The Lie

Album: Cold World (2016)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song comes from an idea that guitarist Alan Ashby came up with, which vocalist Austin Carlile then developed. Carlile explained its lyrical content to Metal Hammer: "The song is putting a spotlight on the one percent – the one percent of the one percent. The powers that be, the people that have control over money and imports and products and food. They have a responsibility to people, and they abuse that responsibility. Everything that we're doing to the Earth has repercussions."
  • The song finds Carlile venting his frustrations about today's medical system. He explained: "The line, 'Force-feeding chemicals into the mouths of all our youth' is talking about pharmaceutical companies. So many people are dependent on drugs, and it's not fair, because a lot of people don't know better. But the people that are doing it do know better."
  • This features handclaps by the late 14-year-old Cassy Colunga, a terminal brain cancer sufferer whom the band befriended. Upon hearing that her condition had worsened, Of Mice And Men arranged for a visit while recording the album. "Now Cassy's name and the sound of her clapping hands are on the record," said Carlile. "It's something that captures that moment and that relationship forever. When we think about everything we went through to make this record, that's something that we'll never forget."

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