Hear You (There you go again, lying and alibiing) – Dusty Springfield
Some protest songs from a variety of countries, about a variety of issues and in a variety of styles
The Preacher and the Slave written by Joe Hill[
Verse 1]
“Long-haired preachers come out every night
Try to tell you what’s wrong and what’s right
But when?asked?about something to?eat
They will answer in voices so?sweet”:
[Chorus]
You will eat (you will eat)
Bye and bye (bye and bye)
In that glorious land in the sky (way up high)
Work and pray (work and pray)
Live on hay (live on hay)
You get pie in the sky when you die (that’s a lie!)
(verse 4)
Workingmen of all countries, unite
Together for freedom we’ll fight
When this world and its wealth we have gained
To the grafters, we’ll sing this refrain:
[Chorus]
You will eat (you will eat)
Bye and bye (bye and bye)
When you’ve learned how to cook and to fry (and to fry)
Chop some wood, ’twill do you good
You will eat in the sweet bye and bye (that’s no lie!)
No Tears For the Widow – Judy Small (written and recorded years before the Same Sex Marriage vote).
My friend Amelia lost her love
To cancer’s slow and painful glove
The dying was no easier
Than my father’s was back then
No black-rimmed cards came to her door
Her grief and anguish all ignored
Except, of course, for closest friends
Who tried to understand
Her lover was described by all
As a single woman living well
A tragic loss for family
Taken well before her time
When Amy left the funeral home
She travelled to their house alone
And sat among familiar things
And wept into the night
And there were no tears for the widow
No tears for the widow
For the woman who had lost her love
And must carry on alone
And Amy still writes “single”
In the space on all the forms
But she rages at the lie it tells
And the loss that it ignores
Which Side Are You On – Well known American Union song written by Florence Patton Reece
“Don’t scab for the bosses
Don’t listen to their lies
Us poor folks haven’t got a chance
Unless we organize”
We Didn’t Know – Tom Paxton (written about 1965)
“We didn’t know,” said the congregation
Singing a hymn in their church of white
“The press was full of lies about us
Preacher told us we were right
The outside agitators came
They burned some churches and put the blame
On decent southern people’s name
To set our coloured people aflame
And maybe some of our boys got hot
And a couple of niggers and reds got shot
They should have stayed where they belong
And preacher would’ve told us if we’d done wrong”
We didn’t know at all
We didn’t see a thing
You can’t hold us to blame
What could we do
It was a terrible shame
But we can’t bear the blame
Oh no, not us, we didn’t know
Part of the Union – Strawbs (I think I may have written on a previous thread that this song was based on Woody Guthrie’s Union Maid, the tune of which was based on a 1907 popular song “Red Wing”)
“As a union man I’m wise
To the lies of the company spies
And I don’t get fooled by the factory rules
‘Cause I always read between the lines
And I always get my way
If I strike for higher pay
When I show my card to the Scotland Yard
And this is what I say
Oh, oh, you don’t get me, I’m part of the union
You don’t get me, I’m part of the union
You don’t get me, I’m part of the union
Until the day I die, until the day I die”
Good Monday morning KD – finally, it feels like autumn has arrived.
I might need an adjudication on whether the following Dylan lyric qualifies for the theme:
All Along The Watchtower (1967 – John Wesley Harding album)
‘No reason to get excited, the thief, he kindly spoke
There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely, the hour is getting late’
Thanks for your latest four, Fsho. Interestingly. ‘It’s For You’ is an earlyish Lennon-McCartney song that the Beatles didn’t record. (There were quite a few songs in this category.)
Thanks, Dave, for your protest song material – lots of fine, interesting, detailed content there. Strawbs’ ‘Part of the Union’, to mention just one song, was a well-played record in my family’s singles collection when I was a kid.
Good mornin’, Karl. This morning feels a bit more like an early touch of winter in the Surf Coast region of Victoria where I am.
I’d certainly include ‘All Along The Watchtower’ in our current themed songlist, for its ‘talk falsely’ bit.
Stopping traffic: McGuinn Clark and Hillman
Thanks for ‘Stopping Traffic’, Liam. I just had a listen to it and thought it was an appealing, catchy number.
My Boyfriend’s Back (You been spreading lies that I was untrue) – The Angles
Thanks, Fisho, for The Angels’ ‘My Boyfriend’s Back’ – just about the perfect pop song, in its brief, catchy way.
If this has been mentioned before, I apologise…
The Beatles – Tell Me Why
‘Tell me why you cried
And why you lied to me’
‘Tell Me Why’ hasn’t been mentioned before, Karl. Thanks for including it.
Some Dylan numbers that fit the deceitful bill, maybe?
There was a Wicked Messenger from John Wesley Harding he did come. He answered with his thumb for his tongue, it could not speak but only flatter.
As I Went Out One Morning I spied the fairest damsel that ever did walk in chains pleading from the corners of her mouth.
There’s a great track on Nashville Skyline that’s only about lying: Lay, Lady, Lay, lay across my big brass bed.
More Bruce, and 4 of the best of his career):
Point Blank (Well they shot you point blank/you been shot in the back/Baby point blank you been fooled this time/little girl that’s a fact/Right between the eyes, baby, point blank/right between the pretty lies that they tell/Little girl you fell)
Prove it all Night (Baby, tie your hair back in a long white bow,/Meet me in the fields out behind the dynamo,/You hear the voices telling you not to go,/They made their choices and they’ll never know,/What it means to steal, to cheat, to lie,/What it’s like to live and die)
Backstreets (Blame it on the lies that killed us/Blame it on the truth that ran us down/You can blame it all on me Terry/It don’t matter to me now/When the breakdown hit at midnight/There was nothing left to say/But I hated him and I hated you when you went away)
Stones (I woke up this morning with stones in my mouth/You said those were only the lies you’ve told me/Those are only the lies you’ve told me)
Hurt – NIN/Johnny Cash bobs up again
I wear this crown of shit/thorns
Upon my liar’s chair
Hey KD
Not that I want to take this theme into new territory, but Matt G’s reference to Lay Lay Lady reminded me of an even better Dylan song about lying:
Tomorrow Is A Long TIme:
‘Yes, and only if she was lyin’ by me
Then I’d lie in my bed once again’
Move along Baldy (When I feel lonesome, I tell myself lies) -Tex Morton
I Don’t Lie – George Formby
Chip Chip (Whoa oh oh oh chip, you tell a little lie, chip chip you make your baby cry) – Gene McDaniels
Interesting songs ‘fitting the deceitful bill’ – thanks, Matt. Nine Inch Nails ‘Hurt’ also duly noted.
Ooops! I should’ve written, Nine Inch Nails ‘Hurt’ duly noted – thanks, Swish!
Thank you, Rick, for four fine songs by ‘the Bruiser’ – Springsteen, like Dylan, is the gift that keeps on giving in relation to our themed songlists.
Hi Karl. I don’t mind the occasional tangent, if it’s connected to the central theme in a particularly clever/witty way. Thanks for ‘Tomorrow Is A Long TIme’.
In the above context, I couldn’t help thinking about the following Shakespeare sonnet, especially its concluding couplet, in particular line thirteen where, to my way of thinking, lying in two different senses is articulated at the same time:
Sonnet 138: When my love swears that she is made of truth
By William Shakespeare
When my love swears that she is made of truth,
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutored youth,
Unlearnèd in the world’s false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue:
On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
Oh, love’s best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love loves not to have years told.
Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flattered be.
Thanks so much, Fisho, for your latest three contributions.
(two hands clapping) for the Shakespeare contribution. A worthy addition to theme, KD!
Here’s another that I really like from Bob – one of my favourite ‘on theme’ lyrics:
Idiot Wind (1975 – Blood On The Tracks album)
You hurt the ones that I love best
And cover up the truth with lies
One day you’ll be in the ditch
Flies buzzin’ around your eyes
Blood on your saddle
On the connecting with lying theme, how about Patsy Montana’s “I Didn’t Know the Gun was Loaded”. It tells of a “lady” that often shoots someone and then comes out with the obvious untrue, “I didn’t know the gun was loaded”, and I’m so sorry my friend.
Glad you appreciated the Shakespeare sonnet inclusion, Karl. Thanks for the multi-themed Idiot Wind, too.
Thanks, Fisho, for the Patsy Montana song – a worthy entry.
.
On a bit of a Bruce roll:
The Promised Land (Blow away the dreams that tear you apart/Blow away the dreams that break your heart/Blow away the lies that leave you nothing/But lost and brokenhearted/The dogs on Main Street howl ’cause they understand/If I could take one moment into my hands/Mister I aint a boy, no I’m a man/And I believe in the promised land)
Brilliant Disguise (Now you play the loving woman/I’ll play the faithful man/But just don’t look too close/Into the palm of my hand/Oh, we stood at the altar/The gypsy swore that our future was right/But come the wee, wee hours/Well maybe, baby, the gypsy lied)
Two Faces (Last night as I kissed you ‘neath the willow tree/He swore he’d take your love away from me/He said our life was just a lie/And two faces have I/Well go ahead and let him try)
Part Man, Part Monkey (Well the church bell rings from the corner steeple/Man in a monkey suit swears he’ll do no evil/Offers his lover’s prayer but his soul lies/Dark and drifting and unsatisfied/Well hey bartender tell me what do you see/Part man, part monkey, looks like to me)
Cheers
A Bruce roll is an excellent thing, of course, Rick. Thanks for your most recent four choices. Indeed, I liked Brilliant Disguise so much that it was one of my introductory, video-accompanied choices to get this ‘lies’ theme rolling.
Oops KD, sorry, I checked comments to see if songs had been mentioned but neglected the actual introduction, my bad but it does show that we is on the same page!
So in Brilliant Disguise’s stead I offer:
Incident on 57th Street (And the pimps swung their axes and said/”Johnny, you’re a cheater”/Well, the pimps swung their axes and said/”Johnny, you’re a liar”/And from out of the shadows came a young girl’s voice/Said, “Johnny, don’t cry”)
Cheers
No worries, Rick. I always value your contributions to these themed pieces. Thanks for Incident on 57th Street.
As we enter the nervous 90’s, I thought I would add a crowd favourite:
Hurricane (1975) – by Dylan & Levy
Rubin Carter was falsely tried
The crime was murder one, guess who testified?
Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied
And the newspapers, they all went along for the ride
Here’s a couple I hope qualify
Rock Island Line (Well a train driver pulls up to a toll gate and says to the man, I’ve got livestock, I got cows, I got pigs, I got sheep, I got mules. I got all live stock. You’re alright boy, you don’t have to pay no toll. As the driver went through and picked up a little speed, he turned back to the man and said, I fooled you, I fooled you. I’ve got all pig iron). recorded by many artists. Lonnie Donegan had a huge hit in ’55 and the version I like best is the spoof by STAN FREBERG.
Lipstick on Your Collar (You said it belonged to me, then I noticed it was red, mine was baby pink. Were you smooching with my best friend. Then he answered yes” Connie Francis
Here’s a very good (rock) protest song that I missed in previous posts.
Solid Rock – Goanna
Standin’ on the shore one day
Saw the white sails in the sun
Wasn’t long before you felt that sting
White man white law white gun
Don’t tell me that it’s justified
’Cause somewhere, someone lied
Think it’s called genocide
Someone lied
Now you’re standin’ on solid rock
Standin’ on sacred ground
Livin’ on borrowed time
And the winds of change
Are blowin’ down the line
Thanks for ‘Hurricane’, Karl – it’s certainly a crowd favourite, and one of mine, too. That said, the rhyming of ‘Bello’ and ‘fellow’ at another point in the song (i.e not in your quoted bit) gets me every time. Bob – or was it Jacques in this instance? – was stretching things here in his search for rhyme, I feel.
Yes, Fisho, I feel ‘Rock Island Line’ and ‘Lipstick on Your Collar’ both qualify, as both songs do involve lying. Thanks for these.
Thanks, Dave. ‘Solid Rock’ is an especially good ‘pick up’ in relation to our theme – it’s certainly an Oz classic.
Morning KD.
Nice pick up on the ‘Bello’/’fellow’ rhyme in ‘Hurricane’. Personally, once Dylan & Levy rhymed ‘outrageous’ with ‘contagious’ in Isis, I forgave both of them for anything bad that may have ever done.
A couple more from Dylan….from the Basement Tapes era.
Too Much of Nothing
‘Too much of nothin’ can turn a man into a liar
It can cause some man to sleep on nails
Another man to eat fire’
In this song Dylan rhymes ‘Marion’ with ‘oblivion’.
Nothing Was Delivered
‘Nothing was delivered
But I can’t say I sympathize
With what your fate is going to be
Yes, for telling all those lies’
Morning, Karl. Glad you liked the Bello/fellow pickup. Not every rhyme is a wonderful and inventive one, of course.
Thanks for your couple of Basement Tapes era choices.
Don’t think it’s been mentioned yet and a good one to reach the century. That’ll Be the Day, Buddy Holly, written when he was 19.
Cheers
Such a wonderful choice to reach our century, Rick. Thank you!
As we reach yet another century – a track from Supertramp’s ‘Crime Of The Century’
Dreamer
‘Can you do something out of this world?
Take a dream on a Sunday
Take a life, take a holiday
Take a lie, take a dreamer
Dream, dream, dream, dream
Dream along’
Fine pick, Karl – especially given the Supertramp album title with its mention of ‘century’.
And, while I’m here, congrats to all involved in reaching another century of comments. I think this ‘lies’ theme has been/is among our most interesting excursions into music theme territory, probably because many songs involving lies have an edge to them.
I’ve also thought that Hank Williams Snr must have some songs involving lies. Thinking more about this issue, Williams’ ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’ can certainly be placed under the broad umbrella of this lying theme.
Bruce Springsteen and lies:
I Wanna Marry You (My daddy said right before he died/That true, true love was just a lie/He went to his grave a broken heart/An unfulfilled life, girl, makes a man hard)
Sad Eyes (Every day here you come walking/I hold my tongue, I don’t do much talking/You say you’re happy and you’re doing fine/Well, go ahead, baby, I got plenty of time/Because sad eyes never lie)
Little White Lies (There were no cold denials/Nobody really lied/It wasn’t in the things we said, girl/Just time spent, promises implied/And when it began to fall apart/Eaten quietly away from the inside/Bit by bit by those little white lies)
Don’t Play that Song, a cover of the great Ben E King song, and stacks of people have covered it including Aretha. Bruce had a Soul covers album out a couple of years back, but go for Ben E King’s of course
(Don’t play that song for me/Though it brings back sweet memories/Of the days that I once knew/Of the days I spent with you/Oh no, don’t you let it play/It fills my heart with pain/Please stop it right away/’Cause I remember just a-what it said/Well, it said (Darling, I loved you)/Oh, you know that you lied (Darling, I loved you)/Oh, you know that you lied (Darling, I loved you)/Darling, you know that you lied (You lied), you lied (You lied)/You lied, lied, lied)
I gotta wonder, how many songs feature the phrase “she lied”? Rock and roll being extended adolescence, it must show up a lot.
Afghan Whigs “Let me lie to you”, 1992.
Probably a lot of my fave bands feature lies as a lyrical theme, even if not specifically stated. ‘It’s All Over Now’ for example.
You’ve made some wonderful excursions into Springsteen territory in relation to this lies theme, Rick, including you latest group of selections. Interestingly, I included the Ben E. King recording of ‘Don’t Play that Song’ in my introductory bunch of songs connected to lies.
Thank you, Earl, for your pair of song choices. Your comments about lies and rock’n’roll songs are very much in accordance with the reason behind me choosing the theme for this present Almanac piece.
Moving right along – we find ourselves in the early/mid 80’s – with ‘Infidels’ & ‘Empire Burlesque’ rotating on the turntable…….
License To Kill
‘Now, he’s hell-bent for destruction, he’s afraid and confused
And his brain has been mismanaged with great skill
All he believes are his eyes
And his eyes, they just tell him lies’
When The Night Comes Falling
‘I can’t provide for you no easy answer
Who are you that I should have to lie?
You’ll know all about it, love
It’ll fit you like a glove
When the night comes falling from the sky’
Thanks for your latest Bob contributions, Karl.
Our ‘lies’ songlist is continuing to grow in a sure and steady manner.
The Dylan bandwagon clutters along – it is now the 90’s and another couple of lyrics to add to the theme:
Unbelievable (1990 – Under The Red Sky album)
‘Once there was a man who had no eyes
Every lady in the land told him lies’
Love Sick (1997 – Time Out Of Mind album)
‘Did I/Hear someone tell a lie?
Did I/Hear someone’s distant cry?
I spoke like a child
You destroyed me with a smile
While I was sleepin”
Thanks, Karl, for some 90s Dylan.
Any idea roughly how much unreleased material remains from Bob…I presume there’s still a significant amount.
Left right Out of Your Heart (You called me on the telephone and said, Suzie dear, You’re being mighty silly in believing all you hear, you know i only love you, so Suzie save you breath, but since my my is Cindy Lou, I figured I was left right out of your heart) – Pattie Page
Thanks, Fisho, for your latest selection. Cheers.
The Dylan caboose is heading into the terminus…..I think the final line of lyric from Dylan sums up EVERYTHING,
Not Dark Yet (1997 – Time Out Of Mind album)
‘I’ve been down on the bottom of the world full of lies
I ain’t lookin’ for nothin’ in anyone’s eyes’
Things Have Changed (2000 – Wonder Boys soundtrack)
‘All the truth in the world adds up to one big lie’
As for your question about ‘unreleased material from Bob’……I have no doubt that there is a vault load of unreleased Dylan songs…..I have no doubt that when the time comes, and it ain’t too far away, that the unreleased songs will be irresistibly packaged and released…..I have no doubt that among a lot of average stuff will be one or two gems….I have no doubt that my ‘Every Song’ series will need to be extended beyond 2030 to accommodate the ‘new’ songs.
Have a great weekend & I hope your team does well.
Thanks, Karl, for this latest couple of choices, or, if you will, stations stopped at by the Bob train. Things Have Changed is among my favourite songs by His Bobness.
Great, thoughtful, informed response to my query concerning unreleased Dylan material, too. Cheers.
Not certain if anyone has picked up the following.
‘Reason to Believe’ – Tim Hardin and many others. I heard the Scott McKenzie version during my late drive home from the footy on Thursday night.
Thank you, Col for ‘Reason to Believe’. And you heard it driving home from a win, too, which was a bonus!
And, I’m back. Noting that in my last post, I again included a song you had in your introduction! Never mind me, I’ll just keep walking into walls!
Some Tom T Hall:
Hang Them All, in this song Tom T employs a bit of irony, something only the very best songwriters engage. (There’s a hypocrite in your town, Mister/I think I caught him in a lie/There’s a hypocrite in your town, Mister/Are you gonna let that go by)
Lying Jim (Now ole Lying Jim got caught one time/A stealin’ a bunch of chickens/The neighbor all got so upset that the law went out to get him/Jim was sittin’ there eatin’ a leg and the law said/What have you done/Jim said, I was just passin’ that house/And these chickens followed me home)
Faster Horses (The Cowboy and the Poet), one of Tom T’s best (He smiled and all his teeth were covered with tobacco stains/He said, “It don’t do men no good to pray for peace and rain”/”Peace and rain is just a way to say prosperity/And buffalo chips is all that means to me”/I told him I was a poet, I was lookin’ for the truth/I do not care for horses, whiskey, women or the loot/I said I was a writer, my soul was all on fire/He looked at me and he said, “You are a liar”)
Welcome back, Rck! Regarding the repetition of songs from my intro – no worries, these things can happen.
I always enjoy some Tom T Hall, and particularly enjoyed the ‘Faster Horses’ snippet, which made me think of a famous Picasso quote on art: “We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies.”
Harry Chapin – The Mayor of Candor Lied.
Most people only know Harry Chapin from Cats in the Cradle and Taxi. But he had a huge body of work for a man who died before he was 40. Many of his songs (like this one tell dramatic stories.)
Do What You Gotta Do – written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by loads of artists. My favourite version, which was probably the first recorded was released by Al Wilson in late 1967.
“Now i know it’ll make you feel sad
And make you feel so bad
They say you don’t treat me me like you should
They got ways to make you feels no good
I guess they got no way to know
I’ve had my eyes wide open from the start
And girl you never lied to me
The part of you that they’ll never see
Is the part you’ve shown to me
So you just do what you gotta do
My wild sweet love
Though it may mean that i’ll never kiss
Those sweet lips again
Pay that no mind
Find that dappled dream of yours
Come on back and see me when you can”
It is a while since I posted a Ralph McTell song.
Song for Martin is a song about trying to help someone break a drug habit. It came out in the 80s. I have submitted the lyrics for the whole song because it makes more sense like that.
“Don’t leave Martin alone tonight
Just because he looks all right
I’ve seen him look like this before
And if he says he wants to be alone
At least try to walk with him home
See if you can put your foot in the door
Don’t leave Martin alone tonight
Keep him talking until daylight
This time well I think he’s coming through
Don’t leave Martin alone tonight
Just because he looks all right
He’s only gotta pick up the phone
Now one of them guys in the car will be around
And give him just enough on account
They know that he’ll be back for more.
Don’t leave Martin alone tonight
Keep him talking until daylight
This time well I think he’s coming through.
Now he’s trying to show he’s cool, but I know him
I ain’t fooling
And because you love him he’s bound to lie
When this time he’s got so close
Now’s the time to be scared the most
He’s looking everywhere but in your eyes.
So don’t leave Martin alone tonight
Keep him talking until daylight
This time well I think he’s coming through.
‘S endless coffee and cigarettes
Now don’t take it hard when he says
He doesn’t need you cos that’s when he needs you most
He’ll cry till he laughs and laugh till he weeps
And suddenly he’ll fall asleep
Then you can let your own eyes close
Don’t leave Martin alone tonight
Keep him talking until daylight
This time well I think he’s coming through
This time I think he’s coming through.”
Fine material, as always, Dave – from some great songwriters. Many thanks for your latest input
Here’s two from the great Billy Crash Craddock (of Boom Boom Baby fame in ’60)
You Rubbed It In all Wrong (Honey, I think you lied to me underneath those summer skies)
I Cheated on a Good Woman’s Love (I paid the price by lying to the one that deep inside I knew that I needed most).
As a very big fan of Crash, I’m amazed I didn’t think of these sooner.
Thanks for these latest two – from Billy Crash Craddock – Fisho. Of course, interestingly, the first of the choices is a sequel to Craddock’s amusing hit ‘Rub It In’, and became a hit itself.
Some Country music songs about lying:
A Tender Lie, from one of my fave Dolly albums, Little Sparrow, this is a cover of a Restless Heart song from the 80s
Look Her In The Eye And Lie, Alan Jackson, and if you don’t know his work, get on it, you won’t be disappointed
Lying to the Moon, Trisha Yearwood, another great 80s neo-country artist
Blame It on Your Heart, Patty Loveless, I just love this song, maybe it’s the chorus (Hey blame it on your lying, cheating, cold deadbeating/Two-timing, double dealing/Mean mistreating, loving heart)
Finally KD I submit She Thinks I Still Care, the great George Jones song and while it doesn’t use the word lie in its lyrics the whole damn song is about a poor fool who is lying to himself.
Cheers
There’s certainly some Country music royalty in terms of your latest song choices, Rick. Thanks for these additions to our impressive songlist. Yep, the George Jones number is definitely on the money in terms of the ‘songs involving lying’ theme.
Some Lenny Cohen:
Everybody Knows (Everybody knows that the boat is leaking/Everybody knows that the captain lied/Everybody got this broken feeling/Like their father or their dog just died)
A Singer Must Die (Now the courtroom is quiet, but who will confess?/Is it true you betrayed us? The answer is Yes/Then read me the list of the crimes that are mine/I will ask for the mercy that you love to decline/And all the ladies go moist and the judge has no choice/A singer must die for the lie in his voice)
In My Secret Life (I smile when I’m angry./I cheat and I lie./I do what I have to do/To get by./But I know what is wrong./And I know what is right./And I’d die for the truth/In My Secret Life)
and especially this song, one of my faves by LC:
The Night Comes On (We were fighting in Egypt/When they signed this agreement/That nobody else had to die/There was this terrible sound/My father went down/ with a terrible wound in his side/He said, Try to go on/Take my books, take my gun/Remember, my son, how they lied/And the night comes on/It’s very calm/I’d like to pretend that my father was wrong/But you don’t want to lie, not to the young)
The song is filled with deep and complicated relationships, but the best lines are in this verse:
Now the crickets are singing, the vesper bells ringing
The cat’s curled asleep in his chair
I’ll go down to Bill’s Bar, I can make it that far
And I’ll see if my friends are still there
Yes, and here’s to the few who forgive what you do
And the fewer who don’t even care
Some very fine ‘Laughing Lennie’ material, Rick.
Seriously, though, we don’t get much Cohen material in these themed songlists, so it’s an excellent thing when material like yours appears.
I suppose you’re aware of the interesting and close connection between Cohen and Australian married couple, writers George Johnston and Charmian Clift, on the Greek island of Hydra – when Cohen was a young man and before he was famous.
In case any Cohen fans missed it. A few months ago SBS showed an excellent miniseries “So Long Marianne” which was about Leonard’s relationship with Marianne Ihlen and his early writing and singing career. Much of it was set on Hydra with Anna Torv as Charmian Clift and Noah Taylor as George Johnson. It should still be available on SBS on Demand.
Thanks for the additional material re Cohen and Hydra, Dave. I haven’t seen the SBS miniseries, but had read quite a bit about the connection between Cohen, Johnston, Clift and Hydra before the show appeared on TV. (Now I do want to see it, though.)
‘Bad Liar’, recorded by Selena Gomez, released in 2017. It’s a fabulous, catchy, clever song with a wonderful Official Video (which can be checked out on YouTube). The song was widely acclaimed by music critics and Billboard considered it the best song of 2017.
Oh – by the way – NEW ALMANAC MUSIC THEME STARTING THIS COMING FRIDAY MAY 16.
I thought that I had finished with this thread but I read an article about Frank Sinatra which mentioned his daughter Nancy which brought to mind her biggest hit.
These Boots are Made for Walking – written by Lee Hazlewood, sung by Nancy Sinatra
You keep lyin’ when you ought to be truthin’
You keep losin’ when you ought to not bet
You keep samin’ when you ought to be a changin’
Now what’s right is right, but you ain’t been right yet
These boots are made for walkin’
And that’s just what they’ll do
One of these days, these boots are gonna walk all over you
I love the line “you keep lyin’ when you ought to be truthin.” Lee Hazlewood, at his best, was a very good songwriter.
Nice reminder KD that I have a couple more to throw in, songs to throw in (If I or someone else hasn’t already done – down with the flue so pretty foggy):
Oh Babe, It Aint No Lie, Elizabeth Cotton, another great, largely unheralded blues singer guitarist
Humble & Kind, Lori McKenna, another great largely unheralded country singer songwriter
Asking Me Lies and Unsatisfied, The Replacements, another great largely unheralded rocknroll band
Thanks for your latest three, Rick. So often it’s a fine thing to positively acknowledge the ‘largely unheralded’.
Cheers.