The Great Deception
Van Morrison Lyrics

Did you ever hear about the great deception
Have you ever heard about how people are deceived by those who pretend to be revolutionary but only take money and run?

Well the plastic revolutionaries take the money and run
The fake revolutionaries pretend to be fighting for a cause, but in reality, they only care about money and quickly flee.

Have you ever been down to love city
Have you ever visited a place where people pretend to love and care for you?

Where they rip you off with a smile
In this place, they use your trust and comfort to rob you.

And it don't take a gun
They don't need a weapon to hurt you; their deception is enough.

Don't it hurt so bad in love city
Doesn't it hurt so much to be deceived in that place where they pretend to love you?

Don't it make you not want to bother at all
Doesn't it make you feel like giving up entirely?

And don't they look so self righteous
Don't they seem like they're doing everything right, while they're deceiving you?

When they pin you up against the wall
When they corner you with their lies and make it impossible for you to get away.

Did you ever, ever see the people
Have you ever observed those who have been victimized by lies?

With the tear drops in their eyes
Those people are crying because they are in pain after being deceived.

I just can't stand it, stand it no how
The artist hates to see people suffering from deception.

Living in this world of lies
This is a world full of deception where people are not truthful.

Did you ever hear about the rock and roll singers
Have you ever heard of the famous rock and roll stars?

Got three or four Cadillacs
Despite being rich, these celebrities own many luxury cars.

Saying power to the people, dance to the music
Their hollow slogans include telling people to empower themselves, enjoy music and dance.

Wants you to pat him on the back
These stars crave recognition and congratulation from their fans.

Have you ever heard about the great Rembrandt
Have you ever learned about the famous painter Rembrandt?

Have you ever heard about how he could paint
Rembrandt was famous for his painting abilities.

And he didn't have enough money for his brushes
Despite his fame, Rembrandt struggled to afford his basic painting supplies.

And they thought it was rather quaint
Some people find it cute or peculiar rather than remarkable.

But you know it's no use repeating
There's no point in repeatedly reminding people of the same thing.

And you know it's no use to think about it
There's no point in thinking about a situation that cannot be changed.

Cause when you stop to think about it
When you really think it through, you realize that it's not worth considering.

You don't need it
It's not necessary to pursue or dwell on something that doesn't matter.

Have you ever heard about the great Hollywood motion picture actor
Have you ever heard about the famous actors in Hollywood?

Who knew more than they did
They think they are smarter and more experienced than their employers, bosses or others in charge.

And the newspapers didn't cover the story
The newspapers avoided reporting on this actor's exaggerated attitude.

Just decided to keep it hid
They chose to keep it hidden to avoid tarnishing the actor's reputation.

Somebody started saying it was an inside job
Whispers began to circulate that this was an internal conspiracy.

Whatever happened to him?
What became of this actor afterward?

Last time they saw him down on the Bow'ry
The last time anyone saw him, he was at Bowery, which is known for rundown establishments and homelessness.

With his lip hanging off an old rusty bottle of gin
He was a homeless man with a stained and chapped lipstick, drinking from an old unclean bottle of gin.

Have you ever heard about the so-called hippies
Have you ever heard about the people who called themselves hippies?

Down on the far side of the tracks
These people are located on the opposite side of the tracks (referring to a societal caste system)

They take the eyeballs straight out of your head
They trick you so effectively that your eyes are deceived from seeing the truth.

Say son, kid, do you want your eyeballs back
After deceiving you, they ask in a patronizing tone if you would like the truth returned to you.

Did you ever see the people
Have you ever seen the victims of deception?

Just can't stand it no how
The singer can't bear seeing people suffer from deception any longer.

Living in this world of lies
This world is full of lies, making it harder for people to be truthful and transparent.