“And your smile is a thin disguise”
This week’s theme for Song Lyric Sunday is ‘Smile’. We’re definitely spoiled for choice with this one.
In fact, a whole playlist of ‘smiley’ songs came to mind straight away: lots of uplifting songs from the fifties and even earlier, Cockney Rebel, even Barry Manilow (‘I Can’t Smile Without You’ is a great song).
On this occasion, however, I let myself think about it for a while until inspiration struck. This is a song that, even as you are reading this, is probably being played on at least a hundred soft-rock radio stations around the world. Which doesn’t make it a bad thing.
City girls just seem to find out early
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 every form of refuge has its price
And it breaks her heart to think her love is
Only given to a man with hands as cold as ice
So she tells him she must go out for the evening
To comfort an old friend who’s feelin’ down
But he knows where she’s goin’ as she’s leavin’
She is headed for the cheatin’ side of town
You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you’d realize
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin eyes
On the other side of town a boy is waiting
with fiery eyes and dreams no one could steal
She drives on through the night anticipating
‘Cause he makes her feel the way she used to feel
She rushes to his arms,
They fall together
She whispers that it’s only for awhile
She swears that soon she’ll be comin’ back forever
She pulls away and leaves him with a smile
You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you’d realize
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes
She gets up and pours herself a strong one
And stares out at the stars up in the sky
Another night, it’s gonna be a long one
She draws the shade and hangs her head to cry
She wonders how it ever got this crazy
She thinks about a boy she knew in school
Did she get tired or did she just get lazy?
She’s so far gone she feels just like a fool
My, oh my, you sure know how to arrange things
You set it up so well, so carefully
Ain’t it funny how your new life didn’t change things
You’re still the same old girl you used to be
Writers: Don Henley & Glenn Frey
the only deadhead in the hameau 
Great song.
I agree; this is a great song! I didn’t realize how terribly sad it actually is until I read the lyrics just now. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hm… I guess if you grow up thinking he is singing “You can’t hide your crying eyes” it changes everything. 😀
I guess so – although the clue’s in the title!
But on the radio you don’t hear the title…