Disappear from your home town
Go and find the people that you know
Show them all of your good parts
Leave town when the bad ones start to show

Going with a woman
A pretty girl that you never met
Make sure she knows you love her well
But don't make any other promises

The weight of lies will bring you down
And follow you to every town 'cause
Nothing happens here that doesn't happen there
When you run make sure you run
To something and not away from 'cause
Lies don't need an aeroplane to chase you anywhere

I once heard the worse thing a man can do is draw a hungry crowd
Tell everyone his name in pride and confidence
But leaving out his doubts
I'm not sure I bought those words
When I was young I knew most everything
These words have never meant as much to anyone
As they now mean to me

The weight of lies will bring you down
And follow you to every town 'cause
Nothing happens here that doesn't happen there
When you run make sure you run
To something and not away from 'cause
Lies don't need an aeroplane to chase you down

The weight of lies will bring you down
And follow you to every town 'cause
Nothing happens here that doesn't happen there
So when you run make sure you run
To something and not away from 'cause
Lies don't need an aeroplane to chase you anywhere

The weight of lies will bring you down
And follow you to every town 'cause
Nothing happens here that doesn't happen there
So when you run make sure you run
To something and not away from 'cause
Lies don't need an aeroplane to chase you down

Overall Meaning

The Avett Brothers' song "The Weight of Lies" is a poignant, introspective piece that examines the pitfalls of fame, the quest for authenticity, and the weight of personal responsibility that comes with both. The opening lines concur that the desire to leave behind a home and find new people to connect with is natural, as human beings tend to evolve and grow in the direction of their dreams. However, the song also advises caution in doing so, as one's past will inevitably catch up with them, particularly the "bad parts" they hope to leave behind. The reference to the "weight of lies" is significant here, as it underscores the idea that we cannot just skip away from our past without it following along.

The singer's story seems to center around leaving behind all misconceptions involving his personality and character. He's presumably dishonest about himself, leading to people expecting things from him that he may not be able or willing to deliver. The lyrics reveal that prior to leaving, he is traveling alongside a woman he's never met before, someone he hopes to convince of his love and sincerity, but is careful not to promise anything else to. The song seems to find its core meaning in this section - that having false narrative tied to one's identity can become too heavy to bear, and themes of deception run throughout. The lyric "the weight of lies will bring you down" is the chorus, suggesting that sooner or later, we all have to confront the truth of who we are, for better or worse.

Line by Line Meaning

Disappear from your home town
Leave your hometown behind

Go and find the people that you know
Search for familiar faces

Show them all of your good parts
Display your strengths

Leave town when the bad ones start to show
Get out of dodge when things turn sour

Going with a woman
Traveling with a female companion

A pretty girl that you never met
An attractive stranger

Make sure she knows you love her well
Express your affection clearly

But don't make any other promises
Be wary of committing to anything else

The weight of lies will bring you down
Deception will catch up to you

And follow you to every town 'cause
You can't escape the consequences of dishonesty

Nothing happens here that doesn't happen there
There's no avoiding the truth