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Rolling Stones songs: Lies
Lies, lies you dirty Jezebel/ Why, why, why, why don’t you go to hell?,,,
Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: EMI Pathé Marconi Studios, Boulogne-Billancourt, France, Oct. 10-Dec. 1977 – Jan. 5-March 2 1978 *Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
Mick Jagger: vocals, rhythm guitar Keith Richards: rhythm guitar, backing vocals Ron Wood: rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Bill Wyman: bass Charlie Watts: drums
Lies sits at the sharp end of Some Girls, a record that found the Rolling Stones fighting back with speed, attitude, and teeth bared. Released in 1978, the song captures Mick Jagger at his most confrontational, spitting accusations over a blistering, no-nonsense groove that refuses to slow down or apologize.
On the surface Lies is a fast-paced rocker about betrayal and exhaustion, a man pushed to the edge by cheating and constant deception. Dig a little deeper, though, and it opens into something broader: a snapshot of a world where trust has eroded and truth feels negotiable, both in private relationships and public life.
Just as important Lies doubles as the Stones’ answer to punk-era critics who claimed they were finished. Lean, aggressive, and stripped of excess, the track proves the band could still hit hard, play fast, and sound dangerous—on their own terms.
More about Lies by The Rolling Stones
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
A World Built on Falsehoods
Lies arrives like a clenched fist, all tension and accusation, channeling Mick Jagger at his most confrontational. Released in 1978 on Some Girls, the song assumes dishonesty isn’t an exception but the rule, something woven into intimate relationships as much as into broader social narratives. At its core sits a man pushed to the edge by a girlfriend’s constant lying and cheating, but Jagger stretches that personal frustration into something colder and more universal. There’s no attempt to soften the blow or search for redemption; instead, the lyrics stare straight into a world where truth feels permanently compromised. That bleak outlook gives the track its bite. It’s not moral outrage so much as weary recognition, a sense that deception has become the default setting of modern life, especially in an era defined by mistrust, disillusionment, and fading certainties.
Punk Pressure and Stones Pride
By the late 1970s the Rolling Stones weren’t just competing with their peers; they were being openly challenged by a new generation that dismissed them as relics. Punk bands claimed authenticity, speed, and danger as their territory, while the Stones were painted as bloated survivors of a safer, softer rock era. Some Girls was their sharpest response to that criticism, and Lies sits comfortably within the album’s confrontational mood. Rather than retreating into nostalgia, the band leaned into aggression, pushing their sound toward something leaner and more impatient. The message wasn’t subtle: they could still play hard, fast, and loud, and they didn’t need permission to do it.
There’s a certain defiance in that approach. The Stones weren’t trying to become punk, nor could they convincingly pretend to share the same social circumstances. Instead, they filtered punk’s confrontational spirit through their own history. Lies becomes less about fitting in with the Blank Generation and more about refusing to be written off by it.
Speed, Simplicity and Controlled Chaos
Musically, the song is a fast-paced rocker that strips things down to essentials. The tempo is relentless, the structure tight, and there’s little room for decorative flourishes. Everything is designed to move forward, mirroring the lyrical insistence that deception—whether romantic or otherwise—is everywhere and unavoidable. This sense of propulsion gives the track its physical impact. It doesn’t linger or reflect; it charges ahead, daring the listener to keep up.
Yet the rawness is carefully managed. The edges may sound rough, but the performance is precise, the product of musicians who knew exactly how to create urgency without losing control. That tension—between looseness and discipline—defines the song’s character. It’s aggressive without being sloppy, cynical without collapsing into parody. While it may lack the wild abandon of the Stones’ most unhinged moments, it compensates with focus and intent, turning speed itself into a statement.
Proving It on the Road
Lies didn’t remain confined to vinyl grooves. Its inclusion in the 1978 U.S. tour setlists gave the song a second life, one rooted in volume and physical presence. Night after night, it was blasted across arenas, reinforcing the idea that the Stones’ answer to their critics wasn’t theoretical—it was visceral. Playing the song live transformed it from a studio challenge into a public confrontation, a reminder that the band’s power wasn’t just historical.
Onstage, the track fit neatly alongside faster, harder material drawn from Some Girls, helping shape a tour defined by intensity rather than reflection. The performances underscored the band’s refusal to slow down or soften their image. Instead of fading gracefully, the Stones chose to sound urgent, even abrasive, reaffirming their relevance through sheer force of delivery.
Guitars, Attitude and Lasting Impact
One of the song’s most convincing elements lies in its guitar work. As with much of the Some Girls album, Lies features the classic five-piece Stones lineup, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood sharing electric guitar duties. Richards and Wood operate as a single engine, their parts tightly meshed, driving the song forward without excess, while Jagger’s rhythmic playing thickens the attack rather than decorating it. There’s no lead-versus-rhythm hierarchy here, just a shared momentum that reinforces the track’s blunt personality.
In the end, Lies doesn’t redefine the Rolling Stones, nor does it need to. Its strength is in assertion rather than innovation. The song stands as proof that, even decades into their career, the band could still respond aggressively to changing times—using speed, anger, and attitude as their weapons of choice.
Keith Richards (2010): “Some Girls was Mick’s song. Lies too”
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