Song Meaning

This track opens with a chillingly casual confession of extreme violence, painting a picture of someone who disposes of a "little bitch" after being double-crossed. The narrator immediately establishes a brutal, transactional worldview, where betrayal is met with swift, permanent retribution. The imagery of wrapping someone in plastic and taping the ends, then sinking them in a river, is stark and devoid of remorse, highlighting a complete lack of empathy. The repeated assertion, "Who I am in the dark's / Who I am in the light," underscores a disturbing consistency in their ruthless nature, suggesting no hidden depths of morality. The core tension arises from the narrator's self-awareness of their own deceitful and violent tendencies, directly confronting them in the chorus. The phrase "Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief" becomes a self-referential mantra, admitting that beneath any facade, their true identity is one of betrayal and deception. This isn't just about punishing others for their perceived wrongs; it's a confession of their own inherent nature, a "disease" of "violence and vices" that they can't escape. The repetition of "I'll always find a way to get my relief" suggests a cyclical pattern of destructive behavior, where the relief is temporary and the underlying issues remain unresolved. The most striking craft element is the narrator's ability to project their own deceit onto others, only to reveal it's a reflection of themselves. The shift from describing the disposal of another person to admitting "I'm a lie, I'm a thief" is a critical turning point. The repeated phrase "You deserve what you get / And you get what you deserve" from the pre-chorus, initially sounds like justification for their actions against others, but in the context of the chorus, it becomes a self-condemnation. The lyrics suggest that the narrator is trapped in a feedback loop of their own making, where every outward act of retribution is a symptom of their internal corruption. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their unflinching, almost nihilistic portrayal of a character who is both the perpetrator and the victim of their own destructive impulses. The blunt, aggressive language and the relentless repetition create a sense of inescapable doom. The song doesn't offer redemption or even a clear narrative arc beyond the cyclical nature of the narrator's self-destructive behavior. It forces the listener to confront a raw, unvarnished depiction of malice and addiction, leaving a lingering sense of unease about the darkness that can lie beneath a seemingly consistent exterior.

HELLYEAH - Rock

Scratch a Lie

0 Plays

View Artist View Album

[Verse 1] Dead in a ditch Is where I dumped that little bitch That'll teach a motherfucker To double-cross me again Your last mistake Was that you thought we were friends Then I wrapped you up in plastic And I taped up the ends Who I am in the dark's Who I am in the light Who I am in the day's Who I am in the night Now the rat is in the bag And the bag is in the river Forgot about you already But at least I got a picture [Pre-Chorus] I gave you what you got And you got what you deserved I gave you what you got And you got what you deserved I gave you what you got And you got what you deserved You deserve what you get And you get what you deserve [Chorus] Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief I'll always find a way to get my relief Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief I'm always gonna try to betray and deceive Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief I'll always find a way to get my relief Scratch a lie, I'm a lie, I'm a thief My violence and vices are my own disease [Verse 2] Dead in the ditch Is where I left that little monkey My faults and corruption And addiction so ugly Thought I broke the bottle But the bottle broke me I was locked up and loaded And they threw away the key Who you are in the dark's Who you are in the light Who you are in the day's Who you are in the night Now the monkey's on my back But the bag's in the river So, here I go again I'm a repeat offender! [Pre-Chorus] I gave you what you got And you got what you deserved I gave you what you got And you got what you deserved I gave you what you got And you got what you deserved You deserve what you get And you get what you deserve [Chorus] Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief I'll always find a way to get my relief Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief I'm always gonna try to betray and deceive Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief I'll always find a way to get my relief Scratch a lie, I'm a lie, I'm a thief My violence and vices are my own disease [Guitar Solo] [Bridge] Scratch a lie Scratch a lie Scratch a lie Scratch a lie [Chorus] Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief I'll always find a way to get my relief Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief I'm always gonna try to betray and deceive Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief I'll always find a way to get my relief Scratch a lie, I'm a lie, I'm a thief My violence and vices are my own disease Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief I'll always find a way to get my relief Scratch a lie, behind the veil, I'm the thief I'm always gonna try to betray and deceive Scratch a lie, scratch a lie, find a thief I'll always find a way to get my relief Scratch a lie, behind the veil, I'm the thief My violence and vices are my own disease [Outro] Scratch a lie Scratch a lie Scratch a lie Scratch a lie

Credits

Writers: Chad Gray
Tom Maxwell (MD)
Christian Brady
Kyle Sanders
Vinnie Paul

Scratch a Lie

Scratch a Lie

Lyrics

Rate this song

Credits