[Heart-wrenching] A Special Feature on Songs Themed Around Lies That Hit You Deep—Classics and Fan Favorites
The word “lie” carries a sense of guilt and remorse, yet there are many forms it can take—poignant lies told out of love for a partner, gentle lies meant to protect someone dear.
Songs themed around such “lies,” packed with the delicate nuances of human relationships, brim with lyrics that make your chest ache and melodies you can’t help but relate to.
In this article, we’ll introduce moving songs about “lies,” from anime tie-in tracks to classic Showa-era hits.
You might just find a song that resonates with your heart.
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- Masterpieces that sing of despair. Recommended popular songs.
- Recommended songs to listen to when you feel regret: classic and popular Japanese tracks.
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
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- Masterpieces that sing of love. Recommended popular songs.
- Masterpieces that sing about loneliness: J-pop to listen to when you're alone
- Hidden gems of yami songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- A playlist of timeless gems with piercing lyrics that will move your heart
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[Heart-wrenching] A Special Feature on Songs with the Theme of Touching Lies: Masterpieces and Fan Favorites (41–50)
True LiePlastic Tree
Plastic Tree is a rock band formed in 1993.
After making their major debut in 1997, they released this song in 1998.
While the track has a poignant resonance, the bass phrases and drum rhythms create a compelling groove, and vocalist Ryutaro Arimura’s bewitching voice lends the song a sense of splendor.
The lyrics are quite abstract and narrated in a story-like manner, leaving their meaning open to various interpretations.
Still, from the seemingly paradoxical title and lyrics—“True Lie”—one can sense a profound anguish.
Liar DiamondInoue Yosui
“Usotsuki Diamond” (Lying Diamond) is a single by Yosui Inoue released in 1995.
You could call it the magic of Inoue’s lyrics—there’s a very mysterious world unfolding.
On the album, it has a jazzy feel and it’s really cool!
So in VainCHEMISTRY
“So in Vain” is CHEMISTRY’s 10th single, released in 2004.
In this song, even though the man wants to break up with his girlfriend, he can’t bring himself to say it.
Sensing his feelings, she lies that she both loves and hates him and ends the relationship.
After she leaves, he finally realizes how he truly feels.
As CHEMISTRY themselves have said, it’s a song about a pretty lousy guy.
Blown by the yellow sandKudō Shizuka
“Kousa ni Fukarete” (Blown by the Yellow Dust) is Shizuka Kudo’s eighth single, released in 1989.
The lyrics were written by Miyuki Nakajima, who also recorded a self-cover version.
It’s a song that conveys the emptiness that remains after breaking up with someone you love—no matter how much you try to convince yourself by telling little lies to your own heart, the hollowness lingers.
Tears of the SunAnzai Maria
The original song was sung in English by Emy Jackson in 1965, and later released in Japanese by several different singers.
Still, the version sung by Maria Anzai in 1973 is the most striking.
I love how it captures the Showa-era vibe, especially the part that keeps repeating, “Why? Why?”—asking why the sworn words were lies, in contrast to the dazzling, shining sun.
tear(s)KANA-BOON
KANA-BOON is a four-piece rock band that made their major debut in 2013.
In the music video for Namida (Tears), set in Asakusa—the place where vocalist and guitarist Maguro Taniguchi had dreamed of going on a date with his ex—actress Anna Yamada naturally portrays both laughter and tears.
The lyrics include the line “turning my true feelings into lies,” which might suggest he couldn’t bring himself to say, “Please wait for me.”
Killer BallGesu no Kiwami Otome.
A mixed-gender four-piece rock band, Gesu no Kiwami Otome, commands immense popularity for their wide-ranging musicality—from progressive rock to hip-hop—virtuosic performance, and catchy lyrics and songs.
Beyond each member’s top-tier musicianship, this track is addictive for its whirlwind structure, which even drops Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu into the interlude.
The complex progression pairs with lyrics about “keeping on dancing while turning a blind eye to people’s lies,” creating a vivid scene in the listener’s mind and delivering both a strong visual impression and a refreshing rush.
