Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Andre Previn with Mundell Lowe and Ray Brown Lyrics

These lyrics of the song Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea describe a person who is caught in a difficult situation. The singer claims that they do not want the person they are speaking to, but they would hate to lose them. This implies that this person is important to the singer but whatever they are going through is preventing the singer from fully committing. The line “you’ve got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea” suggests that this person is in a difficult, almost impossible position, stuck between two equally problematic options. They cannot let go completely, but they cannot hold on entirely either.

The singer forgives the person for something, but they cannot forget it, indicating that some past event has led to this predicament. The singer knows that they should walk away since this person is undoubtedly causing them distress, but they find themselves unable to do so. Even when the person comes “a-knocking at my door,” the singer knows that they should shut the door and walk away, but fate seems to intervene and keeps pulling them back. The singer acknowledges that they should hate the person, but they cannot help but love them. The devil and the deep blue sea refer to being caught between two undesirable or difficult situations or alternatives.