Living With The Big Lie
Marillion Lyrics

It all began with the bright light
The start of life is often overwhelming and filled with sensory overload.

The bright light and the noise
The initial chaos upon entering life that is accompanied by loud noise.

The chaos of the senses and the scream of desire
The overwhelming rush of emotions and impulses that come with being alive.

Touching and being touched
The act of experiencing physical contact with others.

A million loose ends to tie up
The countless obstacles and tasks that must be overcome in order to live a successful life.

Ticking of the clock and the cradle rock
The passage of time and the steady but uncertain progress through life.

The colours stand still
The insignificance of change in a world where things often stay the same.

And then they move around
The occasional moments of change and upheaval that disrupt the status quo.

Comin' in and out of focus upside down
The disorienting feeling of having one's life and perspective turned on its head.

Empty winter trees
The barren and desolate feeling that can accompany certain times of the year.

How space feels
The sense of emptiness and distance that can come with living in a vast world.

Love of the soft ... the flowers and the sky
The appreciation of beauty in the world.

One fine day
The occasional moments of clarity and understanding that can come with living.

The chaos subsides
The eventual calming of the overwhelming emotions and sensations that come with living.

Bleeds into awareness
The realization of one's place and purpose in the world.

And a lifetime of surprise
The unexpected twists and turns that can occur in one's life.

The beauty of your mothers eyes
The deep emotional connections that can exist with loved ones.

The pain when you fall
The inevitable challenges and setbacks that come with living.

You drink it in and marvel at it all
The appreciation and acceptance of both the good and bad experiences in life.

But you never really figure it out
The realization that life is full of mystery and one can never know everything.

You get used to it
The eventual acceptance of the routine and mundane parts of life.

The babble of the family
The constant background noise and activity that comes with living with family members.

And the dumb TV
The mindless distraction of television as a form of entertainment.

Roar of the traffic and the thunder of jets
The loud and persistent noises of modern infrastructure.

Chemicals in the water
The pervasive presence of environmental pollutants in everyday life.

Drugs in the food
The prevalence of chemical additives and harmful ingredients in many processed foods.

The heat of the kitchen and the beat of the system
The chaotic and unrelenting pace that comes with living in a modern society.

The attitude of authority
The persistent and often oppressive presence of government and law enforcement.

The laws and the rules
The ever-present restrictions and regulations that govern life in a modern society.

Hit me square in the face, first morning at school
The sudden and overwhelming feeling of being thrust into a structured learning environment.

The heroes and the zeroes
The dichotomy between successful and unsuccessful individuals.

The first love of my life
The intense emotional experience of one's first romantic relationship.

When to kiss and to kick and to keep your head down
The subtle and often difficult social cues that one must navigate in order to succeed in life.

When they're choosing the sides
The feeling of having to pick a side in any given situation in life.

I was never any good at it
The personal failure and struggle that can come with navigating social situations.

I was terrified most of the time
The fear and anxiety that can accompany social interactions.

I never got over it
The lingering impact of personal struggles and challenges in life.

Alone in the city at seventeen
The feeling of isolation and fear that can come with living in a new environment.

With the hollow and the lonely
The pervasive feeling of emptiness and despair that can accompany loneliness.

The drowning and the drowned
The feeling of being overwhelmed and powerless in the face of personal challenges.

I was made to feel worthless
The experience of being belittled and devalued by others.

The wretched and the mean
The unpleasant and cruel aspects of human nature.

Beat me up like a weapon I can't run away from or find a way round
The feeling of being trapped and unable to escape from personal struggles and challenges.

Holdin' on, holdin' on
The desperate effort to stay strong and persevere in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

The greed and the missiles
The destructive and harmful impact of human nature on the world.

Exploding somewhere every day
The persistent and violent conflict that can occur in the world.

Hideous dark secrets under the sea and in holes in the ground
The disturbing truths about the world that are often hidden from view.

The cold war's gone
The temporary end to one form of conflict in the world.

But those bastards'll find us another one
The likelihood of another conflict arising in its place.

They're here to protect you, don't you know?
The false promise of safety and security that is often made by those in power.

So get used to it
The inevitable nature of conflict and the need to accept its continued existence.

The clash of religions
The ongoing conflicts and tensions between different religious groups.

And the loaded prayers
The religious beliefs and practices that can be used to justify violence and conflict.

Information
The endless barrage of news and media that can be both overwhelming and misleading.

The face of starvation and the state of the nation
The tragic effects of poverty and inequality in modern society.

The sense that it's useless
The feeling of hopelessness and despair that can come with witnessing social injustice.

And the fear to try
The hesitancy to take action or make a change in one's life.

Not believing the leaders, the media that feed us
The distrust and skepticism that many people have towards those in authority and the media.

Living with the big lie
The struggle to reconcile the harsh realities of the world with the desire to live a happy and fulfilling life.

You get used to it
The acceptance of the challenges and difficulties that come with being alive.

Get used to it!
The insistence that one must accept the world as it is and keep living despite its difficulties.

It's okay, I got used to it
The final acceptance of the challenges and difficulties of life as an inevitable aspect of the human experience.