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50 Songs About Lies, Liars & Deception (Ranked List)

May 22, 2023
songs about lies

We have all had our fair share of lies and deception from friends, family, and lovers, and sometimes, these lies could make us heartbroken and resentful. 

Listening to songs about liars, cheaters, and deception will help us realize that our situations are not peculiar, and this will help us pull through. 

Here’s a list of the best 50 songs about lies, liars, and deception. 

Table of Contents

1. “Sweetest Lie” by Goo Goo Dolls

If you have ever loved a cheater but couldn’t let go, you will resonate with this one; Goo Goo Dolls sings about wanting to live the sweetest lie, hoping one day the lover will come around.

Although such feelings seem wrong, we can’t help them sometimes, and this song tells how blind loving can be, that we would choose a sweet lie over the bitter truth. 

2. “Liar” by Sex Pistols

This band’s song is one of the best about lying and deception; It is the perfect punk song for liars. 

“Lair” was about their first manager and other people outside the band who tried to manipulate them. 

A lot of passion was put into the song, and most of the lyrics were repeated, maybe for emphasis; it’s no wonder this is a great song to sing along to when you just want to rant about liars.  

3. “Lie To Me” by Pretenders

This song is not sugar-coated as the singer bluntly calls out her love for telling lies. 

She is sick and tired of his lies and doesn’t want to hear them anymore, and anyone in her shoes will feel the same way. 

Natural liars tell lies that are “so long-winded,” and when you have heard too many false stories, it becomes too much to bear.

4. “Liar” by Queen

When you are notorious for lying, your fate will be that of the boy who cried wolf. 

“Lair,” one of Queen’s debut songs, is a song about a liar who is known for lying and stealing. 

The man comes to the priest to ask for forgiveness and repent, but no one believes him; as we would expect, it’s difficult to change the impression you have already created. 

5. “Liar Liar” by The Castaways 

The lyrics are comical, and it’s probably his way of paying his girl for her deception. 

Though the singer knows about her lies, he gives her another chance and promises to leave if she keeps telling him lies. 

The Castaways preach the gospel of second chance in this song because love is not always perfect; however, no matter how in love we are, when it’s time to go, we have to go. 

6. “If Your Girl Only Knew” by Aaliyah

“If Your Girl Only Knew” is a song for liars and cheaters, and Aaliyah’s song title comes as a two-fold statement – a threat and a question.

It would be best to listen to the song to find out which it is.  

In this song, Aaliyah tells us that she knows he has a girl, and she’s no fool to fall for his trap because if he could cheat on his girlfriend, he would surely cheat on her, so why bother?

7. “Don’t Lie” by The Black Eyed Peas

“Don’t Lie” is one of Black Eyed Peas successful singles, and it is one of those enlightening songs about deceit. 

If you know the Pinocchio story, this song will appeal to you; the lines are deep and sad because we see how telling one lie can lead to many more meaningless lies. 

Why do we lie to someone we love? Black Eyes Peas helps us realize that it’s best not to start because it’s a vicious cycle. 

8. “Love The Way You Lie” by Eminem ft. Rihanna

Toxic love can be crazy when both parties can not decide to leave, and “Love The Way You Lie” by Eminem and Rihanna is a tale of toxicity and obsession. 

He keeps lying to her, and she loves his lies, and even when she finally decides to leave, he can’t let her go and would instead set her on fire than watch her leave; that’s how far obsessive love can take you. 

9. “Said I Loved You… But I Lied” by Michael Bolton

This song is one of those misleading songs as the title might suggest that it’s about men lying, but it’s not. 

On the contrary, it is about a man who thinks “I love you” is too shallow to express his feelings. 

If you love someone so much that I love you isn’t enough to show the depth of your love, Michael Bolton’s song is a great way to sing the unsayable to your lover. 

10. “Hate Me” by Ellie Goulding, Juice WRLD

The lyrics “It’s a thin line between all this love and hate” says it all; during breakups, we end up telling each other half-truths.

We only paint the terrible sides of our lovers but don’t say how much we miss them.

Our feelings can sometimes be expressed as hatred when we are hurt, but this doesn’t erase the love we feel. 

This song by Juice WRLD and Ellie Goulding perfectly expresses this idea. 

11. “Dear Lie” by TLC

“Dear Lie” is like a letter written to lie, and in this song about lies, the singer accuses lies of being ‘nothing but trouble.’

While lying looks like the easiest way to go, it does more harm in the end, and TLC spares no unkind words in telling us that bitter pills are better than sugar-coated words. 

Rather than tell lies, you should tell them to “get the hell away from me.”

12. “Tell Me A Little Lie” by Huey Lewis and The News

Love can be beautiful, but love can also make us desperate; rather than being told the truth, we would prefer the sweet lies of our lovers, so here’s a song for those with unrequited love.

In this song by the rock band, we see a man begging to be told a little lie, and even though he knows she doesn’t love him, he believes her lies will last him forever; love could have this effect on us.

13. “I Love You So I Told You a Lie” by Ted Nugent

Although this song belongs to Ted Nugent, it was sung by Meat Loaf; “I Love You So I Told A Lie” is a song with lies in the lyrics that initially looks like a song about being a liar.

The singer says he said goodbye because he loves her, but his action says otherwise, and the reason the singer lies is that he prizes his freedom over love, so he chooses to let her go. 

14. “How Do You Sleep?” by Sam Smith 

“Baby, how do you sleep when you lie to me?” This is one of the beautiful songs about lies and secrets, and Sam Smith, in his signature song style, poses this question to his lying lover. 

Lies mess up relationships and especially mess up a faithful partner; “How Do You Sleep?” shows how distressed lovers can be when they are lied to and the pain they go through. 

15. “La-La-La Lies” by The Who

The generation album might not have done so well on the charts, but “La La La Lies” remains a brilliant single. 

We all need that one person that will stay by our side when the whole world is against us; that’s what this song is about. 

The song is about a friend that lies and says he’s so lost without a friend, but his girl stays by him, and together they will prove him wrong. 

16. “White Liar” by Miranda Lambert

“White Liar” is a unique country song about lying that spites lovers who think they are the smartest liars until they find out they are being lied to as well. 

This song is about a lady who knows her partner is lying and cheating, and the song gets crazier when she drops the bombshell about her cheating as well; she tells him she’s now the white liar, which makes them even. 

17. “Who Is It?” by Michael Jackson

The King of Pop sang this song about being lied to; “Who Is It?” is a song that poses many unanswered questions.

It shows the perplexed state a lover will be in when their partner “just up and ran away.”

Breakups can be heartbreaking, but it is even worse when your partner leaves without a word after making many promises; this is a song of lamentation, and we can all sympathize with the singer. 

18. “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood

Heartbreak can be expressed in different ways, and for some people, crying doesn’t do them good; their reaction to cheating is revenge.

Carrie Underwood’s song is a great song about guys lying; it tells the story of a lady who destroys her lover’s “four-wheel drive.”

While he is with another woman, she ruins his car in a rage; maybe next time, he won’t cheat again; at least he won’t be cheating on her.  

19. “Kisses Don’t Lie” by Rihanna

“Kisses Don’t Lie” is a song about lies; Rihanna tells it plainly when she says people seduce themselves with lies by mistaking lust for love. 

The song expresses the confusion we face when we’re too scared to be hurt by love, and Rihanna is caught up between yes and no, but when he kisses her, she’s sure she’s in love because kisses don’t lie. 

20. “I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)” by Bob Dylan

Have you ever been talking to someone one day, and the next day they act as if you have never met? 

If you have, you would understand the feelings behind this song by the great songwriter Bob Dylan.

In the morning (after a great night with her), she acts like they have never met, and as you expect, the singer is left confused, and her attitude is a mystery he can’t unravel. 

21. “Cry Me A River” by Justin Timberlake

Though we only hear Justin Timberlake’s side of the story, this song was written after his breakup with Britney Spears, and from the lyrics, we see that he is in pain and he wishes she would at least cry him a river. 

This is one of the songs about getting caught, written from the man’s point of view, and Timberlake breathes life into “Cry Me A River” with the emotions he pours into the lyrics. 

22. “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child

Say My Name” is one of those songs about suspicion, and in this hit song, the singer compels her lover to say her name if he has nothing to hide because when your man says fewer words than he usually says, it is shady. 

Cheaters live a double life, and one day, they might end up being caught, so we see her boyfriend caught in between, and he is unable to hide his lies anymore. 

23. “I Lied” by Nicki Minaj

You can’t blame a lover for playing it safe since insecurities are often a product of bad experiences, and sometimes we lie about our feelings to protect ourselves from heartbreak. 

“I Lied” is a song about lying to a lover about your feelings, and although Nicki Minaj sounds a little regretful, she is still grateful she didn’t let her guard down; who knows what he might do if she lets her guard down? 

24. “Suspicious Minds” by Elvis Presley

Love without trust is as shaky as a house without pillars, and this song about suspicion is sung by the rock n roll king. 

He loves the woman a lot, but her suspicions make him feel like he is caught in a trap.

While occasional jealousy is healthy, mistrust can destroy a relationship, so Elvis Presley begs her in this song not to “let a good thing die” as he has never lied to her. 

25. “Lie To Me” by 5 Seconds of Summer

The band gives us a beautiful heartbreak song called “Lie To Me,” where the singer wishes his lover would lie to him since she is too hard to forget. 

Although we know someone doesn’t love us anymore, sometimes the pain of letting go makes us ask for a lie instead because, at that moment, we just want to hear the words “I love you” to feel alright; this song perfectly tells that unfortunate tale. 

26. “Liar” by Camila Cabello

“Liar” is not about the typical lies, but rather, it shows how our thirst for love can make us cross the boundaries we set, and Camila doesn’t play the saint in this song as she pleads guilty for her desires. 

She lies to him and herself when she says she doesn’t need him because she ends up begging for more; after all, sometimes we can’t help but fall deeper, and that’s what this song is about.

27. “Lyin’ Eyes” by Eagles

https://youtu.be/RJEFEbsrU18

This hit song by Eagles tells the sad story of a city girl who marries an older man for money, and every evening she tells lies to go to the “cheatin side of town” to meet her lover. 

However, the old man sees through her lying eyes but pretends not to know; still, she only has a few hours of fun as she must return to her miserable life, for “every form of refuge has its price.”

28. “Liar” by Britney Spears

Sometimes it’s too late for apologies, and Britney Spears shouts it loud and clear in her song “Liar”; this song is about liars and cheaters. 

She challenges her lover to do all he can to convince her as she won’t fall for him because he is a liar. 

He has called many names in his sleep, but none of them was hers, so you know why his cheating hurts a lot. 

29. “Lie To Me” by Bon Jovi 

This song by American rock band Bon Jovi is about the struggles in relationships when the man is not financially stable. 

The singer hears that her father is coming to take her home, so he tells her that if she leaves, he will be gone. 

However, the singer confesses that he would be fine even if she lies about her love for him because she’s the one person he believes, and we can’t help but sympathize with him. 

30. “Bad Liar” by Selena Gomez 

“Bad Liar” has lyrics about lying to oneself that you are not in love with someone, and this song turned out to be one of the best songs of 2017. 

We often don’t want to give in to our feelings and try hard to hold them in, but can we succeed? 

Selena Gomez’s lines show how riddled she is with indecision; sadly, she concludes that with her feelings on fire, she’s a bad liar. 

31. “Lies” by The Black Keys

“Lies” is one of those songs about deception that has deep lyrics, as many symbols were used.  

The singer seems to be in a secret affair because the lover said an open relationship would take their love away, but he discovers that all of these are lies, and there’s an ulterior motive behind hiding their love. 

He decides to leave and stop disguising because there’s nothing he will do to make the person love him. 

32. “Lies” by The Knickerbockers

“Lies” became a big hit because it sounds like a song that the Beatles recorded, and this is a simple song about someone lying to you; it is a song about dishonesty. 

The girl thinks she’s smart, but he sees through her lies, and although he is sad about being lied to, this is a song of hope as the singer seems resolved to leave her despite his feelings for her. 

33. “Lying To Myself” by David Cassidy

One of the coping mechanisms we employ when we are heartbroken is to lie to ourselves, and David Cassidy perfectly illustrates this in this beautiful song about being a liar. 

The singer lies to himself that he doesn’t care about his lover who has left because soon, she will be forgotten, but all of these are lies, and he can’t lie anymore because it has been killing him slowly since she left. 

34. “Bed Of Lies” by Nicki Minaj ft. Skylar Grey

“Bed Of Lies” is a great song about players and liars; in this song, Nicki Minaj asks the man if he ever thinks of her when he lies.

Even when it is over, sometimes, we need answers to some questions, and while she is not looking for a reason to stay with him, she needs something to ease her pain because knowing that he thought of her would make her feel better.

35. “Would I Lie To You?” by Charles & Eddie

This is a song about suspicion where the man tries hard to make the girl believe she is the only one, and he tries to convince her that they will never lie. 

He even asks her to look into his eyes and see if they are true; however, his words are all he has to offer, which might not be enough to tell if he could lie to her or not.

36. “You Know I’m No Good” by Amy Winehouse

“You Know I’m No Good” is a deception song by British artist Amy Winehouse that reflects her love life.

Her lover is aware of her behavior and asks what she did, and she readily confesses to cheating with her ex. 

Though the singer doesn’t exactly apologize, she lets her lover know that even while cheating, she was thinking about him; Luckily, he sees beyond her imperfection and forgives her. 

37. “Lips Are Movin” by Meghan Trainor

Here’s a song for cheaters who think they can outsmart their lovers; “Lips Are Movin” is one of the best songs about lying and cheating. 

Even though a man who is lying tries to distract you with expensive gifts, his moving lips will tell on him as he will talk in circles and try to sweet-talk you. 

Meghan Trainor doesn’t buy any of his tall tales because she can smell another woman’s perfume on his collar. 

38. “No More Lies” by The Moody Blues

“No More Lies” is a love song about expressing one’s feelings honestly so you can be on the same page. 

Letting your guard down is a sign that shows you are deeply in love with someone, and in this song, the singer implores his lover to tell him what’s in her heart so they can tell each other no more lies. 

39. “You Lie” by The Band Perry

The band Perry sings this song about lying men, and “You Lie” is not your regular heartbreak song as the lyrics are full of comparisons.

The singer viciously calls him names for cheating; she doesn’t cry a river but dumps his ring in the river and has almost no tears to shed over this man whose lies come naturally; He isn’t worth the pain.  

40. “The Lie” by Tori Kelly

“The Lie” is a song from Tori Kelly’s album “Inspired by Real Events,” though this one is not exactly about her life. 

This song is about the lie that money can buy happiness, which at the end of life, we realize is not true because more is not always better, and this realization leaves her crying at the bad joke told at her expense.  

41. “Honesty” by Billy Joel

“Love is easier to find than honesty,” this is the simple message this song passes across. 

You can find people to show you love, sympathy, and tenderness, but honesty is a lonely word, and though this is not a song with lies in the lyrics, it is a song about dishonesty. 

The singer knows how difficult it is to find, but it’s what he needs the most, maybe because, without honesty, every other thing is meaningless. 

42. “Bad Liar” by Imagine Dragons

Lead singer Reynold and his ex-wife, Aja Volkman, co-wrote “Bad Liar,” making it a bittersweet song. 

The year had been tough for them, and this was a song written to express the problems they were facing. 

In the song, Reynold doesn’t want to cry fake tears, so he tells her she is free to go, and although he calls himself a bad liar, he begs her to believe he can’t be the one she wants him to be. 

43. “No Time To Die” by Billie Eilish

“No Time To Die” is a song about lying and deception, and Billie Eilish lends her voice to this heartbreak piece filled with questions. 

The song exudes many emotions, and the singer is filled with regrets; however, she doesn’t give him the chance to see her cry; she rather wants to die. 

Whether she meant this literally or not, what we are certain of is that it’s a sad song about lies and betrayal. 

44. “Little White Lies” by One Direction

“Little White Lies” is not particularly a song about liars and cheaters; it just lightly brushes the topic of dishonesty. 

The song is about a girl who pretends not to want the guy, and as the name suggests, these lies are white lies, and they are not harmful.

However, they have completely filled his mind, and though he exaggerates the situation, he just wants her to come clean with her feelings. 

45. “Beautiful Liar” by Beyonce, Shakira

This song is about lying and cheating, and the lyrics are about a conversation between Beyonce and Shakira. 

They find out a man is playing both of them, but instead of fighting over him, they decide to live without him because no matter how beautiful the liar is, he isn’t worth their time. 

“Beautiful Liar” is a great song because we don’t see the usual girls’ drama; instead, we see two heartbroken ladies trying to fix things. 

46. “Always The Last To Know” by Del Amitri

This song looks like a normal song until we listen to the end, where we realize the singer had cheated on his ex and wants to know if her man is cheating on her. 

His request to not be the last to know about the things going on in her relationship sounds bizarre, but we see he still loves her and is regretful for cheating and telling her last.  

47. “Better To Lie” by Benny Blanco, Jesse & Swae Lee

As much as lies are appalling, sometimes they are necessary, but when is lying the better option? 

This song by Benny Blanco talks about lying to avoid saying everything on our minds. 

When dealing with friends, pouring out our feelings in their rawest form might hurt them badly, and in the music context, the guy has a lot to say, and we realize his truth would have been better left unsaid. 

48. “A Tender Lie” by Restless Heart

What damage can a tender lie cause? Well, tender lies do hurt, but in this song, the man begs his lover to tell him a tender lie because it can’t cause any significant damage. 

The man is blinded by his emotions and desperately needs her love; however, having someone lie about loving you can be soothing at first, but when their actions don’t match their words, your heart will still ache. 

49. “Lie” by NF

You can trust NF to always give you poetic rap lines, and his song, “Lie,” is about a girl living a double life. 

When with him, his lover acts like she needs him, but with others, she acts otherwise, so the singer is confused by her lies and wonders if she’s just going to lie like that. 

If you have ever been here before, you’ll understand the feeling conveyed aptly using symbolic lines.  

50. “I’d Lie For You (And That’s The Truth)” by Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf’s song about lying isn’t related to cheating but is about lying for a lover, and he sings that he can never lie to her, but he can lie for her. 

He also swears that he can do anything for her, so this is a sweet song for your love to show that you love them, but if you cannot go as far as selling your soul for them, you might want to skip some lines. 

Songs About Lies – Final Thoughts

If you are currently in pain because of the lies you tell yourself, or because of a partner who lies and cheats, there are many comforting songs on this list to pull you through the process. 

No matter what your kind of music is, there is something for you.  

Make a playlist of songs to help you remember you are not alone and some of your favorite singers went through similar situations. 

Similar Articles:

Songs About Cheating

Songs About Toxic Relationships

Will Fenton

Will, the founder of MIDDER, is a multifaceted individual with a deep passion for music and personal finance. As a self-proclaimed music and personal finance geek, he has a keen eye for futuristic technologies, especially those that empower creators and the public.

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