Eagles: Lyin' Eyes Meaning
Song Released: 1976
Lyin' Eyes Lyrics
How to open doors with just a smile
A rich old man
And she won't have to worry
She'll dress up all in lace and go in style
Late at night a big old house gets lonely
I guess ev'ry form of refuge has...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:This is definitely one of my favorite Eagles songs. The narrator is obviously a country dweller who tells the tale of how riches, cannot fill every void in one's life; especially this city girl who woefully comes to this realization.
The fast life living in the big city produces an ocean of competition amongst the young girls especially in high school. Most of them have big dreams of getting married to a rich man so that they can live a life of leisure and jet set around the world thinking this will satisfy them. They learn what it is that a man wants, or most men anyway. A cute smile to an old man with money, a bat or wink of the eye and they have them snared. Well in this story a young girl employs her charms upon an old man who is swept off his feet. He marries her and dress her all up in lace and she goes in style with him on his arm.
And while this may be exciting for a time, a big house, social parties, big cars and money she still has to grow up and become mature. Those raging hormones that drove her to learn what it is a man likes forever haunts her in her passionless relationship. There is no sexual satisfaction in her marriage and soon her lust drives her so insane that she is willing to risk everything that she has.
Her feminine desires pushes her into and affair with a boy that she has met; one that makes her feel the way she felt when she was in school. She can't let go of her life because the boy is poor and can not offer her anything; or money which is important to her. In order to meet her love, she lies to her husband and tells him that she is going out to see a friend who is feeling poorly, or depressed. But a man does not become rich being a fool. He knows what she is doing - either by his social influences, or he accepts the fact that he wants to keep his young love; and he does love her. He knows that she is going back to the city to fulfill her sexual needs. Her eyes, when she leaves as well as her smile tells it all.
As she drives to the city, she imagines what it will be like when they get together with great anticipation! She arrives they fall into each others arms and satisfy their lust's and passions. But times is fleeting and she has to go. She gets into her car and the young man leans into her window and they kiss - she swears that one day they will not have to part. No doubt indicating that this man will soon be dead and they will be able not only to spend time but his money too, together. She pulls off and leaves him with a smile and that hope.
Laying in bed next to this man whom she cannot stand touching her, with his cold and passionless touch. She cannot sleep as she lay in bed. She gets out of bed and has to pour herself a drink - a strong drink to calm her anxiety to fall asleep. Standing in the window she stares out at the stars in the sky. What happened to her? Did she just get tired of trying to make a life, did she just quit and give up her life to a man whose hands are as cold as ice?
Thinking to herself further, she laughs at herself thinking that things did not go the way she planned. Carefully she pursued this old guy thinking, and hoping that living the rich life would take the place of what she had become and was use to being. She was promiscuous, she loved sex with the boys that she use to play around with and she thinks about one in particular from school.
Money did not change her at all as she thought, she is still the same old lust filled, party girl that she use to be. Feeling sorry for herself, not knowing when this old guy is going to die, and knowing that it could be along time, she is doomed. But She does not want to divorce the money either, but her hunger for the love that she craves and the prison that she has placed herself in is impossible - she pulls down the shade and hangs her head and cries. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:A woman marries and older, wealthy man for security, fine things and to feel safe. Yet it is an empty marriage because there is no real love between them. Their home is devoid of warmth as they’ve nothing to share with each other. She has a lover she goes to some nights desperate for the intimacy she is without at home. She believes, and tells her lover so, that she will return to stay one day. But as the night wears on and the momentary passion fades, she wonders if it’s true, will it ever really be so? Thinking of an old lover, remembering the simplicity of young, unencumbered love and her unfaithfulness to it, she ponders how little she has changed. She feels trapped and foolish in a web of her own making. She’s still seeking security and safety and willing to sacrifice true love to have it. Her mastered coquettish smile is no disguise; to her husband, to her lover, to herself.
She’s not fooling anyone. -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:This is about a girl who married an old man for his money, but she loves someone else. She keps telling him (the one he loves) that it will only be a little longer before she comes for him. She ends up sad, poor, and alone, thinking about a guy she used to know and figuring out that living a lie didn't change her and she is still the same foolish, naive girl she used to be.
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I have a different take on this song than most, but I think it makes the most sense and brings a more poignant meaning.
My take - the story is about an attractive woman who married for riches instead of love and how it led her to a life of sadness and deception. The boy she was thinking about when she was in school is the narrator of the song. He was her true love in high school, but she broke his heart by leaving him to marry a much older man for his wealth many years before.
There are three repeats of the Chorus “You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes…” The first chorus is from the viewpoint of her rich husband after she lied to him. The second chorus is from the viewpoint of the boy “on the cheatin’ side of town” after she lied to him about intending to leave her rich husband in the future. The last chorus is from the viewpoint of the narrator. That’s why he calls her “Honey” in the last verse. The “you set it up so well…” lyrics refer to her original overall plan to leave him for a richer life and how she has never changed her deceptive ways.
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Three lies: to her husband, telling him that she is going to comfort an old friend while she goes to see her boyfriend; to her boyfriend, telling him that she’ll be back forever with him; and finally to herself, thinking that she hasn’t changed and she is still the same girl she used to be.
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A girl who feels tired and unappreciated in her marriage. Her husband has thoughts something is going on due to what she wears,how she looks etc when she goes out after putting the children to bed. Her husband is left feeling that she is having an affair and can see the change in her eyes and her behaviour towards him.
He is home thinking her eyes are lying to me and he wants to tell her she cant hide it, her smile towards him isnt for him it's for her extra life she has found herself. He thinks that she should realise that he knows that she is having an affair....left thinking ...did she confess...did he confront her.......You cant hide lying eyes.... -
Young person tries the easy way...
- sells soul for false security: $$$
gets it but something is missing
- sells soul for false love: sex
gets it but something is still missing
- sells soul for false peace: alcohol
gets it and is more empty
-creates new life circumstances with same old lyin’ self... and is still as unhappy, foolish and childish as ever
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This is the the perfect song about a younger wife such as was my own. All I can say is that Kristin isthesame old girl everyone knew in school. White hall that is.
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It is true that "every form of refuge has it's price". You choose money and all the amenities it can buy or you choose love and hope that you can build a comfortable happy life. If you are a single woman having to work to just get by, marrying for money looks good on the surface ans a safe choice. However, men are no fools they know their money can buy them a young woman they can use as eye candy. As long as the money is there the young woman will tolerate a cold, indifferent marriage and find her pleasure elsewhere. But she and her husband have nothing in common, nothing to talk about. Her lover can satisfy her need for sex, may even have a lot uncommon with her. He ignites a passion in her that she doesn't have at home. But the big question is, is she willing to give up the fancy lifestyle her wealthy husband provides for her for a life with her lover which can't provide that same lifestyle. In the end she realizes what she has done and feels like a fool. All along her husband knows he can't provide the passion she needs so he looks the other way while she cheats. Once knew a man that said, " as long as I buy her a new Mercedes every year and pay her credit card bills, I can do whateverI want." So yes, everything has a price
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The girl with the 'lying eyes' wouldn't feel guilty about her evil behavior unless she had a conscience.
Only someone who feels no shame in cheating can enjoy such a life. Some people couldn't live like that, but others delight in it.
To me, the moral of the song is - Stay clear of people who delight in evil unless you are one of them yourself.
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Classic interpretation of a woman that marries for money not love. She'll get what she needs outside of the marriage but will always come back to the money and finer things in life that her husband provides for her. Her husband knows very well what is going on and accepts it. By the way, this can work for either gender. Glenn Frey weaves a great story around the premise of cheating.
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She married a rich man she doesn't love but can't leave the passion from the man who can't give her the "lifestyle" she wants. She tells her lover while in a hotel room (assuming the sugar daddy paid for)will be with him soon..they both know it's a lie and are probably ok with it... Thinks about a boy she knew in school...they are in it together. She gets the both of both worlds..a man who gives her the world and a boy from the past who she wishes could.
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The song has new meaning to me as never before. I agree with the post about female sociopaths. Seeking sugar daddies and victims, superficial charm, pathological lying, promiscuity, shallow relationships, incapable of real love, narcisstic. And along with this mental
disorder, a propensity for alcohol and/or drug addiction. Beware of the female sociopath. Broken hearts and empty bank accounts. I know. Brilliant song. -
A young woman marries a rich older man thinking it would make her happy, but she is not happy, she is lonely in a big old house, but she is safe.
She doesn't like having sex with him, it breaks her heart his hands feel cold and she feels cold towards him. To make herself feel better she has a boyfriend on the side who she goes to on the other side of town, but her husband knows where she is going even though she tries to hide it.
She is either alone in the big house or she is going to have sex with him again so she pours herself a strong one and hangs her head to cry.
Now she wonders how things could gotten so bad. She thinks about her one true love in school. Maybe they were together for awhile, but she got tired of the struggle and left him for an easier life.
She set up this life she has now, but realizes now that she is no better, no happier than before and perhaps her one true love moved on to someone else so its too late to go back to him so she is trapped in this loveless marriage and feels like a fool.
The end line gives this song away that the singer is talking about his wife. "Honey, you can't hide your lying eyes." -
What always caught me about this song was the last verse. I kind of think it means that time has passed, she is with the new guys, but now she is thinking of a boy from school. Why else would they say she's still the same old girl she used to be? Even after she thinks she's found "true love" she's still thinking about someone else...
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The ladies the eagles saw were probably sociopaths seeking security and rich lifestyle. Cheating occurs due to boredom and empty life. The parts of song about "feelings" would not relate to sociopaths but all other lyrics seem to (lying eyes, smile a thin disguise....two powerful sociopath characteristics).
Just a thought. Powerful indeed. -
Glenn Frey said at the Hollywood Bowl concert a few years ago that he and Don would be sitting at the bar at Dan Tana's in Hollywood and watch these young babes come on to the old dudes. So they made up a somng about it.
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Good interpretation. Good friend too. Please tell your friend that if the younger woman is cheating, she will still cheat even if he marries her. He is very lonely and contemplating marriage? It's not wrong to be lonely. How can he be lonely if he has a good friend like you? Perhaps he is lonely because his dating a wrong woman. But contemplating marriage? I believe one must think carefully of marriage. One can be alone but not lonely, your friend must learn how to be alone and to accept that being alone will not make one feel lonely. I believe one must be content with oneself before dating another person. Marriage is a serious matter and one must marry for love. If his woman respects him, she should let him go and be with the guy that she loves. Tell your older friend that there are still a lot of women who will marry for love. Not all women dream of lavish meals and trips. Love is more important than money.
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