Little white lie been around for years
Little white lie ringing in your ears
Turn around come around back on you
Well that little white lie's catching up to you
Little white lie
Say what you got to
Little white lie
Come back to haunt you
Little white lie
You got one, you got two
Little white lie
Head like a box, got legs that crawl
My ears can see, I'm a fly on the wall
Got bones that feel, eyes that touch
Yeah you're falling in deep 'cause you're talkin' too much
Little white lie
Say what you got to
Little white lie
Come back to haunt you
Little white lie
Got one you got two
Little white lie
Come round to back you
Little white lie
Caught in the vacuum
Little white lie
Come back to haunt you
Little white lie
Say what you got to
Little white lie
Do what you gotta do
Little white lie
Say what you want to
Little white lie
Come back to haunt you
Little white lie
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Flip top box top got to keep 'em buzzing
Whoo
Got 'em by the ear, got 'em by the dozen
Shut 'em up, cover up, got to distract them
Yeah
You know you're gonna get a psychotic reaction
Hey
Little white lie
Say what you got to
Little white lie
Come back to haunt you
Little white lie
You got one you got two
Little white lie
Come round to back you
Say what you have to
Little white lie
Come back to haunt you
Little white lie
Caught in the vacuum
Little white lie
Come round to back you
Little white lie
Yeah
Little white lie
Yeah
Little white lie
Yeah
Little white lie

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sammy Hagar's Little White Lie are about the repercussions of lying. The repeated phrase "Little white lie" refers to a small lie that has been told numerous times and has become habit. The song suggests that eventually, the consequences of one's actions and deceit will catch up to them. The lines "Say what you got to/ Come back to haunt you" emphasize the idea that even if one thinks they are getting away with their lies, eventually it will come back to haunt them.

The imagery in the lines "Head like a box, got legs that crawl/ My ears can see, I'm a fly on the wall/ Got bones that feel, eyes that touch/ Yeah, you're falling in deep 'cause you're talkin' too much" implies that even the inanimate objects around someone who is lying can perceive the deceit. It suggests that the singer is listening in on the lies and can feel and touch the tension and deception. This emphasizes the idea that the truth will always come out eventually, no matter how much someone tries to hide it.

Line by Line Meaning

Little white lie been around for years
Deception has been used for ages

Little white lie ringing in your ears
Guilt and unease associated with untruth are troubling you

Turn around come around back on you
Karma never loses an address

Well that little white lie's catching up to you
The lies you told will come back to bite you

Say what you got to
Tell the truth, no matter what

Come back to haunt you
Lying will have repercussions in the future

You got one, you got two
Repetition of the untruth doesn't make it any less a lie

Head like a box, got legs that crawl
You've been constricted and trapped by your own lies

My ears can see, I'm a fly on the wall
I can see through the lies like a fly on the wall

Got bones that feel, eyes that touch
Your lies have taken a physical and emotional toll

Yeah you're falling in deep 'cause you're talkin' too much
Talking too much increases the odds of the truth slipping out

Come round to back you
Deceit will catch up to you eventually

Caught in the vacuum
Trapped in a spiral of lies

Do what you gotta do
Own up to your lies and make amends

Say what you want to
Express the truth no matter how uncomfortable it may be

Flip top box top got to keep 'em buzzing
Distracting people from the truth requires a constant effort

Got 'em by the ear, got 'em by the dozen
Lies can be told to many but there could be consequences

Shut 'em up, cover up, got to distract them
Keep switching the topic to avoid discussion and distract from the lie

You know you're gonna get a psychotic reaction
Guilt can cause psychological effects that worsen over time

Little white lie
Repeated emphasis on the devious nature of deception

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