“Liar” is the 8th track on Paramore’s 2023 album ‘This Is Why.’ The song tackles the lead singer’s conflicted emotions about falling in love with a fellow band member and colleague.
Paramore returns from a 5-year-old hiatus to bring new music in the form of the ‘This Is Why’ album–the sixth in their discography. Thematically, Paramore attempts to shift towards a more ‘mature’ alt-rock sound with this album, unlike their previous work. On Instagram, Paramore summed up a plethora of emotions they are trying to tackle with this album; “If within the last 5.5 years you’ve felt/experienced sensations of: Agoraphobia, Righteous Rage, Confused About The Difference Between Selfishness and Self-Preservation, Complete and Utter Apathy…” and the list goes on.
The lead vocalist of Paramore, Hayley Williams, sparked dating rumors in 2018 when she posted an Instagram reel that was also posted by band member Taylor York. Only in 2022, the two confirmed these rumors. Before this relationship, Hayley Wiliams was married to another musician Chad Gilbert from 2016 to 2017.
Listen to “Liar” by Paramore
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Paramore “Liar” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
Throughout the song, the singer talks about how she had to put up a mask to hide their genuine emotions. She had to be a liar to stop herself from potentially setting everything imbalanced.
Hayley Williams talked to BBC Radio 1 about why she had to put a pin on her emotions; “And I fought that feeling and said to myself that ‘that’s just a convenient thing, you’re just trying to go to where maybe your ego likes it’, I just made up anything that I could.”
Why? Because she was falling in for her colleague and band member. And she couldn’t help but wonder if she was being lazy and finding love where she could. He was right there. They were spending most of their time together as the band anyway. This makes her wonder if she is making a mistake. Even worse, is she dragging someone into something she doesn’t even feel one hundred percent about? Even worse, would a personal spat between them potentially break up the band? So, she is wondering if she should plug back in the pin of emotions in this grenade before it explodes all of them.
Hayley Williams and Taylor York have been friends since kids and they formed Paramore band in 2004 with Zac Farro. The trio has stuck together since.
Hayley Williams has lied to herself and to others about these feelings she has been developing for a few years. For one, she wants to protect the man she is falling for. Second, she wants to explore if these are true feelings. Third, in early 2018, coming out of a very short marriage, Hayley might be a little paranoid about jumping into another.
However, despite her lies to herself and to Taylor York, he had always known. Some emotions are difficult to mask. In your most vulnerable times, these masks slip. And finally, Hayley is admitting all of those emotions she has had a pin on. She is not afraid or ashamed anymore.
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.