There are a lot of thoughtful and insightful comments here - I wouldn't expect any less from Neko Case fans. I don't interpret this song as being about a relationship, though! At least not with a person. I read it as someone coming to terms with their atheism. The "lie" is God. The speaker no longer believes in Him, but grieves for the feeling of safety and acceptance that her belief used to bring. So she keeps ritually performing that belief, hoping to recapture the feeling. Every "oh, lie" is matched by an "amen."
There are a lot of thoughtful and insightful comments here - I wouldn't expect any less from Neko Case fans. I don't interpret this song as being about a relationship, though! At least not with a person. I read it as someone coming to terms with their atheism. The "lie" is God. The speaker no longer believes in Him, but grieves for the feeling of safety and acceptance that her belief used to bring. So she keeps ritually performing that belief, hoping to recapture the feeling. Every "oh, lie" is matched by an "amen."