Johnny recorded as a member of the 1980's southern rock band The Johnny Van Zant Band which released albums in 1980, 1981 and 1982. The band shortened its name to Van Zant for the release of its fourth album in 1985, the eponymous Van Zant, which saw some chart success with "You've Got to Believe in Love" and "I'm a Fighter". However, this band was not the same as the current version of Van Zant and did not include brother Donnie.
Johnny released another album under his full name in 1990, but spent most of his time in that period singing for the Lynyrd Skynyrd reunion group. He joined up with Donnie, and they revived the Van Zant name to release an album in 1998, which led to a follow up album in 2001. They have also released two albums to the country music format: 2005's Get Right with the Man and 2007's My Kind of Country. Overall, the group has had two singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks charts (the prior incarnation of Van Zant also had two), and six on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Livin' A Lie
Van Zant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chisled out of the marked man on your grave
Throwing blood, you're half dead
If you don't hear those voices, they're gonna get you yet
You don't care, man what you do
Devil's eyes on you
It's got your mind and won't let go
You know it's going down
And'll hit you low
No matter how much you have
You can't get enough
You don't care, man what you do
Devil's eyes on you
(You're only livin' a lie)
You call this livin'?
(You're only livin' a lie)
You better stop before you die
(You're only livin' a lie)
Just keep livin' a lie
The choice is yours
Talk is cheap
You better face up to the facts man you're in to deep
You gotta shake it loose, get yourself free
Better pray to the Lord man
Get on your knees
But you don't care
Man, what you do
The Devil's eyes on you
(You're only livin' a lie)
You call this livin'?
(You're only livin' a lie)
You better stop before you die
(You're only livin' a lie)
Just keep livin' a lie
Don't you be a statistic
Don't you lie before the man
When you've got a child that wants to love you
Get that monkey off your back
I know the pain of your denial
Is like a rope around your mane
It's growing tighter
Yeah you're livin' a lie
Livin' a lie!
(You're only livin' a lie)
You call this livin'?
(You're only livin' a lie)
You better stop before you die
(You're only livin' a lie)
Just keep livin' a lie
(You're only livin a lie)
Ooh!
(You're only livin'...livin'...livin' a lie)
Man you're livin' a lie
(You just keep livin'... livin'... livin' a lie)
You better stop before you die
(You're only livin'...livin'...livin' a lie)
(You just keep livin'... livin'... livin' a lie)
Oh you're livin' a lie!
(You're only livin'...livin'...livin' a lie)
(You just keep livin'... livin'... livin' a lie)
You better stop before you die!
The lyrics of Van Zant's song Livin' A Lie talks about the dangers of substance abuse and the consequences of leading a life of deception. The singer talks about how substance abuse is like being marked for death, how it makes you half-dead and vulnerable to dark forces that can take your soul. The song talks about the voice inside a drug addict's mind, urging them to keep using, even though they know it's killing them. But despite the singer's warnings, the addict doesn't care, he just keeps living the lie, ignoring the damage he is doing to himself and those around him. The singer implores the addict to face the facts, get help, and get free from the grip of addiction before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
You get high everyday
You're constantly escaping reality with drugs or other similar means
Chisled out of the marked man on your grave
You're slowly killing yourself and your addiction will inevitably lead to your death
Throwing blood, you're half dead
You've caused yourself so much harm that you're no longer fully alive
If you don't hear those voices, they're gonna get you yet
Your addiction is so consuming that you feel like you're being controlled by voices that only you can hear
You don't care, man what you do
You're apathetic about your life and your actions
Devil's eyes on you
The devil is closely watching you and tempting you
It's got your mind and won't let go
Your addiction has taken over your mind and is holding it captive
It won't be long before you're beggin' him for your soul
Your addiction will soon become so overwhelming that you'll be willing to give up your soul for it
You know it's going down
You're aware that the situation is spiraling out of control
And'll hit you low
Your addiction will eventually cause you to hit rock bottom
No matter how much you have
No matter how much drugs or other things you consume, it's never enough
You can't get enough
Your desire for drugs or other addictions is insatiable
(You're only livin' a lie)
You're not really living your life, you're just going through the motions of your addiction
You call this livin'?
You're questioning whether your existence can even be called living
You better stop before you die
You need to stop your addiction before it kills you
Just keep livin' a lie
You're resigned to living in your addiction and not changing your ways
The choice is yours
You have the power to change your life, but you need to make the decision to do so
Talk is cheap
Words are meaningless without action
You better face up to the facts man you're in to deep
You need to acknowledge that you have a serious addiction problem before it's too late
You gotta shake it loose, get yourself free
You need to break free from your addiction and take control of your life
Better pray to the Lord man
You need to ask for divine help to overcome your addiction
Get on your knees
You need to show humility and ask for help
Don't you be a statistic
You don't want to be another person who dies as a result of addiction
Don't you lie before the man
You don't want to be dishonest about your addiction and hide it from others
When you've got a child that wants to love you
You have someone in your life who loves you and wants to see you get better
Get that monkey off your back
You need to get rid of your addiction once and for all
I know the pain of your denial
I understand the pain of refusing to acknowledge your addiction
Is like a rope around your mane
Your denial is like a noose around your neck, slowly choking you
It's growing tighter
The grip of your addiction is getting stronger
Yeah you're livin' a lie
You're still living in your addiction, still not truly living
Man you're livin' a lie
You're living in your addiction and not facing the reality of your life
You better stop before you die
You need to seek help and stop your addiction before it kills you
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAT N BUCHANAN, ROBERT WHITE JOHNSON, DONALD 'DONNIE' N VAN ZANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind