The Bigger the Lie, the Bigger the Smile

[Intro – Dark swampy slide + sharp banjo, low and sneering atmosphere] [Verse 1 – Male, deep husky rough baritone, dry and bitter] He steps to the mic with a perfect grin Promises gold while he’s selling sin Shakes every hand, looks you in the eye While the truth is choking somewhere nearby [Verse 2 – Female, extra rotzig, sharp and mocking] She quotes the book she never read Talks about heaven while counting the bread Points to the sky with a holy hand Then cashes the check from the promised land [Pre-Chorus – Both, call-and-response, rising sarcasm] [Male:] The bigger the lie… [Female:] The bigger the smile [Chorus – Full power, catchy and cutting] The bigger the lie, the bigger the smile They sell you the dream while they run the trial Wave from the stage, look so sincere While the truth is buried year after year The bigger the lie, the bigger the smile We’re still applauding all the while [Verse 3 – Male, more aggressive, banjo answers] He builds a throne out of empty words Calls it a movement, calls it the cure Stands on the bones of the ones he fooled And still gets cheered like a golden rule [Verse 4 – Female, extra rotzig and witty] They change the story when the facts get thin Smile even wider when the cameras spin Promise the moon, deliver the dust Then ask for your trust… and your last buck [Pre-Chorus – Both] [Male:] The bigger the lie… [Female:] The bigger the smile [Chorus – Bigger, more bite] The bigger the lie, the bigger the smile They sell you the dream while they run the trial Wave from the stage, look so sincere While the truth is buried year after year The bigger the lie, the bigger the smile We’re still applauding all the while [Instrumental Bridge – Gritty slide trading with banjo, thick overdriven riffs, tense and driving] [Bridge – Female first, then Male, half-spoken and poisonous] [Female:] How many times can they sell the same show? [Male:] As long as we keep saying yes… and go [Final Chorus – Maximum sarcasm and power] The bigger the lie, the bigger the smile They sell you the dream while they run the trial Wave from the stage, look so sincere While the truth is buried year after year The bigger the lie, the bigger the smile We’re still applauding… all the while [Outro – Slow fade, slide + lonely banjo, both voices dry] The bigger the lie… The bigger the smile… [fade oud with Massive Banjo, Guitar, Drums] [end]