Liar

Album: Weight (1994)
Charted: 27
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Songfacts®:

  • Henry Rollins performs this song from the perspective of a guy with a great deal of anger who preys on vulnerable women. He tells them exactly what they want to hear and gains their trust, but in the end he will hurt them, because he's a liar. Rollins delivers the verses in his spoken-word style, then explodes into the chorus, displaying the different personalities of the character.
  • The video, directed by Anton Corbijn, is one of the more memorable to hit MTV. Rollins starts off in a soothing sepia scene before jumping into the chorus as a red devil, covered with body paint. Beavis and Butthead were big fans. Corbijn used a similar look a year earlier on Nivana's "Heart-Shaped Box" video.
  • Rollins adhered to the Japanese code of Bushido, living an ascetic and disciplined lifestyle. At the time, he was maybe the only person in Los Angeles without a car.

    The Rollins Band was one of his many endeavors in the mid-'90s. He also ran a book company, appeared in movies (Johnny Mnemonic with Keanu Reeves) and did spoken-word performances. American television was cluttered with talk shows that welcomed him as a guest, giving him the opportunity to promote his projects in exchange for the ratings boost he provided with his striking look and articulated epigrams.

Comments: 1

  • Frankie from Tampa, FlThis song actually makes me laugh.
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