A treatise on greed, The Deceiver, comes next. We’ve always said `go out and get what you can,’ but I believe there’s a line to be drawn. 1 don’t want to take too much from our audience, or too much out of life. This was a hard song to write, coming from feelings that weren’t quite definable. So, it came out quite obscure, with some strange twists in it – Mike Peters doing a track by track guide to Declaration – Boston Rock Magazine 1984
The Deceiver first appeared on the Declaration album released on 13th February 1984
It was released as the title track on a 7″ and 12″ single in March 1984.
Declaration album version recording details.
Running length 4:50
Written by Macdonald / Peters
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica
Dave Sharp – Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Nigel Twist – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Backing track recorded at Good Earth Studios, Soho, London W1D, England 19th August 1983
Produced & mixed by Alan Shacklock.
Engineered by Chris Porter
Alternative studio recording releases ~ 1982 Demo ~ Acoustic ~ Remastered
1982 – Demo version
Running length : tbc
Written By: Macdonald/Peters
Musicians
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica
Dave Sharp – Acoustic Guitar
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar, Piano
Nigel Twist – Drums
Recorded 3rd June 1982 at EMI Studios, London NW8, England
Produced & engineered by Ron Hill
1997 – Mike Peters – Acoustic Works 1981-1986
Running length : 3:22
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica
Recorded in 1997 by Gethyn Evans at Mountain & Sea Studios, Wales
Produced by Michael Peters
2000 – The Alarm – The Alarm 2000 Collection Box Set : Declaration [1984-1985] [Remastered]
Running length: tbc
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica
Dave Sharp – Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Nigel Twist – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Remastered from the 1983 original recording by Mike Peters
Remastering Engineered by Gary Butler @ RTS Liverpool in 2000
Album appearances and discography for studio versions
All the following are Worldwide releases except where stated
(All Images right click to open larger in new window)
(V) 
13th February 1984 : The Alarm – Declaration
Released in the UK on vinyl IRSA 7044, cassette IRSC 7044, CD IRS CDA 7044 by IRS Records
Declaration was released on vinyl, cassette and CD in USA, Canada, Japan, Australia. Vinyl only South Korea, New Zealand, Israel, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Europe. Cassette only Netherlands
Original 1983 recording
28th October 1997 – Mike Peters – Acoustic Works 1981-1986 – Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C004 (CD). 1997 Mountain & Sea, Wales Recording
2000 – The Alarm – Eponymous (1981-1983) – Twenty First Century Recording Company, Catalogue number 21C010. Appearing as part of the Alarm 2000 collection box set and then later as an individual disc. (Long Version). 1982 demo version
2000 – The Alarm – Declaration (1984-1985) – Twenty First Century Recording Company – Catalogue number 21C011 (CD). Appearing as part of the Alarm 2000 collection box set and then later as an individual disc. 1983 recorded version remastered
Single appearances and discography
Officially released live recordings – Audio
All the following are Worldwide releases on Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
30th January 1983. Recorded at The Marquee Club, Wardour Street, London, England.
Band Line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, and Nigel Twist.
Mixed by Steve Tannett. Running length 3:00
Released on CD in 2000 as The Alarm – Declaration (1984-1985) – Catalogue number 21C011 (CD). Appearing as part of the Alarm 2000 collection box set and then later as an individual disc. 1983 recorded version remastered
27th September 1983. Recorded live at Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Band Line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald and Nigel Twist
Running length 4:04 – 1999 release, 3:50– 2002 release, 4:00 – 2003 release.
Released on CD in 1999 as The Alarm – Live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour. On King Biscuit Flower Hour Records, catalogue number KBFHCD028 (UK), catalogue number 70710-88049-2 (USA), in 2000 catalogue number CELCD 027 (Spain).
Released on CD in 2002 as The Alarm – Blaze of Glory. On Disky, catalogue number SI 794172 (Europe)
Released on DVD-Audio in 2003 as The Alarm – From The Front Row ….. Live! On Silverline, catalogue number 288157-9 (USA)
14th February 1984. Recorded live at Hammersmith Palais, London W6, England
Running length 3:39
Band Line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald and Nigel Twist.
Released on CD in 2002 as The Alarm Record Collectors Club Vol II – Hammersmith 1984, catalogue number ARCC002
15th January 2000. Recorded at The Gathering 8, The North Wales Conference Centre, Llandudno, Wales. Running Length 4:50
Band Line up : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve Grantley.
The Gathering was billed as Mike Peters and New Electric Band.
4th December 2000. Recorded at The Garage, Glasgow, Scotland.
5th December 2000. Recorded at University, Newcastle, England. Running Length 4:06
7th December 2000. Recorded at The Cockpit, Leeds, England. Running Length 4:17
8th December 2000. Recorded at Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, England.
9th December 2000. Recorded at The Lomax, Liverpool, England. Running Length 4:41
10th December 2000. Recorded at The Leadmill, Sheffield, England.
13th December 2000. Recorded at Rock City, Nottingham, England.
15th December 2000. Recorded at Shepherds Bush Empire (W12), London, England.
Running Length 3:53. Running Length 4:07 – Greatest Hits Live.
Also released on as The Alarm – Greatest Hits Live on Beyond (USA) and on Imperial Records (Japan) in 2001, reissued in 2005 in the UK, Europe Australia & New Zealand on Select Records and USA on Beyond.
16th December 2000. Recorded at University, Cardiff, Wales. Running Length 3:54
17th December 2000. Recorded at University, Manchester, England.
Band line up for December shows were : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Richard Llewellyn, Steve Grantley. The UK December dates were part of the tour to promote The Alarm 2000 collection and were billed as The Alarm MM. The December tour CD’s were released as Live At ….
6th February 2001. Recorded at Logo, Hamburg, Germany
10th February 2001. Recorded at Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany Running Length 3:58
12th April 2001. Recorded at T.T. The Bear’s Place, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
13th April 2001. Recorded at The Vanderbilt, Plainview, New York, USA
(Band Line up : tbc for the Feb and April dates)
23rd August 2003. Recorded at William Aston Hall, NEWI, Wrexham, Wales
Running Length 3:01. Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released in 2003 on Alarmstock Volume 4 – The New Wave Songs Are Rising
10th November 2003. Recorded at The Knitting Factory (East), New York, USA
Running Length 4:15
12th November 2003. Recorded at The Middle East, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
(Band Line up : tbc for the Feb and November dates)
28th August 2004. Recorded at William Aston Hall, NEWI, Wrexham, Wales
Running Length 4:22. Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released in 2004 on Alarmstock 2 Volume 1 – Love Is A Revolution
6th August 2005. Recorded at Abbey Road Studio 2, London NW8, England
Running Length 7:35. Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released in 2005 on Alarmstock III London Set 1 Declaration [Take This Song Of Freedom]
20th August 2005. Recorded at Capitol Records Studio A, Los Angeles, California, USA
Running Length 4:07 Mike Peters Solo acoustic.
Released in 2005 on Alarmstock III Los Angeles Set 3 – Like Sniffin’ Roses
28th October 2011. Record at The Academy, Manchester, England
Running Length 2:55. Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released on CD in 2012 Mike Peters of the Alarm – 30th Anniversary Acoustic Alarm Tour 1981-2011, catalogue number 21C059
5th April 2014. Recorded at The Deaf Institute, Manchester, England
Running length : 4:05. Mike Peters acoustic
Released in 2014 on DVD – Declaration – Live From The Deaf Institute, catalogue number 21CDVD017 (Audio Disc)
18th April 2014. Recorded at McCabe’s, Santa Monica, California, USA
Running Length 3:55. Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released on CD in 2014 Mike Peters In Concert at McCabe’s, catalogue number 21C06
Officially released live recordings – Video / DVD
Lyrics – Declaration Album
You are the power and the glory
You are the weakness in defeat
Like the rise and fall of the British Empire
You make me sick with your conceit
You are, you are the weakness
You are, you are, you are
You are the sickness that’s in my soul
You are you are you are the maker
You are called greed and you’re a cheat
You are you are you are the deceiver
You are not welcome in my life
You are the maker of illusions
You break up every dream we’ve ever made
And as I rise up from the ashes
Would you believe it!
You raise your ugly head
Have you no shame
Too long, too long you have lain there
Too far too long too strong
Oh, I will break your hold
You are you are you are the maker
You are called greed and you’re a cheat
You are you are you are the deceiver
You are not welcome in my life
You are, you are the weakness within us
You are, you are, you are
You are the sickness that’s in my soul
You are you are you are the maker
You are called greed and you’re a cheat
You are you are the deceiver
You are called greed and your a cheat
You are you are you are the maker
You the seeds for our destruction
You are called greed and a cheat
The break up everything that we done
You are you are the deceiver
Your hold out your hands for forgiveness
You bite the hands that hands feed you
You are you are you are the maker
You are called greed and you’re a cheat
What prophet if you gain the world but lose yourself
You are you are the deceiver
You are called greed and a cheat
You are the downfall
You are you are the deceiver
What prophet if you gain the world but lose yourself
Alternative Lyrics – 1997 Acoustic Works
You are the power and the glory
You are the weakness in defeat
Like the rise and fall of the British Empire
You make me sick with your conceit
You are the weakness
You are, you are, you are
You are the sickness that’s in my soul
You are you are you are the maker
You are called greed and you’re a cheat
You are you are you are the deceiver
You are not welcome in my life
You are the maker of illusions
You break up every dream we’ve ever made
And as I rise up from the ashes
Would you believe it!
You raise your ugly head
Have you no shame
Too long, too long you have lain there
Too far too long too strong
Oh, I will break your hold
You are you are you are the maker
You are called greed and you’re a cheat
You are you are you are the deceiver
You are not welcome in my life
Any more
Audio & Visual Sources
(Page updated 26/04/2021)