Did you ever hear about the great deception
   Well the plastic revolutionaries take the money and run
   Have you ever been down to love city
   Where they rip you off with a smile
   And it don't take a gun
  
   Don't it hurt so bad in love city
   Don't it make you not want to bother at all
   And don't they look so self righteous
   When they pin you up against the wall
  
   Did you ever, ever see the people
   With the tear drops in their eyes
   I just can't stand it, stand it no how
   Living in this world of lies
  
   Did you ever hear about the rock and roll singers
   Got three or four Cadillacs
   Saying power to the people, dance to the music
   Wants you to pat him on the back
  
   Have you ever heard about the great Rembrandt
   Have you ever heard about how he could paint
   And he didn't have enough money for his brushes
   And they thought it was rather quaint
  
   But you know it's no use repeating
   And you know it's no use to think about it
   'Cause when you stop to think about it
   You don't need it
  
   Have you ever heard about the great Hollywood motion picture actor
   Who knew more than they did
   And the newspapers didn't cover the story
   Just decided to keep it hid.
  
   Somebody started saying it was an inside job
   Whatever happened to him?
   Last time they saw him down on the Bow'ry
   With his lip hanging off an old rusty bottle of gin
  
   Have you ever heard about the so-called hippies
   Down on the far side of the tracks
   They take the eyeballs straight out of your head
   Say son, kid, do you want your eyeballs back
  
   Did you ever see the people
   With the tear drops in their eyes
   Just can't stand it no how
   Living in this world of lies