Gaslighter
The Chicks Lyrics


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Gaslighter, denier
Doin' anything to get your ass farther
Gaslighter, big timer
Repeating all of the mistakes of your father

We moved to California and we followed your dreams
I believed in the promises you made to me
Swore that night 'till death do us part
But you lie-lie-lie-lie-lied
Hollywood welcomed you with open doors
No matter what they gave you, you still wanted more
Acting all above it when our friends divorced
What a lie-lie-lie-lie-lie
You're such a

Gaslighter, denier
Doin' anything to get your ass farther
Gaslighter, big timer
Repeating all of the mistakes of your father
Gaslighter, you broke me
You're sorry, but where's my apology?
Gaslighter, you liar

You thought I wouldn't see it if you put it in my face
Give you all my money, you'll gladly walk away
You think it's justifiable, I think it's pretty cruel
And you know you lie best when you lie to you
'Cause, boy, you know exactly what you did on my boat
And, boy, that's exactly why you ain't comin' home
Save your tired stories for your new someone else
'Cause they're lie-lie-lie-lie-lies
Look out, you little

Gaslighter, denier
Doin' anything to get your ass farther
Gaslighter, big timer
Repeating all of the mistakes of your father
Gaslighter, you broke me
You're sorry, but where's my apology?
Gaslighter, you liar

You just had to start a fire, had to start a fire
Couldn't take yourself on a road a little higher
Had to burn it up, had to tear it down
Tried to say I'm crazy
Babe, we know I'm not crazy, that's you
Gaslighting
You're a lie-lie-lie-liar
Oh, honey, that's you
Gaslighting
You made your bed and then your bed caught fire
Gaslighter, I'm your mirror
Standin' right here until you can see how you broke me
Yeah, I'm broken
You're still sorry, and there's still no apology

Gaslighter, denier
Doin' anything to get your ass farther
Gaslighter, big timer
Repeating all of the mistakes of your father
Gaslighter, you broke me (gaslighter)




You're sorry, but where's my apology?
Gaslighter, you liar

Overall Meaning

The Chicks' song "Gaslighter" is a powerful anthem detailing a relationship with a manipulative partner who engages in gaslighting and emotional abuse. The opening lines describe the gaslighter as someone who will do anything to advance themselves, even at the expense of others. The chorus repeats "gaslighter" and "liar," accusing the partner of repeating the same mistakes as their father and breaking the singer. The gaslighter tries to justify their actions, but the singer sees through the lies and refuses to be manipulated any longer.


The second verse shows the singer feeling trapped in the relationship, giving their partner money but ultimately realizing the cruelty of their actions. The gaslighter tries to convince the singer that they are crazy, but the singer sees through the manipulation and takes a stand. The bridge is perhaps the most powerful part of the song, with the singer telling the gaslighter that they are the one who will ultimately suffer the consequences of their lying and manipulation.


Overall, "Gaslighter" is a song that speaks to the experience of emotional abuse and gaslighting in relationships. The Chicks offer a powerful message of standing up for oneself and refusing to be manipulated any longer.


Line by Line Meaning

Gaslighter, denier
You manipulate and lie to me in order to make yourself look better and deny any wrongdoing.


Doin' anything to get your ass farther
You are willing to do whatever it takes to advance your own interests and ambitions, even if it means hurting others.


Gaslighter, big timer
You are a master of manipulation and deceit, constantly trying to appear bigger and better than you really are.


Repeating all of the mistakes of your father
You are following in the footsteps of your father, who also made poor choices and hurt those around him.


We moved to California and we followed your dreams
I supported you and your aspirations by moving to California with you.


I believed in the promises you made to me
I trusted you and believed that you would keep your word to me.


Swore that night 'till death do us part
We made a commitment to stay together and support each other for the rest of our lives.


But you lie-lie-lie-lie-lied
However, you constantly lied and deceived me, breaking the trust that we had built.


Hollywood welcomed you with open doors
You were welcomed into Hollywood and given many opportunities to succeed.


No matter what they gave you, you still wanted more
But no matter how much success you achieved, you always wanted more and were never satisfied.


Acting all above it when our friends divorced
You pretended to be above the issues that our friends faced in their own relationships, when in reality you were guilty of similar behaviors.


What a lie-lie-lie-lie-lie
All of your actions and behaviors were nothing but lies and deceit.


You're such a
You are a manipulator and deceiver who constantly hurts those around you.


You thought I wouldn't see it if you put it in my face
You believed that you could deceive me even if your actions were obvious and right in front of me.


Give you all my money, you'll gladly walk away
You would take advantage of me financially and then abandon me without any remorse.


You think it's justifiable, I think it's pretty cruel
You try to justify your actions, but I see them for what they really are - cruel and hurtful.


And you know you lie best when you lie to you
You are so practiced in lying to yourself that you believe your own lies more than anyone else does.


'Cause, boy, you know exactly what you did on my boat
You are fully aware of the hurtful actions you committed on my boat, even if you try to pretend otherwise.


And, boy, that's exactly why you ain't comin' home
Your actions have caused such irreparable harm that I cannot forgive you or welcome you back into my life.


Save your tired stories for your new someone else
I am no longer interested in hearing your excuses, deflecting tactics, or manipulative stories - save them for someone else.


Look out, you little
You should be careful and cautious with your lies and manipulations, as they will ultimately catch up with you.


You just had to start a fire, had to start a fire
You intentionally caused conflict and chaos, rather than seeking to resolve our issues peacefully.


Couldn't take yourself on a road a little higher
You were unwilling to take the higher road and be honest, instead choosing to continue your pattern of lies and manipulation.


Had to burn it up, had to tear it down
You chose to destroy our relationship and cause pain, rather than working to build it up and repair the damage that had been done.


Tried to say I'm crazy
You attempted to deflect blame and make me appear mentally unstable in order to cover up your own wrongdoing.


Babe, we know I'm not crazy, that's you
However, we both know that it is you who has caused the problems and is behaving in a crazy and irrational manner.


Gaslighting
You engage in gaslighting, deliberately manipulating the truth and distorting reality in order to make yourself look better.


You're a lie-lie-lie-liar
You are nothing but a compulsive liar, constantly deceiving those around you for your own benefit.


Oh, honey, that's you
Sorry to break it to you, but you are the one who is responsible for the lies and deceit that have caused our relationship to fall apart.


You made your bed and then your bed caught fire
Your actions have caught up with you and your life is now falling apart as a result of your own choices and behaviors.


Gaslighter, I'm your mirror
I am holding up a mirror to your actions and behaviors, refusing to remain in denial and enabling your lies any longer.


Standin' right here until you can see how you broke me
I am standing my ground, refusing to back down or accept your empty apologies until you fully understand the extent of the damage you have caused.


Yeah, I'm broken
Your lies and manipulations have caused me significant harm and pain, leaving me feeling broken and hurt.


You're still sorry, and there's still no apology
You may claim to be sorry for your actions, but you have yet to offer a sincere apology or take any meaningful steps to repair the damage done.


Gaslighter, you broke me (gaslighter)
You are a gaslighter who has caused significant harm and broken trust in our relationship.


You're sorry, but where's my apology?
Despite your claims of remorse, you have yet to apologize in a meaningful way or take steps to make amends for the harm you have caused.


Gaslighter, you liar
You are a compulsive liar and gaslighter, causing significant harm and pain to those around you.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Emily Strayer, Jack Antonoff, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

BJ Stone

This should have been the biggest hit of that year, and pretty much any other year, too. This is as good as music gets...melody, lyrics, vocals both lead and harmony, instrumentation, tempo, production...everything perfectly coming together to make a monster song.

Davi Neuskens Compositor

The feeling that it produces in us is more meaningful, in my opinion. The producer of this song - Jack Antonoff - made two albums, with his solo work Bleachers, that are deeply meaningful to me, and if someone ever came to me and told me something I created is deeply meaningful to them, it would be deeply meaningful (hehe) to me as well.

OrionOlamPiksie

I agree

P Cee

This song slaps and so does the album.....had the unlucky bad timing to come out just at the beginning of COVID hitting everywhere.

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Tomnickles

The end when she says “you broke me” with no music behind her, Gets me every time. You hear the emotion in her voice.

Lisa Hershey

Me too

Maureen Mackey

Me too. Hello lack of confidence and PTSD

Cynthia Fleming

Always LOVED The Chicks but this song means the world to me. I do not feel alone. I feel supported.

H.A.L.Oinjury Care

The Chicks are talented multi instrumentalist and out of this world songwriters/artist...so proud of them!!

Kelly Riddell

Natalie's voice is also amazing. I love listening to her sing just about anything.

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