Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Buck Clayton and His Orchestra Lyrics
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You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
I forgive you, 'cause I can't forget you
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
[Repeat: x2]
I ought to cross you off my list
But when you come a-knocking at my door
And I come running back for more
I should hate you, but I guess I love you
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
The devil and the deep blue sea
The lyrics of "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" by Buck Clayton and His Orchestra describe the dilemma of being torn between two challenging options. The singer admits that they don't want the person they are talking about, but they can't bear the thought of losing them. This person has them in a difficult position, "between the devil and the deep blue sea," where they are faced with two undesirable choices. On the one hand, they feel like they ought to move on from this person, to "cross them off [their] list." But on the other hand, when this person comes back into their life, they find themselves unable to resist and "come running back for more."
The lyrics capture the idea of being stuck in a complicated relationship that is difficult to escape. The singer is torn between their love and hate for this person, never quite able to decide which way to go. The emotions of the lyrics are mirrored in the music, which features a bluesy, swinging melody that captures the sense of being caught between two opposing forces.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want you, but I'd hate to lose you
I don't desire your company, but I will feel miserable if I lose your presence in my life
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
You have put me in a complex situation where I am forced to make a difficult decision
I forgive you, 'cause I can't forget you
I pardon you for your mistakes because I am unable to wipe out memories of you
I ought to cross you off my list
I should remove you from my life
But when you come a-knocking at my door
But when you return to my life uninvited
Fate seems to give my heart a twist
Destiny plays a tricky game with my emotions
And I come running back for more
I return to you wholeheartedly, despite vowing not to do so
I should hate you, but I guess I love you
I feel as though I should have loathing for you, yet I suspect I have feelings of love
The devil and the deep blue sea
To be caught between two extremes or difficult choices
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, TED KOEHLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Ada Moore Is Dead; Singer and Actress, 64
Ada Moore, a singer and actress who performed on Broadway and in jazz clubs across the nation, died at Long Island College Hospital on Sunday. She was 64 years old and lived in Brooklyn. She died of cancer, her former husband, Paul J. Ash, said.
Miss Moore, who was born in Chicago, attended the University of California at Los Angeles and began her singing career in that city. In 1954 she created the role of Gladiola in the Truman Capote and Harold Arlen musical "House of Flowers."
She sang at many jazz and supper clubs, including the Village Vanguard, the Hungry I in San Francisco and Mister Kelly's in Chicago, and at such theaters as the Apollo in New York, the Howard in Washington and the Royal in Baltimore.
In the 1970's, Miss Moore wrote prose and poetry and published a newsletter, The American Negro Woman. In an article about Bessie Smith, Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday, Miss Moore wrote: "They were not just blues singers, they were innovators who took experience directly from the harsh and dynamic areas of life, refined it and gave it the form and beauty that moved us so much."
NYTimes.com