Larry Stewart left Restless Heart in late 1991 after the group released the compilation "The Best of Restless Heart." The group then became a quartet and released "Big Iron Horses" in 1992 shortly after which Dave Innis left the group. The group released "Matters of the Heart" in 1994 before splitting up. In 1998, a reunited Restless Heart (minus Innis) recorded three new songs for a Greatest Hits album and then toured with Vince Gill for about a year.
In 2003, all five members reunited and recorded the album "Still Restless" for Koch Nashville in 2004. The record label closed in early 2005 leaving the group without a label. They are still touring and released a live album through their website in August 2007.
A Tender Lie
Restless Heart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As we say goodbye.
What I wouldn't give,
For a tender lie.
Say you'll never stop loving me,
Just as if it were true.
How much more damage now, unto me,
Could one tender lie do?
Are we wrong to try?
To fight off the truth,
With a tender lie?
Say you're gonna come back to me,
And I'll believe that it's true,
How much more damage now, unto me,
Could one tender lie do?
Instrumental break.
When we loved before,
Do you still deny,
Keeping out the truth,
With a tender lie?
Say you'll never stop loving me,
Just as if it were true.
How much more damage now, unto me,
Could one tender lie do?
How much more damage now, unto me,
Could one tender lie do?
The song "A Tender Lie" by Restless Heart is about the pain of letting go of someone who you still love. The singer in the song is saying goodbye to a lover and is pleading with them to tell one last lie. A "tender lie" would be a falsehood that would provide comfort, a last moment of hope, before the inevitable pain of separation. The singer asks for a lie that the lover would never stop loving them, just to make the goodbye a little easier.
The lyrics also explore the idea of denial and avoidance in relationships. The singer wonders if it's wrong to fight off the truth with a lie, to deny the reality of a failing relationship. They are asking for one last deception, one last moment of denial, before accepting the pain of the breakup. The last verse questions if the lover is still denying their love, keeping the truth at bay with a "tender lie."
Overall, the song is a plea for one last moment of comfort and denial before facing the pain of a breakup. It speaks to the human desire for connection and the difficulty of letting go of someone we love.
Line by Line Meaning
As you walk away,
Knowing that you're leaving me behind,
As we say goodbye.
As we bid our farewell to each other.
What I wouldn't give,
Thinking about the numerous things I would give,
For a tender lie.
For a small lie that would ease my pain.
Say you'll never stop loving me,
If you could just tell me that you will always love me,
Just as if it were true.
As if it's the absolute truth that can't be denied.
How much more damage now, unto me,
How much more pain will I have to endure,
Could one tender lie do?
If I'm given just one small lie to believe?
When we fall so far,
When we've drifted apart so much,
Are we wrong to try?
Is it a mistake to attempt to fix things?
To fight off the truth,
To avoid facing the harsh reality,
With a tender lie?
With a small lie that can make things bearable.
Say you're gonna come back to me,
If only you could tell me that you'll come back to me,
And I'll believe that it's true,
And I would trust that you will follow through on this promise.
How much more damage now, unto me,
How much more pain will I have to take,
Could one tender lie do?
If I'm given one small lie to believe.
Instrumental break.
Pause in the song for instrumental music.
When we loved before,
When we were in love in the past,
Do you still deny,
Do you still refuse to accept,
Keeping out the truth,
To keep the harsh reality at bay,
With a tender lie?
With a small lie that can make things more bearable.
Say you'll never stop loving me,
If you only say that you'll never stop loving me,
Just as if it were true.
As if it's a fact that cannot be disputed.
How much more damage now, unto me,
How much more pain will I have to bear,
Could one tender lie do?
If I'm given one small lie to believe.
How much more damage now, unto me,
How much more pain will I have to endure,
Could one tender lie do?
If I'm given one small lie to make me feel better.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RANDY SHARP, RANDY L SHARP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aprill
Have I been sleeping under a rock this whole time and not know about this incredible band. They are massively underrated it makes me sad.
Tee Youngblood
Restless Heart is right up there with bands like Alabama and the Oakridge boys and amongst many others imo!! They are a huge underrated band!! One of the BEST!
Lisa
Today's generation will never understand the greatness of this music. Oh how I miss these days ❤️
Joe Pilotte
Lisa, if you had just lied to me................ ;-)
Ame Nunley
Agreed!!!
Damacio Ulibarri
So true
Táo 수아 stan Dreamcatcher OT7 stan talent
I know and i like it😄
M M
I understand 😊
AREU
Total perfection.. I absolutely loved Restless Heart back in the 80s I personally thought that they were one of the top two or three vocal bands of that era , Along with Alabama and The Gatlin boys. a lot of people will say they were underrated, And There Might be some truth to that, but I believe that the 80s was amass with such talent that it was just a matter of getting lost in the Totality of what was probably the Platinum era of country music.
Kimberly Anne
Every song by Restless Heart feels like my favorite until I hear the next one. I always forget how many great ones they had until I search for them specifically, lol.