“Bad Liar” is solely about Dan Reynold’s marriage, and the frontman recruited his ex to help him out with the song, as explained in an interview taking place shortly before it was released, making Aja Volkman a co-writer.
Bad Liar
Imagine Dragons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And terrors don't prey on
Innocent victims
Trust me, darling, trust me, darling
It's been a loveless year
I'm a man of three fears
Integrity, faith and
Crocodile tearsTrust me, darling, trust me, darling
So look me in the eyes
Tell me what you see
Perfect paradise
Tearing at the seams
I wish I could escape
I don't wanna fake it
Wish I could erase it
Make your heart believe
But I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know
Now you know
I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know, you're free to go (go)
Did all my dreams never mean one thing?
Does happiness lie in a diamond ring?
Oh, I've been askin'
Oh, I've been askin' for problems, problems, problems
I wage my war, on the world inside
I take my gun to the enemy's side
Oh, I've been askin' for (trust me, darling)
Oh, I've been askin' for (trust me, darling)
Problems, problems, problems
So look me in the eyes
Tell me what you see
Perfect paradise
Tearing at the seams
I wish I could escape
I don't wanna fake it
Wish I could erase it
Make your heart believe
But I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know
Now you know
That I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know, you're free to go
I can't breathe, I can't be
I can't be what you want me to be
Believe me, this one time
Believe me
I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know
Now you know
That I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know, you're free to go
Oh
Please believe me
Please believe me
In Imagine Dragons' song Bad Liar, the lead vocalist delivers a message of honesty and vulnerability. The song is about someone who is in a relationship, but they have been dishonest about their feelings. The lyrics start with the singer acknowledging that it has been a difficult year for both of them. The individual admits that they have not been feeling the love and that they have three fears: integrity, faith, and crocodile tears. By mentioning the three fears, the person is saying that they do not want to be fake and dishonest anymore.
As the lyrics continue, the singer wishes that they could escape reality and stop pretending everything is perfect. They admit their struggles to make their partner believe that everything is okay. They are a "bad liar" and cannot continue to live this way. The person is asking their partner to trust them and to believe what they say now, even if they have lied in the past.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "bad liar" multiple times, indicating how much the person has been struggling with telling lies. The singer, once again, reassures their partner that they are free to go now that they know the truth. In the final verse, the individual pleads with their partner to believe them, stating that they cannot be what the other person wants them to be.
Overall, this song is about admitting one's faults and being honest with yourself and others. It can be challenging to admit when things are not going well in a relationship, but being truthful and open can help to repair the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, hush, my dear, it's been a difficult year
Let's not make noise; we had a tough year where we faced a lot of difficulties.
And terrors don't prey on Innocent victims
Danger doesn't care whether we are innocent or not; it can strike anyone.
Trust me, darling, trust me darling
Believe in me; rely on me.
It's been a loveless year
We didn't share love throughout the year.
I'm a man of three fears Integrity, faith and Crocodile tears
I'm afraid of losing my honesty, my beliefs, and being deceived by false tears.
So look me in the eyes Tell me what you see Perfect paradise Tearing at the seams
Look at me and describe what you observe: a supposedly perfect place that's falling apart.
I wish I could escape I don't wanna fake it Wish I could erase it Make your heart believe
I desire to break free, not pretending and obliterating memories to convince you.
But I'm a bad liar, bad liar Now you know Now you know I'm a bad liar, bad liar Now you know, you're free to go (go)
Unfortunately, I'm not good at keeping secrets, and now that you know you can leave if you want.
Did all my dreams never mean one thing? Does happiness lie in a diamond ring? Oh, I've been askin' Oh, I've been askin' for problems, problems, problems
Were my aspirations insignificant? Is fulfillment contingent upon material possessions? My curious behavior always brings me trouble.
I wage my war, on the world inside I take my gun to the enemy's side Oh, I've been askin' for (trust me, darling) Oh, I've been askin' for (trust me, darling) Problems, problems, problems
I confront my internal demons and sometimes take questionable measures, but it's for the best. Nevertheless, I always ended up bringing more problems.
I can't breathe, I can't be I can't be what you want me to be Believe me, this one time Believe me
I feel breathless and can't act the way you expect me to. Trust me; it's only temporary.
Oh Please believe me Please believe me
Oh, I beg you; have faith in me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Aja Volkman, Benjamin Arthur McKee, Daniel Coulter Reynolds, Daniel James Platzman, Daniel Wayne Sermon, Jorgen Michael Odegard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@srobe2434
Personally, I think this video is about coming to terms with problems.
I think the boy represents all the bad things/problems that have happened to the girl or maybe representing the bad things/problems she has caused... Maybe even both? He is dressed entirely in black, and looming - following her and giving no reactions to anything she does.
The girl on the other hand is dressed in white (maybe representing hope, innocence or purity?). She constantly moves and looks very confused when the male gives no indication he sees her. Just continues the discount t-posing.
I think her dancing is metaphorical her trying to distract herself or running away from these problems. But the thing is, the male never goes away or even alleviates. It remains a constant looming presence regardless of how hard she tries.
In the small intermission, where she is posed with her leg up, she is no longer dynamic, she is in stasis, much like the male. Also this is the only time we see tge male actually "move". I think this symbolises her trying to hide from her problems but it doesn't work. Then we see her give her most daring performance to which the male begins to levitate higher, signaling that maybe her methods of distraction or fleeing are working, only for him to return back the way he was. No matter how hard she tries , his presence will continue to loom.
In the end, probably realising that the only way to eacape his presence is to accept it (the only way to really escape her problems is to come to terms with them), she bows to the male and he collapses, no longer a looming presence.
Idk... Just a little theory.
Edit: Ahh! Thank you all for your kind comments!
@Binepr
In slovenian🇸🇮:
Oh, tiho, draga moja, bilo je težko leto
In terorji ne prežijo na nedolžne žrtve
Zaupaj mi draga, verjemi mi draga
Bilo je leto brez ljubezni
Sem človek treh strahov
Integriteta, vera in krokodilje solze
Zaupaj mi draga, verjemi mi draga
Zato me poglej v oči
Povej mi, kaj vidiš
Popoln raj
Raztrganje po šivih
Želim si, da bi temu pobegnil
Nočem se pretvarjati
Želim si, da bi ga lahko izbrisal
Naj ti srce verjame
Ampak jaz sem slab lažnivec
Slab lažnivec
Zdaj veš
Zdaj veš
Sem slab lažnivec
Slab lažnivec
Zdaj veš
Lahko greste
Ali vse moje sanje nikoli niso pomenile ene stvari
Ali sreča leži v diamantnem prstanu
Oh, spraševal sem, za
Oh, spraševal sem za težave, težave, težave
Vodim svojo vojno proti notranjemu svetu
Pištolo vzamem na sovražnikovo stran
Oh, prosil sem za (zaupaj mi draga)
Oh, spraševal sem (zaupaj mi draga), za težave, težave, težave
Zato me poglej v oči
Povej mi, kaj vidiš
Popoln raj
Trganje po šivih
Želim si, da bi temu pobegnil
Nočem se pretvarjati
Želim si, da bi ga lahko izbrisal
Naj ti srce verjame
Ampak jaz sem slab lažnivec
Slab lažnivec
Zdaj veš
Zdaj veš
Sem slab lažnivec
Slab lažnivec
Zdaj veš
Lahko greste
ne morem dihati
Ne morem biti
Ne morem biti to, kar želiš, da sem
Verjemi mi tokrat, verjemi mi
Sem slab lažnivec
Slab lažnivec
Zdaj veš
Zdaj veš
Sem slab lažnivec
Slab lažnivec
Zdaj veš
Lahko greste
Prosim, verjemite mi
Prosim, verjemite mi
@kashishnegi_cse_2417
lyrics of this song ☺😊
Oh, hush, my dear, it's been a difficult year
And terrors don't prey on
Innocent victims
Trust me, darling, trust me darling
It's been a loveless year
I'm a man of three fears
Integrity, faith and
Crocodile tears
Trust me, darling, trust me, darling
So look me in the eyes
Tell me what you see
Perfect paradise
Tearing at the seams
I wish I could escape
I don't wanna fake it
Wish I could erase it
Make your heart believe
But I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know
Now you know
I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know, you're free to go (go)
Did all my dreams never mean one thing?
Does happiness lie in a diamond ring?
Oh, I've been askin'
Oh, I've been askin' for problems, problems, problems
I wage my war, on the world inside
I take my gun to the enemy's side
Oh, I've been askin' for (trust me, darling)
Oh, I've been askin' for (trust me, darling)
Problems, problems, problems
So look me in the eyes
Tell me what you see
Perfect paradise
Tearing at the seams
I wish I could escape
I don't wanna fake it
Wish I could erase it
Make your heart believe
But I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know
Now you know
That I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know, you're free to go
I can't breathe, I can't be
I can't be what you want me to be
Believe me, this one time
Believe me
I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know
Now you know
That I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know, you're free to go
Oh
Please believe me
Please believe me
@keyursolanki8237
Lyrics🎧
Oh, hush, my dear, it's been a difficult year
And terrors don't prey on
Innocent victims
Trust me, darling, trust me darling
It's been a loveless year
I'm a man of three fears
Integrity, faith and
Crocodile tears
Trust me, darling, trust me, darling
So look me in the eyes
Tell me what you see
Perfect paradise
Tearing at the seams
I wish I could escape
I don't wanna fake it
Wish I could erase it
Make your heart believe
But I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know
Now you know
I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know, you're free to go (go)
Did all my dreams never mean one thing?
Does happiness lie in a diamond ring?
Oh, I've been askin'
Oh, I've been askin' for problems, problems, problems
I wage my war, on the world inside
I take my gun to the enemy's side
Oh, I've been askin' for (trust me, darling)
Oh, I've been askin' for (trust me, darling)
Problems, problems, problems
So look me in the eyes
Tell me what you see
Perfect paradise
Tearing at the seams
I wish I could escape
I don't wanna fake it
Wish I could erase it
Make your heart believe
But I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know
Now you know
That I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know, you're free to go
I can't breathe, I can't be
I can't be what you want me to be
Believe me, this one time
Believe me
I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know
Now you know
That I'm a bad liar, bad liar
Now you know, you're free to go
Oh
Please believe me
Please believe me
@ts_toxicslam228
The dancer girl represents Aja, in addition to being in a white dress (meaning purity, wisdom, calm).
: guitar: The guy who is floating is Dan, he has a completely dark outfit (meaning despair, anguish, fear).
: guitar: This in turn represents Jing Jang, how Dan and Aja perfectly complemented each other. Although as he was always unaware of Aja's existence (like the boy with the girl) I end up losing her.
The high school setting has a meaning that they knew each other since those times, or that when they fell in love, they were like crazy teenage children to each other.
: guitar: The girl dancing means Aja's desperation for Dan to wake up, and realize or care about her. To give more attention.
: guitar: The floating boy means how Dan was lost in his own world, as his depression made him shut himself up, gradually forgetting Aja.
The boy in the end falling and waking up, is a representation of how Dan realizes reality, and this affects him very strongly.
: guitar: The girl saying goodbye when he falls, is a representation that de Aja got tired of trying everything to make him realize.
: guitar: The girl leaving just when the boy wakes up from the transe, and leaving school, represents how Dan realized everything even when Aja was gone.
She closed a cycle
pd: give this song to aja his ex-wife
@madhushree2242
Apart from the lyrics ......The video is also so meaningfull literally its symbolic of how one person(The girl in a relationship wants to make this relationship work but the other has just lost hope and has no expectations from his relationship .... (The boy ) and is standing still like a dead person ......And in the ending ...... The girl bow down in front of the boy which means that she has tried all the possible ways of keeping their relationship alive but she has failed and now she also gives up ..... and she also stops trying and walks out......... 💔
@TALKINGtac0
It's sadly so relatable
@Sarahtegg
Omg 😭😭
@bilalmustafa1870
Right
@zamatsue
nah shes just a hot girl dancing infront of a frozen guy
@nikky2418
How could you possibly know that?
@haizox__1411
Dear reader,
I don't know you and you don't know me. Probably we are not even living in the same country. We look different. We speak different languages. Maybe we are from entirely different generations. We are just complete strangers.
But there is something that connects us. We both have great taste in music
Thank you for being here. God bless you, whoever you are.
@Sahilsr17
And you too bro
@JACKJACK-tx4eh
Nice music 😔😔
@jplatypusful
You to you amazing human being