Violent Femmes is an alternative rock band, formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,… Read Full Bio ↴Violent Femmes is an alternative rock band, formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States in 1980. The band originally consisted of Gordon Gano (vocals, guitar), Brian Ritchie (bass), and Victor DeLorenzo (drums), with Guy Hoffman replacing DeLorenzo following his departure starting in 1993 and up until his return in 2002. The band split in early 2009, their last recording being a cover of the Gnarls Barkley song "Crazy", a response to Gnarls Barkley's cover of the Femmes song "Gone Daddy Gone" released the previous year. In January 2013, it was announced that the Violent Femmes would be reuniting and performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April. They performed there, the Bottlerock Napa Valley in May and Milwaukee's Summerfest in June. The band is also on the bill for Riot Fest, which will take place in Chicago in September.
Drummer Victor DeLorenzo said that he would be open to recording new material with the Violent Femmes, but on July 15, 2013, it was announced that Dresden Dolls drummer Brian Viglione would be replacing DeLorenzo as the band's drummer. In a statement, DeLorenzo said "It's always hard to write a eulogy for a lost loved one. In this case, I sadly lament the loss of a dream and an ideal that was once Violent Femmes." Viglione is credited as the drummer on the 2016 release We Can Do Anything but would later be replaced by John Sparrow, who had played in the Violent Femmes backing band previously.

Their music is an innovative combination of American folk music and punk rock. The lyrics mix common adolescent themes like yearning for love, sex and affection with explorations of sin, death, and the hope of salvation. Their songs often express both a lyrical and musical sense of humor. Critics often attribute the Violent Femmes as laying the groundwork of dynamicism for the 90s grunge movement.

In its early days, the band frequently played coffee houses and street corners. They were discovered by James Honeyman-Scott (of The Pretenders) on August 23, 1981, when the band was busking on a street corner in front of the Oriental Theatre, the Milwaukee venue that The Pretenders would be playing later that night. Chrissie Hynde invited them to play a brief acoustic set after the opening act. The band signed to Slash Records and recorded their eponymous debut in July 1982.

The group quickly gained a small cult following after the release of their self-titled album that never burgeoned into widespread popularity, although a few songs from this album did get some recognition ("Add It Up", "Blister in the Sun" and "Gone Daddy Gone"). The debut album Violent Femmes went platinum ten years after its release, and "Blister in the Sun" has become an alternative rock radio staple.

Lies
Violent Femmes Lyrics

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Well I'm reading this poem
and it's so profound
and I like its rhythm
and I like its sound
it's by a very famous poet
no critic can criticise
and then I pause a moment
and I start to realize

he's tellin'
lies lies lies
on the motel TV.
I dig the evangelist
he'll tell you all about that
and then he tell you all about this
he's preachin' up a storm
by the sea of Galilee
he's mixin' up the truth
with something funny I start to see
he's tellin'
lies lies lies
I never had this problem
with nobody in the government
I guess I always figured
they never mean what they meant
and GOD help us all
not to be so stone surprised
when we wake up in the stars
with the skies in our eyes

if we keep tellin'
lies lies lies

Overall Meaning

The Violent Femmes’ song “Lies” is a commentary on the dishonesty and misinformation found in our society. The singer first describes reading a poem that he believes to be profound, only to later realize that it is actually full of lies. He then watches an evangelist preach on television, but soon realizes that he too is mixing truth with lies. The singer laments that he never had a problem with dishonesty from the government before, because he always assumed they never meant what they said. However, he warns that we must be careful not to be surprised when we find ourselves lost in the lies we tell.

The song highlights the theme of dishonesty and how it has become an accepted part of our culture. The first verse demonstrates the impact of dishonesty on art and literature, while the second verse deals with religious figures who use their platform to spread misinformation. The third verse takes a different turn, discussing the government's role in dishonesty and how it has affected our perception of it. Overall, the song encourages the audience to be aware of the lies around them and to strive for honesty.

Line by Line Meaning

Well I'm reading this poem
As I am reading this poem

and it's so profound
I am finding it very deep and meaningful

and I like its rhythm
I enjoy its beat and flow

and I like its sound
I appreciate its audio qualities

it's by a very famous poet
This poem was written by a well-known author

no critic can criticise
Critics cannot find fault with it

and then I pause a moment
A thought suddenly occurs to me

and I start to realize
I begin to understand

he's tellin' lies lies lies
The poet is actually being dishonest

on the motel TV.
I switch to watching TV in a motel room

I dig the evangelist
I am really into this evangelist