Not something that we would like to admit to, but it is for sure something that we have all done at one time or another. There are plenty of reasons why. It could be for personal gain, or it could be that we told a lie to protect someone.
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Interestingly, songwriters use it as a subject. It fascinates some people, and quite often, we go through our lives being very suspicious of people. In some cases, that is very understandable.
Most of the songs included here are written from having had first-hand experience of lying and deception. So, let’s take a look at some of the best songs about lying and liars, starting with…
I suppose if there was a band that would know all about lies and deception, it would be Fleetwood Mac. This is a song that was written by Christine McVie with her new husband at the time Eddy Quintella. It was included on the album Tango in the Night.
They married in 1986 after she had split up with John, and the album came out in 1987. They were divorced in 2003. John played bass on this song about liars and lies.
It is hard to know exactly who the subject was that she was writing about. The lyrics are quite specific in their content but vague in who they might apply to. If it was about her relationship with John, then this song had been first conceived during the making of Rumours or shortly after.
When Lies are Preferred to the Truth
The basis of the song is about a woman who has feelings for a man, but those feelings are not reciprocated. Nevertheless, she would rather have him lie to her than tell her the truth and walk away. She wants to “go back” to change things but knows she can’t.
For Fleetwood Mac, this seemed like a ‘pop’ song. But, I suppose it was the way things had turned since 1975. The days of Peter Green and The Green Manalishi were long gone.
Is there a certain similarity of circumstances here? Just as there had been two Fleetwood Macs, there were two Elvis Presley’s. There was the snarling, lip-curled “Jailhouse Rock” rebel of the late 50s and early 60s. But then there was the rhinestone-clad Las Vegas showman of a later period.
Just as with Fleetwood Mac, I preferred the original version. But, if we are going to look at the second reincarnation and the work he produced, this song would be top of my list.
There Had Been A Problem
He was on the crest of a wave; with the loss of Buddy Holly, he was on his own at the top. A good place to be, you could argue. But, something very unexpected happened. The Beatles.
Suddenly, he was an “also-ran” in the eyes of so many people. He had his hardcore fans, of course. But he was losing on every other front. And, it wasn’t just The Beatles; there were others. However, as The Beatles pushed the self-destruct button, and others lost their way, he found a way back.
The Year of Reincarnation
1969 was the year he had a new image created for him. There was new material, a new style; it was a “new” Elvis Presley.
Some of the old stage antics were kept in, but it was a slick, choreographed show now that opened in Vegas. And this song was one of the big songs, and quite rightly.
“Suspicious Minds” was a song taken from what turned out to be a great album, From Elvis In Memphis 40th Anniversary Legacy Edition.
A little close to home…
The song was originally written for BJ Thomas, but it was Elvis that had the hit with it. The song tells the story of what it feels like when the trust in a relationship has been destroyed. In his private life, his marriage to Priscilla was on the edge of falling apart. The song was quite prophetic.
Great song and a great performance. And the song that brought him back into most people’s consciousness.
This is a relatively unknown song taken from their first album, My Generation. Against the wishes of the band, it was used as a single.
Released in 1966, it was not one of their favorite tracks and shows the innocence and naivety of Pete Townshend’s early writing. However, Moon’s inventive drumming lifts the song into some semblance of what it should be.
The UK band, The Zombies, was much underrated, and it could be argued they were one of the first progressive rock bands to emerge. When they finally called it a day, far too early in 1969, keyboard player, Rod Argent, formed his own band known as Argent.
“Liar” was their first single that had been written by guitarist and vocalist Russ Ballard. It was taken from their first album, Argent, and included in a compilation, Hold Your Head Up.
It wasn’t successful at all…
And was a bit ahead of its time in many ways. Plenty of dramatics with powerful vocals. The guitar part creates a style and a sound that is heard by Lindsey Buckingham on the album Fleetwood Mac. “World Turning” comes to mind.
It sounds like Lindsey Buckingham could have heard it somewhere. A song about people who lie to listen to if you haven’t heard it before.
By the time The Beatles had got round to recording Rubber Soul, slight changes were occurring. One member of the group, who we shall not mention, began to realize that possibly he wasn’t the only one in it.
This was a track written by George Harrison that he still had to do some work to get it included. But, included it was, and rightly so. It is a song that encourages people to do as the title says and think for themselves. Not just accept what people say.
As an added comment…
He is talking about people trying to “pull the wool over our eyes’’ This is by lying about possible outcomes if we close our eyes and just do what they say.
“You’re telling all those lies, about the good things we can have if we close our eyes.”
But, it is not necessarily a negative song. George was a positive person by nature. He says in the song the future can still be good if we rectify what we are doing wrong.
This is typical Dylan, an interesting song where he takes you to another place. But a song that has a practical lighter side. This one goes back quite a long way, 1964 to be precise. It comes from his album, Another Side Of Bob Dylan.
It is an interesting song about lying and believing. And, as with many songs of his, there could be something else going on as well. He sings about meeting a woman and having a passionate night. But then, in the morning, she pretends to never have met him.
Typically Dylan…
There could well be a metaphorical meaning in there somewhere. But, whether there is or not, it is a Dylan song that captures his style and genius in those early days.
It was recorded in one take with a smile and a grin. And, even though he made a mistake with the lyrics, he didn’t do a second take to correct it. That’s our Bob.
REO Speedwagon was an interesting band in many ways; they always had great songs, and good vocal performances. Were they underachievers? Seems to me like they could have been a bigger band than they were.
They certainly grew their following during the 70s. And, by the 80s, they were trying to be one of the new “power ballad” bands. Whilst they had a great vocal lineup with plenty of tight harmonies, they seemed to lack that front-line singer. The one that stands out.
To me, they always sounded like one of the harmony backing singers was filling in on vocals. But, they still did exceptionally well most of the time. And, despite numerous personnel changes, they are still out there doing it.
Some Great Songs
When you listen to their compilation albums, it reminds you of just how many great songs they did. And “Take It On the Run” was one of them.
This is a song where he says to his partner he has heard the stories of her playing around. He intimates he doesn’t believe it but very soon changes his mind. And, he says if the stories are true, she should just go and not come back.
Not their best song by any means, but a good example of the best songs about lying and liars.
This was the third single taken from his sixth album, 52nd Street. It is a very cleverly written song for several reasons.
The lyrics tackle the subject of someone lying to you from a different angle. He is talking about the importance of not lying to him using the importance of honesty. He cleverly uses the expression “honesty is such a lonely word.”
Who it is sung to, if anyone, is a little difficult to fathom. He talks about a lack of sincerity and dishonesty. Of course, it could be a pop at the “notoriously honest” music business rather than a person. Over the years, Billy Joel has written some excellent songs. In my view, this is one of his best.
One place where you are going to find an abundance of songs about lying and cheating is in American Country music. With so many to choose from, it is quite hard to just choose one.
This is a song written and made famous by Hank Williams. He recorded it in 1952, and it was released after his death in 1953. It was always considered one of his classic songs. Some interesting people covered it, including Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard.
However, for this list, I have chosen the version recorded by Ray Charles in 1962. His version reached #13 in the UK chart and #29 in America. It is a classic song about lies and betrayal and how one day she will pay the price.
Soft Cell picked up this song when it became well-known on the “Northern Soul” circuit in the UK. It was originally released in 1964 by Gloria Jones. However, the Soft Cell version was rather different with its synth-based sound and Marc Almond’s distinctive vocal.
A Change Of Style
It was far slower than the original and, of course, used plenty of electronics. As well as the synths, there were drum machines. This was Soft Cell’s second single. The first did nothing, and the record company said there would not be a third if this failed.
It didn’t; it went to #1 and became the biggest-selling single of 1981 in the UK. It reached #8 in the American chart after a time hovering just inside the top 100. The song is about a rather toxic relationship full of lies and deceit, which the singer says they have to leave.
Here is a story that we are not unfamiliar with. A supremely talented individual who no one could control. Furthermore, she couldn’t even control herself. And that is what this rather tragic song is all about.
The song was taken from the album Back To Black. Unbelievably, only her second album and, sadly, her last. “You Know I’m No Good” is a song about deception and lying, but also self-deception and lying to yourself. Her struggles with drugs and alcohol abuse are well-known.
Tragedy follows…
She also had early stages of emphysema, a lung disease usually brought on by smoking. Inhaling cigarettes or other types of smoke.
She convinced others and herself that she was doing all she could to be well. Kicking cigarettes and excessive alcohol. Getting some early nights and staying away from bad places and things. But none of it was true; it was a lie. The excesses still dominated everything she touched.
This song has a kind of dark, almost foreboding feel to it. Almost apologizing for her failings and if she had let anyone down. She died in London as a result of alcohol poisoning. She was just 27.
Possibly the most obvious of all the best songs about lying and liars is this from The Eagles. It was written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey and included on the 1975 album, One of These Nights.
It is not an uncommon story in today’s world. An attractive girl marries an older man for money and future security. She doesn’t love him; to her, it is a financial arrangement. But, she loves someone else who is her age.
The Deception Of Both
She gets away whenever she can to meet up and lies to her husband about where she is going. But he knows she is cheating on him. When she leaves, she promises the younger man she will return so they can be together. But he knows she won’t; she is lying to him as well.
The song came from an experience they had in a bar. They sat watching a woman with an older and very wealthy man. Glenn Frey wrote most of the lyrics and the melody, with Henley contributing when necessary.
This was the last Eagles album to feature Bernie Leadon as they began to move away from what some saw as their Country Rock roots. It reached #2 in America but surprisingly perhaps only #23 in the UK.
So, we reach the end of this list. There were many songs I could have chosen, but I have picked this. It may be an unknown track to some. If so, I suggest you take a listen.
More than that, get in the DeLorean and take yourselves back to 1976 and Wembley just west of London. Sit down and take in the Live & Dangerous concert. There are many, a good friend of mine included, who think the best “live” album ever was Made in Japan by Deep Purple. I can understand that. It was an outstanding and, at times, astonishing performance.
You better believe in this song…
However, I wasn’t in Tokyo, but I was at Wembley. This album was also recorded at other venues, but most of it came from that Wembley concert. They always had it in them to produce a show like this. This was also astonishing.
That night it just all came thundering together at the same time. Magical is the only word to describe it, and “Don’t Believe A Word” was one of those thunderous songs.
A different idea on telling lies. Phil is telling the girl not to believe anything he says, even if he says he loves her. It is all lies. An interesting idea for a song, especially when it is usually the man imploring the girl to believe him.
We can help. Take a look at our detailed articles on Songs About Betrayal, Songs About Bravery, the Best Songs about Fighting, the Best Songs About Magic, the Best Songs About Heroes, and the Best Songs About Dreams for more great song selections.
And, you’ll need to hear all those tunes. So, check out our in-depth reviews of the Best True Wireless Earbuds, the Best Sound Quality Earbuds, the Best Bass Earbuds, the Best iPhone Earbuds, and the Best Cheap Earbuds Under $100 you can buy in 2023.
And, don’t miss our comprehensive reviews of the Best Bluetooth Headphones Under $100, the Best Bluetooth Headphones Under $200, the Best Headphones Under $200, and the Best Headphones with Volume Control currently on the market.
I have tried to cover as many aspects of lying and deception as possible. But, in doing so, I have tried to include just the best music. And there are some great songs and individual performances on this list.
Until next time, happy listening.
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