Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Liar" (Three Dog Night)














Say hello to Monday!  We hope your day is stinky!!!    I've typed on this computer, 'til I think I've broke my pinky!  

We're bringing you a blog about literature and art, we don't think its very good, not at all, not from the start.

So here we are a thinking about this snowy day, "let's just go back to bed, 'we've got no horns to play".   

So you must be thinking, "What is going on? I can't be reading this!" "Where's the joviality? Where's the Tuesday bliss?"  "Where's the Tuesday welcome?  Have you lost your head?"  "What is going on with you?"  Now, for real, be honest, Ain't that what you said? Ain't that what you said?  Ain't that what you said...


Let's try that again...  Welcome to Tuesday!  We hope you are having a spectacular day!  Welcome also to Tuesday's Musical Notes where music meets THE message!  You may have noticed a bit of a departure in the opening monologue.  Please forgive.  Well, yes the rhyming too, but mostly we beg your forgiveness for the above as each of those statements feature a mistruth, dishonesty, a distortion, or well, let's call it what it is...they are all lies!   It is indeed Tuesday.  My pinky is not broken.  This is a blog about music and we think its good.  It's cool but sunny today.  I have a bunch of musical instruments that I do like to play.  And that's the truth!!!  Welcome!

Originally written by Argent lead singer and guitarist, Russ Ballard, "Liar" was covered by the band Three Dog Night (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Black and White" (Three Dog Night)) who took the single all the way to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 49 years ago, this month. 

"Liar" was one of 2 top ten hits ("Joy to the World" written by actor/singer/songwriter Hoyt Axton went to #1) from the fourth studio album by the band.  A third song, "One Man Band" made the top 20.  The instrumental "Fire Eater" is the only song from the album written by the members of Three Dog Night. 

"Liar" takes the perspective of one who has been deceived throughout a relationship.  The lyric constantly places the former flame's statements at the forefront and confronts them about their deceit.  "Ain't that what you said?"  Going past the point of holding them accountable, the singer quickly calls them a name from which most folks want to shy away..."Liar! Liar!"  Yet another admonition pops into the memory...


Tuesday's Musical Notes has explored the topic of lying on a couple of occasions...Tuesday's Musical Notes -"Little Lies" (Fleetwood Mac)Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Would I Lie to You?" (The Eurythmics)  While both instances describe lying as a bad thing, they don't complete the thought that God was attempting to make with the Israelites when He gave them the command against doing it.

What we do see from these blogs is that from a very early age, we are taught to tell the truth.  But even at that early age, do we actually tell the truth all the time?   If you observe even a precious baby's actions, they have learned how to lie before they can utter words.  This may seem harsh, but have you ever had a screaming baby, immediately stop wailing once they gain your attention?  Or worse yet, smile, coo, and giggle once they have their way?  Further exploration determines that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the precious little dears,  so why the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth (well if they have teeth)?  Because from conception, a baby is a human being and understands very quickly that deception can sometimes get them what they want.  This is only one of the reasons folks, yes even sweet little, cuddly babies, fabricate the truth.


Regardless of the motivation, God told us, as He did those who were in earshot at the base of Mt. Sinai, "do not bear false witness against your neighbor".  Every resource that we can find defines this Biblical language as "do not lie", "do not misrepresent the truth", "do not mislead others to thinking something is true, when it is not", etc.  

The converse of this command?  "Always tell the truth!"  Have you heard, especially lately and most assuredly in a Presidential election year, that the truth is relative?  Since the time of Jesus, the enemies of the truth have been echoing the question that Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea at Jesus' time, asked, "What is truth?"  John 18:28-38 NASB/AMP/KJV  In the asking of this question, they attempt to make truth to be relative to the circumstance, which is not the case.  Or perhaps you have heard that the truth means something different for everyone?  If you watch campaign ads, or political debate it can be difficult discerning what is true and what is a lie.  That is why it is incumbent on the voting public, which should be all of us, to do enough research to find out what is the truth and then vote.  Follow that up with loving folks enough that you don't get into conversations that can quickly turn into disagreements.  

Jesus covered the topic of truthfulness as He ministered here on earth.  As a part of His message in Matthew called The Beatitudes, Jesus says that we should always tell the truth by letting your "Yes" be "Yes" and your "No" be "No.  Notice Jesus never mentions here anything like about a  little white lie or gray area...The Gospel of Jesus according to the disciple Matthew, chapter 5, verses 33-37 NASB/AMP/KJV  Jesus goes further about who is truth and who is the enemy of truth...The Gospel of Jesus according to the disciple John, chapter 8, verses 31-44, NASB/AMP/KJV


So friend, do you tell the truth all the time?  Unfortunately, upon reflection of my life, I have not, do not, nor will probably not tell the truth all the time.  My goal is to have the utmost integrity and credibility with anything that I say or do.  I fail at that goal sometimes.  But that doesn't keep me from repenting from the mistake, learning the lesson I must learn, and not falling into the temptation to mislead in that way ever again.  Because I believe that the only way to God is through Jesus who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except by me..." (John 14:1-6 NASB/AMP/KJV) I can rest assured that even though I fail, Jesus will never call me out by saying "Liar, Liar"!

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,
randy
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