[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
Don't it hurt so bad in the Love City?
Don't it make you wanna not bother at all?
And don't they look so self righteous
When they pin you up against the wall?

[Chorus]
Did you ever, ever see the people
With the teardrops in their eyes?
I just can't stand it, stand it no how
Living in this world of lies

[Verse 3]
Did you ever hear about the rock and roll singer?
He's got three or four Cadillacs
He's saying power to the people, dance to the music
Wants you to pat him on the back

[Verse 4]
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
[Bridge]
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

[Verse 5]
Have you ever heard about the great Hollywood motion picture actor?
Knew more than they did
And the newspapers didn't cover the story
Just decided to keep it hid

[Verse 6]
Somebody started saying it was an inside job
Whatever happened to him?
Last time they saw him down on the Bowery
With his lip hanging off an old rusty bottle of gin

[Verse 7]
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
And say "Son, kid, do you want your eyeballs back?"

[Chorus]
Did you ever see the people
With the teardrops in their eyes?
Just can't stand it no how
Living in this world of lies
[Verse 1]
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 rob you with a smile instead of a gun

[Refrain]
Did you ever hear about the great deception?