Fan reviews/comments

THE LIAR
(Words and Music by Rick Springfield)


Back from the crowd stood I 
As you moved up to the stage 
Catching the singer's eye 
Looking older than your age 
Then I couldn't help thinking and remember when 
You hated rock and roll 
I'm the loser
You're the liar, liar 
Rock and roller 
You're the liar, liar 
Star struck stroller 
You're the liar, liar, ohhhh

Taking my heart each day 
When you say you do no harm 
How can I feel that way 
With those strange men on your arm 
Cause I do remember when your head was clear 
And you didn't read those books
 
I'm the loser
You're the liar, liar 
Rock and roller 
You're the liar, liar 
Star struck stroller 
You're the liar, liar, liar,  ohhhh

And I couldn't help seeing when your friends arrived 
They weren't sniffing from a cold 
I'm the loser
Liar, liar, liar, liar 
Liar, liar, liar, liar 
Liar, liar, liar, liar 
Liar, liar, liar, liar 

And I recall that overhearing someone say 
You're a working girl as well 
I'm the loser again
You're the liar, liar 
Rock and roller 
You're the liar, liar 
Star struck stroller 
You're the liar, liar, liar,  ohhhh
You're the liar, liar, liar
You're the liar, liar, liar
You're the liar, liar, liar
You're the liar!

(total playing time: 3:42)

Song Facts: This can be found on Comic Book Heroes.

More Fan reviews/comments

I just don't like this song very much.  I'm not even in love with Rick's voice on this and usually that's the one thing I can hang on to.  One thing for sure, he thinks she's a liar.  I get that!  This is what I get out of the song: he has a girlfriend (or had); she didn't like rock n roll very much; until she became enamored with a lead singer in a band or just musicians in general; and she was under aged (looked older than she was). 

The last two verses are kind of like afterthoughts in an argument - oh, yea, and you're friends are on drugs AND you're a whore! So there!  One new thought, then the chorus, another new thought, then the chorus.  He probably should have tried to put those two thoughts together in the same verse (as if I know more than him about writing songs, I think not, but something that stood out for me).

I don't quite understand the "I'm a loser part" either.  He's the loser because he's a musician too, but wasn't good enough, or because he's in love with such a loser? I can't figure that part out.

Sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and the lengths that people will go to in order to get it.  This person used to be a friend, but has changed too much in the pursuit of the prize. Another criticism of groupies, sort of like Smile For the Camera, although at the point in his career w/ liar, he couldn't have had the degree of groupie-ism that he had in the 80's, for example.  He was maybe still the guy who "was the in" to the other, *bigger* guys.  hmm, that's an interesting thought. 

The thing that strikes me as most ironic is the line "looking older than your age", I'm assuming that she is looking older, as in jailbait.  Didn't he meet Miss Linda Blair while he was performing at a club somewhere, and doesn't this song predate that by several years?  It's a trick that many guys have trouble with, since girls can be 'made up' to look older and since she's the liar, it must be a Rick.

Then there's the other side of it, maybe she is trying too hard and is looking older than she (hmm, he?) really is (sweet 16 turned 31, to borrow from Greg Allmond, or older, hey, let's say, in the 50's, trying to be 20-30 something), and those stage lights can be harsh; I don't know that at the time he would have been thinking that way, but wasn't there still a "don't trust anyone over 30" thing going then?  Or that the hard rock n roll living is turning this person old before his/her time, seems more likely.

Anyway, I like this song. It's not something I want to hear everyday, but I like it anyway. 

Three times I've started writing something that resembles a review for this song.  Each time I listen to it, or read the lyrics I come up with a different opinion.  I must be putting too much into this, so if this sounds like a hodge-podge of random thoughts....well don't say I didn't warn you.

The first few times I listened to this song, I really didn't listen to it, ya know?  I was just kind of humming along with the chorus, "You're the Liar, liar -rock and roller"  which tends to stick in your brain long after you're done listening.   I'd be on to doing other things after a listen through of the album and realize I'm humming the tune.  Then the thought strikes .. I've finally been brainwashed.  All those years of my mother yelling at me to "Turn It Down" finally proved true .. I should have turned it down because now it won't get out of my brain.  So basically, I was stuck on the chorus, never really paying attention to what the song was really about.

Then, along comes 2003 and I'm listening to this song again to foster some sort of opinion.  At first, I'm like 'Wow, this is a pretty good song, Rick is singing about some gal who really needs to look truth in the face.  He must know this girl, or at least have seen some women in his illustrious career who'd match up to this description.'  Actually, I'm thinking lots of men would think this about single women at one time or another, we always end up being something they think we're not,  and then go and accuse us of lying to them without saying a word.

Ok, so I'm listening to it again.  Wait!  This is someone he dated (slept with, went with, knew, etc) who is watching this woman from the outside.  He's taking her to a club, that she says she doesn't want to go to in the first place. I can see the conversation now, Rick: There's this band I want to check out at (wherever).  Woman: Oh, you know how I hate going to those places, it's too loud, too smoky, etc.  Yet, when they get there she's checking out the lead singer and really acting like she's having a good time.   Rick is thinking to himself, "What else have you lied to me about?".   They break up (stop sleeping together, going together, etc) and he sees her out with other men now and he's assuming she's using drugs by the way she's acting, and "I couldn't help seeing when your friends arrived they weren't sniffing from a cold" - these are the new people she's hanging out with.   Then at the end someone else tells him she's a working girl <wink>  I love his fascination with this topic.  Or is it not fascination but experience?   Everybody's Girl anyone??  Motel Eyes?  Ahem, back to the song at hand.

We are getting to the best part of this album in my opinion, and this song just kicks it off nicely.  The strumming of the guitar at the beginning, I can almost see Rick revving up to do this one live.  Actually it reminds me of when Rick is getting ready to do Gloria lately, how you think he's going into something else, but then stops, smashes the guitar to the stage, then talks about how it's perfectly out of tune enough for this one...

Okay, today, I'm putting my finishing touches on this review and my kids are in the other room watching Scooby Doo.   The thought struck me, after listening to CBH, yet again today, how this whole album could fit into a Scooby Doo cartoon, and boy those songs they play (from the original) sound just like this album, don't they?   Just a little observation....