From the Book "Seeker's Guide" By Shiloh Noone, shiloh@telkomsa.net
ISBN 0-620-32018-4
Sextet Capability Brown were quintessentially multi-instrumentalists that could whip up CSN harmonies with the slightest of ease. The first watering was when ex Moments bassist Kenny Rowe, bassist /vocalist Tony Ferguson and percussionist Joe Williams from Tony Rivers' folky Harmony Grass joined ex Gremlins Roger Willis and ex Fuzzy Duck guitarist/lute/balalaika player Grahame White to form Capability Brown. Under the Charisma umbrella the group launched their first single "War" in 1971 followed by the 1972 debut album From Scratch. The entirety of the album was a blend of art rock projection with a shimmer of Prog tracing on tracks like "Rayge" and the concept "Sole Survivor", song about escaping the holocaust in a time machine. From Scratch had a lot of power as in the bass thundering "No Range" with Ferguson playing some sizzling flute coupled with Climax Blues styled harmonies. Atmospheric renditions of Rare Bird's "Beautiful Scarlet" and "Red Man" plus a severing version of Argent's "Liar" (Russ Ballard) / "Keep Death Off The Road" with White slicing emphatically was superb in the making. (later covered by Three Dog Night) These cats were harmony kings that could fuse folk with rock in the same spaces as Gentle Giant or Hookfoot. By 1973 Capability launched Voice which opened up with Affinity's "I Am And So Are You" written by another Charisma student Alan Hull from Lindisfarne. This album holds their greatest number "Sad Am I" with a definite nod to Marmalade, Stealers Wheel or Iveys. Capability Brown then broke the rules and moved away from Charisma covers to feature a sturdy version of Steely Dan's "Midnight Cruiser".Voice also unraveled the 19min Prog Opus "Circumstances -In Love-Past ,Present-Future -Meet" which Queen borrowed for Night Of The Opera. It is here that the White's Fuzzy Duck guitar shedding finds virtue. The groups 1976 Liar was a compilation of the first two albums. Further Charisma covers were brought to the surface on compilations, alternate singles and sessions such as Rare Bird's "Sympathy", also covered by Family Dogg and the Lindisfarne's single "Wake Up Little Sister" / "Windfall" which preceded Voice. After the capabilities of Brown ended they evolved into Krazy Kat. Kenny Rowe churned out one more single, "Jesus" / "Water Song".
liar
Capability Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing you could do that could turn me away
Hanging on every word believing the things I heard, being a fool
You've taken my life so take my soul
That's what you said and I believed it all
I wanna be with you as long as you want me, I won't move away
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Liar, liar, liar
May I see no night? May I see no day?
I won't ever leave while you want me to stay
You can believe in me, I won't be leaving, I won't let you go
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Liar, liar, liar
I won't ever leave while you want me to stay
Nothing you could do that could turn me away
Hanging on every word believing the things I heard, being a fool
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Liar, liar, liar
Liar, liar, liar
Liar, liar
In "Liar," Capability Brown sings about being in love with someone who has deceived him. The lyrics describe how the singer clings onto every word that his lover says and believes everything he hears, despite being betrayed repeatedly. The line "You've taken my life so take my soul, that's what you said and I believed it all" suggests that the singer has given his lover everything, including his very soul, and yet she still lies to him.
The repetition of "Ain't that what you said?" and "Liar, liar, liar" highlights the pain of being lied to and the frustration of being fooled by someone he trusted. The singer constantly questions his lover's truthfulness and labels her a liar. Yet he continues to stay with her, saying he won't leave no matter what she does.
The lyrics suggest a cyclical nature to the relationship, with the singer being trapped in a never-ending cycle of mistrust and betrayal. The final repetition of "Liar, liar" drives home the depth of his hurt and the bitterness he feels towards his lover.
Line by Line Meaning
I won't ever leave while you want me to stay
I will stay with you as long as you want me to, without leaving.
Nothing you could do that could turn me away
No matter what you do, I will not be discouraged from being with you.
Hanging on every word believing the things I heard, being a fool
I trust everything you say, even if it is not true, making me look like a fool.
You've taken my life so take my soul
You have complete control over me, so take everything I have, even my soul.
That's what you said and I believed it all
I believed everything you said, even if it was not true, or made no sense.
I wanna be with you as long as you want me, I won't move away
I will be by your side for how long you want me to, never leaving your side.
Ain't that what you said?
Didn't you say that?
Liar, liar, liar
You are lying.
May I see no night? May I see no day?
I would rather live without daylight or darkness, as long as I am with you.
You can believe in me, I won't be leaving, I won't let you go
You can trust me, I will not leave you or let you go.
Contributed by Makayla T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.