From the moment Zach Top croons “Well, it’s been some time / You still look like an angel,” you can practically hear the smirk behind the microphone.
I Never Lie, a slow-burning standout from Cold Beer & Country Music, is less about honesty.
Written by Carson Chamberlain, Wyatt McCubbin, and Mike Waldron, the song is less concerned with truth-telling and more interested in what gets buried beneath a polished smile.
“I sleep like a baby / I never show up late for work / I don’t drink whiskey / I don’t know how it feels to hurt.”
He’s laying it on thick — too thick. The delivery is cool, maybe even charming, but the sarcasm lingers like bourbon on breath.
And that’s the game: every line is a denial that betrays its own truth.
Verse 1: The Setup
Zach Top checks in on an ex. She’s thriving. Got promoted. Met someone new. And he? He’s “never been better.” Of course he hasn’t.
If you believe that, you probably think his Malibu model girlfriend is real too.
Chorus: The Punchline
This is where the act collapses. The entire chorus is a classic country reversal. He claims he’s fine — better than fine — but wraps it up with “I wish I could say I miss you, but you know I never lie.”
It’s both a confession and a deflection. He’s telling the truth about never lying — while lying through every line.
Verse 2: The Tall Tale
Now there’s a supposed LA model begging him to move to Malibu. Sure.
It’s the kind of post-breakup embellishment meant to evoke jealousy, not reality.
The production keeps things crisp and classic — pedal steel and twangy guitar — but there’s an emotional distance baked into the mix. He’s not trying to get her back. He’s trying to make her wonder.
Bridge: The Breakdown in Disguise
“Yeah, I’ve never been better / Things are going my way.”
Except they’re not. The repetition becomes the tell. He’s said it too many times to believe it himself.
When he repeats the chorus again, it no longer sounds like bravado. It’s almost pleading.
The arrangement draws heavily on ’90s neo-traditional country, echoing Tracy Lawrence or George Strait.
Producer Carson Chamberlain keeps things clean and warm, never letting the sarcasm slip into parody. Instead, it’s sly — smooth enough to be replayed, bitter enough to be remembered.
The Real Meaning Behind the Lie
Zach Top himself described the song best: “It’s kinda sad but pretty much mostly sarcastic the whole way through. I think that’s pretty indicative of my personality, too. I love this song and I really enjoy playing it,” he shared before performing a stripped-back version of the track.
What makes I Never Lie land isn’t the sentiment — it’s the performance.
Top’s vocal restraint, the conversational cadence, the use of cliches not to flatter but to mock. He’s not over her. He’s just good at pretending.
Zach Top’s I Never Lie is a tongue-in-cheek country ballad that weaponises denial and charm to mask heartbreak.
There’s no big moment of clarity here, no grand revelation. Just a guy, a guitar, and a lie so rehearsed it almost sounds like the truth.
Released on April 5, 2024, the song became Top’s first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #27 and eventually going Platinum.
But beyond its commercial success, I Never Lie lingers because it doesn’t break down in tears or beg for sympathy — it just smiles through the wreckage and lets the sarcasm do the grieving.
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Zach Top I Never Lie Lyrics
Verse 1
Well, it’s been some time
You still look like an angel
I heard you’re doin’ fine
Got promoted back in April
And you met someone, your dad says he’s okay
Well, I’ve never been better, things are going my way
Chorus
I sleep like a baby, I never show up late for work
I don’t drink whiskey, I don’t know how it feels to hurt
Oh, and I ain’t been lonely since you said goodbye
I wish I could say I miss you, but you know I never lie
Verse 2
Yeah, I met somebody too
She’s a model out in L.A
And she’s begging me to move
She’s says Malibu is really great
Ain’t decided if I’m going or not, but at the end of the day
Chorus
I sleep like a baby, I never show up late for work
I don’t drink whiskey, I don’t know how it feels to hurt
Oh, and I ain’t been lonely since you said goodbye
I wish I could say I miss you, but you know I never lie
Bridge
Yeah, I’ve never been better
Things are going my way
Chorus
I sleep like a baby, I never show up late for work
I don’t drink whiskey, I don’t know how it feels to hurt
Oh, and I ain’t been lonely since you said goodbye
I wish I could say I miss you, but you know I never lie
