Liar - Intellectual

This is probably a reference to Hayley Williams' song “Crystal Clear” from her debut solo album Petals For Armor, which came out in 2020. The song talks about love and letting go of the fear of it.

“Crystal Clear” has also been rumored – just like “Liar” – to be going around the process of frontwoman Hayley Williams falling in love with fellow Paramore bandmate and guitarist Taylor York.

In a September 2022 interview with the Guardian, Williams and York finally confirmed the rumors that they are in a relationship, but they declined to comment further, keeping their private lives under tight wraps. Why? The title track of This Is Why actually gives the answer.

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Taylor York and Hayley Williams posing for a photo in late 2018. Around that time the rumors of them being in a romantic relationship became stronger, especially after they both posted cryptic Instagram Stories, seemingly declaring love to one another.

Possibly a reference to the music video of Hayley’s first single “Simmer” from her first solo album Petals for Armor. In the first half of the music video, Hayley can be seen running through the forest naked. “Simmer” is not about her new love, but rather about allowing herself to feel anger about what was done to her. Nonetheless, though, it carries the same core idea that there is no use running away from one’s emotions because they need to be faced.

The chorus on this song tries to take credit for all the lies -even the cruel ones- and everything she said to her partner just to try to deny her feelings for them and convince herself she’s not falling in love with them.

Hayley discussed her own fight with acknowledging her feelings on her Petals for Armor song “Pure Love”

If I want pure love
Must stop acting so tough
(I give a little, you give a little
We get a little sentimental)
If I want your love
Ooh, got to open up
(I give a little, you give a little
We get a little sentimental)

The image of putting the pin back into a grenade suggests undoing something. The song being about Hayley denying her love for Taylor, this line describes her attempts to repress her feelings, but having her emotions explode anyways. The use of weapon imagery emphasizes the intensity and force of her emotions.

The imagery of “Fighting chemicals” and “dodgin' arrows” is intentionally violent or warlike, but both are actually ways of describing falling in love. Chemicals being the chemical reaction in our brains that happens when we feel or fall in love, and the arrows being a reference to cupid’s arrows. To the singer, the act of falling in love is a danger to be avoided.