The Lie
Fate's Wager: Tempting Destiny in Tony Banks' 'The Lie'
Lyrics
Thirty odd years before on some grass covered wasteland,
Introduces a scene from thirty years ago, describing a grassy wasteland.
A boy is observed on his own who is watching and playing.
Observation of a boy on his own, watching and playing.
He's just made a pact with himself,
The boy makes a personal pact with himself.
If that rabbit over there
Refers to a rabbit, setting the condition for the pact.
Doesn't go down yonder hole,
If the rabbit doesn't go down a hole, the boy wishes the ground beneath him to disappear.
Let the ground beneath him disappear.
The rabbit runs past, and the ground doesn't disappear as expected.
And it runs on past,
Describes the rabbit running past.
Fades away in the distance
The rabbit fades away in the distance.
But the earth doesn't move, nobody thought that it would.
Contrary to expectations, the earth doesn't move, and nobody thought it would.
He makes bets and pledges again and again.
The boy continues making bets and pledges repeatedly.
Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses, no matter,
Regardless of outcomes, winning or losing, the boy persists in tempting fate.
Some might call him stupid
Others might see the boy as foolish for tempting fate.
To tempt fate in this way,
Acknowledges the risky behavior but emphasizes the boy's belief in it.
But he really does believe in it
Expresses the boy's genuine belief in the outcomes of his bets.
Each time the rules are made
Every time, new rules are established for the bets.
There he goes again,
Repeats the cycle of the boy making bets and pledges.
'If I never fall for a lady then Let me famous, let me be wise -'
The boy contemplates a different kind of pact related to love.
Now this one I like,
The narrator expresses approval of this particular pact.
It has a different ring,
Highlights the distinctiveness of this pact compared to previous trivial ones.
Instead of something trivial
Contrasts the seriousness of the new pact with previous trivial ones.
That's a serious undertaking.
The narrator addresses the listener, emphasizing the serious nature of the new pact.
So I say to you,
The narrator suggests the decision to act on the new pact.
This time I think I'll act,
The narrator plans to be a witness to the pact and settle everything.
I'll be a witness to this contract,
The narrator commits to witnessing the pact and resolving any consequences.
I'll settle everything.
The narrator aims to settle all matters related to the pact.
So if you should ever fall in love
The narrator comments on the consequences of falling in love.
You'll not only not be wise,
Highlights that falling in love may not lead to wisdom.
You'll lose your memory and most of your mind
Describes potential consequences of falling in love, including memory loss.
And I've never been known to lie...
The narrator asserts their reputation for honesty.
And now he's not really sure if he truly heard someone,
The boy questions if he truly heard someone, expressing uncertainty.
So what if he did, he thinks, for nothing will happen,
The boy dismisses the possibility of anything happening.
Though he seems to shrug it off
The boy decides not to engage in that particular game again.
He won't play that game again,
The boy avoids the risk associated with the mentioned game.
Forever morning after the night before
Reflects on the aftermath of risky behavior, suggesting regret.
When even one drop would cause pain.
Describes a difficult morning after a regretful night.
And the years go by.
Acknowledges the passage of time.
The incident is all but forgotten by one
One person has forgotten the incident, while the other remembers the innocent fun.
But the other who lives it remembers that innocent fun.
Emphasizes the lasting memory of innocent fun despite the passage of time.
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