I do tend to take Helen’s Song Lyric Sunday prompts quite literally, so this week’s theme of ‘Truth’ needed a little self-discipline in order to avoid conflating ‘true’ with ‘truth’. Coincidentally, as I first saw Helen’s prompt this morning I was listening to Bob Dylan’s ‘True Love Tends To Forget’: a very fine song, but not really about truth in the strict sense.

There’s no arguing with the direct relevance of this John Lennon song from the ‘Imagine’ album, however. Was it in my collection? Bet your life.

Written over forty-five years ago, it’s depressing to consider that lying politicians and fake news are nothing – well, new.

I’m sick and tired of hearing things
From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocrites
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth

No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of tricky dicky
Is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocketful of hope
Money for dope
Money for rope

I’m sick to death of seeing things
From tight-lipped, condescending, mama’s little chauvinists
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth now

I’ve had enough of watching scenes
Of schizophrenic, ego-centric, paranoiac, prima-donnas
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth

I’m sick and tired of hearing things
From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocrites
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth now

I’ve had enough of reading things
By neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth now

Song Lyric Sunday 4 February 2018