Twenty-Six Temptations
DeVotchKa Lyrics
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Come away, sons of man
Dip your feet in the water
Put your lives in his hands
For you belong not to life
You are living in hell
And you cannot blame the devil
It's his primordial
Twenty-six temptations
Temptations
When you listen to reason
We'll sell religion
As they burn down your village
Steal your beautiful wide-eyed sons
And they think no one is watching
But the true Lord sees all
You whores in the river
His fortress shall fall
To Temptation
Temptation
DeVotchKa's song "Twenty-Six Temptations" is a haunting and cryptic commentary on the dangers of religious zealotry and the lure of temptation. The song begins with a call to "lovely daughters" and "sons of man" to come away and put their lives in God's hands. However, the lyrics quickly take a darker turn, as the singer warns that the listeners are living in hell and cannot blame the devil for their suffering. Instead, he suggests that the true source of their troubles lies in the "primordial" nature of human desire and temptation.
The chorus of the song introduces the titular "twenty-six temptations," which are never explicitly enumerated or explained. It's left up to the listener to imagine what these might be, but the vague and ominous phrase suggests that they are many and varied, and that they pose a constant threat to human well-being and morality.
The second verse of the song expands on the theme of religious manipulation and exploitation, as the singer suggests that people are being sold a false religion even as their villages are being burned and their sons are being stolen. The "whores in the river" may be a reference to the biblical story of the woman caught in adultery, who is about to be stoned to death until Jesus intervenes. The song suggests that even those who are perceived as sinners or outsiders by the religious establishment are not immune to temptation and must struggle to resist its pull.
Overall, the song is a highly poetic and enigmatic warning against the dangers of dogmatism and intolerance, and a call to resist the allure of temptation in all its forms.
Line by Line Meaning
Come away, lovely daughters
Leave behind your current life and join a new one.
Come away, sons of man
Join the others who have already started their journey away from their current lives.
Dip your feet in the water
Start by dipping your toes and testing the waters of this new life.
Put your lives in his hands
Trust in the higher power and surrender your current life to it.
For you belong not to life
Your current existence is not your true identity.
You are living in hell
Your current life is like a living hell.
And you cannot blame the devil
You cannot place the blame on anyone else for the state of your life.
It's his primordial
It is a part of the natural order of things.
Twenty-six temptations
There are many different temptations in life that can lead you astray.
When you listen to reason
If you let logic guide you,
We'll sell religion
they will try to convince you to follow organized religion.
As they burn down your village
They will destroy your current way of life.
Steal your beautiful wide-eyed sons
They will take away the young and innocent aspects of your current life.
And they think no one is watching
They believe they can deceive you without consequence.
But the true Lord sees all
The higher power is always watching.
You whores in the river
Those who have committed sins and desire forgiveness.
His fortress shall fall
Even the most powerful forces will eventually be defeated.
To Temptation
Temptation will always be a present force in life.
Temptation
The allure of temptation will always be strong.
Contributed by Brooklyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.