About The Song
Ricky Van Shelton earned his first number one record three years after leaving Grit, Virginia for the uncertain surroundings of Nashville. Ricky and his wife had planned to move to Music City when they could save enough money, but Bettye landed a job as a corporate personnel director in the Tennessee capital and her new income would support them both.
On December 27, 1984, the Sheltons moved into a rental property not far from Opryland. During the day, Ricky practiced his vocal work and his songwriting and worked up demos on a four-track machine in his basement. By night, he made the rounds of the Nashville club circuit, particularly the “Nashville Palace” where he met dishwasher and wannabe country singer Randy Travis.
In the meantime, Bettye established a friendship with Linda Thompson, wife of eminent newspaper columnist Jerry Thompson of the “Nashville Tennessean.” While Linda was visiting the Shelton household, she overheard Ricky singing in the basement and asked Bettye for one of his tapes. After her husband Jerry heard it, he immediately telephoned Columbia Records executive Rick Blackburn to persuade him to give Ricky an audition.
On July 19, 1986, Blackburn and Columbia staff producer Steve Buckingham caught Shelton’s live act at “The Stock Yard,” a downtown club owned by Buddy Killen, an executive at Tree Publishing Company. Within two weeks, Ricky walked in to a full-fledged recording studio for the first time in his life. He cut three songs at that session: “Wild-Eyed Dream” (his first single), a cover of Ernest Tubb’s 1963 hit, “Thanks A Lot,” and “Somebody Lied.”
Ricky’s debut Billboard appearance, “Wild-Eyed Dream,” reached #24 and the second single, “Crime Of Passion” made it into the Top Ten. The third record, “Somebody Lied,” sent Shelton to the summit on Billboard’s country singles chart December 5, 1987. Conway Twitty’s nephew, Larry Jenkins, co-wrote the song two years earlier and it had first appeared on Conway’s “Don’t Call Him A Cowboy” album.
By the time Shelton was signed to Columbia, producer Steve Buckingham had already squirreled away “Somebody Lied” as he waited for someone to come along that he felt was right for that particular song. With Ricky Van Shelton, he had that person. The tune fit Ricky perfectly and in its 16th week, it landed at number one.
Video
Lyrics
Hello, yeah, this is me
Lord it’s been a long, long time
I know this ain’t no social call
So go ahead, get it off your mind
You heard what? Well it ain’t true
I was here most all last night
I got over you the day you left
Could it be somebody lied?
They said what? That I was cryin’?
I haven’t shed a tear in years
That I spoke your name? Well that’s insane
I’ve hardly noticed you’re not here
That I showed your picture to some stranger?
Don’t you think I’ve got no pride?
They’ve been here at home face down on a shelf
Lord, I bet somebody lied
But if they were true
What would it matter to you?
Would it change the way you feel?
If the rumors were right
Would you be here tonight
To help this old heart heal?
Well, don’t worry, it wasn’t me
Just someone whose world was torn in two
Someone who looks a lot like me
And loves someone like you
So forget the tears I never cried
Lord I bet somebody lied
