La Havas was born in London, England to a Greek father and Jamaican mother. She was raised in Tooting and Streatham, spending the majority of her time with her grandparents, following her parents' separation as a child. La Havas' cites her parents' diverse musical tastes as having the biggest influence on her music. She began singing at seven. Her mother played Jill Scott and Mary j. Blige, while her father, an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, taught her the basics of guitar and piano. Lianne wrote her first song at the age of 11 but did not learn to play the guitar until she was 18 years old. At 18, Lianne began attending Norbury Manor Business and Enterprise College for Girls in Croydon, where she studied art and planned to take her A-Levels in art foundation. However, she left college and decided to pursue a career in music full-time.
While attending sixth-form in Croydon, a friend of La Havas', (who attended the Brit School) introduced her to other musicians who assisted La Havas in the recording of her first demos. Through that same friend, La Havas was also introduced to British singer, Paloma Faith; she later sang backing vocals on tour for Faith. La Havas was co-writer and performer in 'The Paris Parade' alongside Christian Pinchbeck (who designed the artwork for Lost & Found) and also is now part of the duo Elephant (Memphis Industries). They had a short career but it began La Havas' career in commercial music. In 2010, Lianne signed to Warner Bros. Records, spending two years developing her songwriting skills before releasing music publicly.
La Havas made her television debut on October 21, 2011, broadcast of BBC Two's Later, with Jools Holland, a program that also featured Wisconsin folk band Bon Iver. Following her appearance on Later, with Jools Holland, it was announced on October 25, 2011 that La Havas would be the supporting act for Bon Iver's December 2011 North American tour.
La Havas released her debut EP, Lost & Found, on October 12, 2011 on the Labour of Love label and featured Willy Mason on the opening track, No Room For Doubt. That same month, La Havas released a live EP, titled Live in LA, which was made available for free download on her website. La Havas released her third EP titled Forget, on December 30, 2011 on the label Warner Brothers.
Her official debut single, Lost & Found was released in the UK on April 30, 2012. Her debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, was released on July 9, 2012 in the UK on Warner Brothers.
Liar
Lianne La Havas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a, a heart of stone
Fell in love with a phantom
Was all her own
Illusion
Dreamt of a, a fantasy
I watched her die
Now its, killing me
He is a liar
With a, a heart of coal
He could blind her with beauty
Such a, a foolish goal
Illusion
Dressed in a, a fantasy
I let him lie
And its, killing me
1:
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, what more is there to do?
But cry?
(Oohs, Ahs, and Ee's)
I am a liar
So they, they should have known
Not to trust me completely
Would leave them so deeply
Deluded
Cause Ive, Ive lived this lie
It was my consequence
That I, I saw her die
2:
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, what more can I do?
But cry?
(Oohs, Ahs, and Ee's)
2 Cont'd:
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do?
Ohhhh
The song "Liar" by Lianne La Havas is a melancholic love song of remorse and guilt. The song depicts two people, a woman and a man, as liars, who deluded themselves with their own illusions and fantasies. The first character described in the lyrics is the woman, who fell in love with a phantom, and though her heart of stone and her dreams of a fantasy kept her from seeing the truth, she eventually died. The second character is the man, who could blind the woman with his beauty, but he was a liar with a heart of coal, a mere illusion dressed in fantasy. The singer of the song confesses that she is a liar too, and though others should have known not to trust her completely, their disillusionment leaves her deeply deluded. The song closes with a repeated emphasis on the futility of crying, as the pain of the past cannot be undone.
The song's lyrics and music draw from soul, R&B, and pop influences to create a mood of heartache and regret. Lianne La Havas's emotive and soulful voice is the centerpiece of the song, effectively conveying the characters' tragic situations. The song is notable for its subtle but powerful harmonies, which deepen the emotional impact. The arrangement is stripped down, allowing the vocals to shine through, and reinforcing the raw emotion of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Shes a liar
The subject of the song is a woman who lies
With a, a heart of stone
She is emotionally closed off and unfeeling
Fell in love with a phantom
She fell in love with a person who wasn't real or who didn't exist
Was all her own
She was the only one who believed in the existence of her beloved
Illusion
The love she felt was not genuine, but rather a figment of her imagination
Dreamt of a, a fantasy
She had an imaginary idea of what love should be
I watched her die
The subject witnessed the painful death of her unrealistic dreams
Now its, killing me
The subject is haunted by the failure of her own expectations
He is a liar
The emphasis shifts to a man who is also a liar
With a, a heart of coal
The man is unfeeling and uncaring
He could blind her with beauty
The man used his physical appearance to deceive the woman
Such a, a foolish goal
The man's intentions were misguided and impractical
Dressed in a, a fantasy
The man presented himself as something he was not
I let him lie
The subject allowed herself to be deceived by the man
And its, killing me
The deception caused great pain and anguish for the subject
I am a liar
The subject takes on responsibility for her own lies
So they, they should have known
The people who were deceived by the subject should have been aware of her tendency to lie
Not to trust me completely
The subject warns against putting too much faith in her words
Would leave them so deeply
Being lied to by the subject would have a profound impact on others
Deluded
Those who believe the subject's lies are living in a state of delusion
Cause Ive, Ive lived this lie
The subject has experienced the consequences of her own deceit
It was my consequence
Lying has had negative consequences for the subject
That I, I saw her die
The subject watched her own false sense of love die
Writer(s): Lianne Charlotte Barnes
Contributed by Charlie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@PrincessFunni
[Verse 1]
She's a liar
With a, a heart of stone
Fell in love with a phantom
Was all her own
Illusion
Dreamt of a, a fantasy
I watched her die
Now it's, killing me
[Verse 2]
He is a liar
With a, a heart of coal
He could blind her with beauty
Such a, a foolish goal
Illusion
Dressed in a, a fantasy
I let him lie
And it's, killing me
[Chorus 1]
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, what more is there to do?
But cry?
[Verse 3]
I am a liar
So they, they should have known
Not to trust me completely
Would leave them so deeply
Deluded
Cause I've, I've lived this lie
It was my consequence
That I, I saw her die
[Chorus 2]
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, what more can I do?
But cry?
[Outro]
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do?
Ohhhh
@lJuJuBee11l
Lyrics from musixmatch:
Shes a liar
With a, a heart of stone
Fell in love with a phantom
Was all her own
Illusion
Dreamt of a, a fantasy
I watched her die
Now its, killing me
He is a liar
With a, a heart of coal
He could blind her with beauty
Such a, a foolish goal
Illusion
Dressed in a, a fantasy
I let him lie
And its, killing me
1:
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, what more is there to do?
But cry?
I am a liar
So they, they should have known
Not to trust me completely
Would leave them so deeply
Deluded
Cause Ive, Ive lived this lie
It was my consequence
That I, I saw her die
2:
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, what more can I do?
But cry?
2 Cont'd:
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do?
Ohhhh
@PrincessFunni
[Verse 1]
She's a liar
With a, a heart of stone
Fell in love with a phantom
Was all her own
Illusion
Dreamt of a, a fantasy
I watched her die
Now it's, killing me
[Verse 2]
He is a liar
With a, a heart of coal
He could blind her with beauty
Such a, a foolish goal
Illusion
Dressed in a, a fantasy
I let him lie
And it's, killing me
[Chorus 1]
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, what more is there to do?
But cry?
[Verse 3]
I am a liar
So they, they should have known
Not to trust me completely
Would leave them so deeply
Deluded
Cause I've, I've lived this lie
It was my consequence
That I, I saw her die
[Chorus 2]
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do, what more can I do?
But cry?
[Outro]
What more is there to do, but cry?
What more is there to do?
Ohhhh
@chloeMS99
Saw her live , got her album , she's truly perfect.
@JazzyThomas
Can we petition to get her back on the charts 2019-2020???
@nicolethigpen4184
Her voice is sooo sensational. I hate the fact that so many talented artist like this is underrated. Hopefully soon she will get the recognition she deserves. ✨
@Spiralreiki
Liana's got a very unique talent and has a jazz sound on this track. I wish her great success, she deserves it!
@raemarie4412
She's my QUEEN!!! I absolutely love and adore her. Her songs are full of deep soul, beautiful lyrics and music. I hope that one day I get to see her sing LIVE!
@angelmariemillione6722
So much beauty in this woman and her voice.
@j.london170
I always revisit this song!!! She is amazing!! & an even better spirit! Happy Birthday, Queen!
@thehappytwist
her voice seeps into my soul and gives me peace
@TheMrKalikatsou
Beautifull, dreamy song with poetic lyrics, with simple chords but arranged with harmony, her voice is so soft to the ears....with distingtive vocal tone, just love it