There is a woman, far over the sea.
Standing and waiting, praying for me.
Here I lie sleeping, a girl by my side.
Who am I hurting, each time I lie?

Lie to me, lie
Lie to me, lie

There is a woman, trying hard to be brave.
The way that I hurt her, has made her afraid.
Things that I'm doing, are breaking her heart.
Still she's pretending, that we'll never part.

Lie to me, lie
Lie to me, lie
I don't care what people may say, I know everybody lies.
I'm not trying to hurt my love, I'm only trying to get by.

There is a woman, far over the sea.
Standing and waiting, praying for me.
Here I lie guilty, a girl by my side.
Who am I hurting, each time I lie?

Lie to me, lie [Repeat: x4]

Overall Meaning

The song Lie to Me by Chris Isaak is a melancholic piece that reflects on the pain and guilt that comes with lies and the turmoil it causes in relationships. The lyrics tell the story of a man who is torn between two women- one who loves him and the other he is with. He knows he's hurting the woman far away, whom he's probably in a long-distance relationship with, by being with another woman, but he's also aware that lying is not helping his situation. The man is repentant and wishes that someone, anyone, would just lie to him to alleviate the guilt he feels.

The singer is aware of the consequences of lies and the hurt they can cause. He understands that the woman far away is struggling to put on a brave front despite the pain he's causing by being dishonest. He acknowledges that lying is not the solution but is caught between two women who both expect different things from him. The chorus, where he repeatedly asks to lie to him, reveals his desperation to avoid the emotional distress that being honest would cause. The song's somber melody and slow pace, coupled with Chris Isaak's soulful voice, evoke the mood of regret and emotional turmoil.

Line by Line Meaning

There is a woman, far over the sea.
There is someone far away from me.

Standing and waiting, praying for me.
She's waiting for my return, hoping I'm safe.

Here I lie sleeping, a girl by my side.
I'm in bed with someone else.

Who am I hurting, each time I lie?
I'm hurting the woman who loves me.

Lie to me, lie
Please tell me what I want to hear.

There is a woman, trying hard to be brave.
There is someone trying to keep it together.

The way that I hurt her, has made her afraid.
I've hurt her so much that she's afraid.

Things that I'm doing, are breaking her heart.
My actions are causing her pain.

Still she's pretending, that we'll never part.
She's pretending that everything's okay when she knows it's not.

I don't care what people may say, I know everybody lies.
I'm aware that everyone lies.

I'm not trying to hurt my love, I'm only trying to get by.
I'm not trying to hurt her, but I'm just trying to survive.

Here I lie guilty, a girl by my side.
I feel guilty lying next to another woman.

Lie to me, lie [Repeat: x4]
Please continue to lie to me, I can't handle the truth.

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