Carmen Mercedes McRae (1920-1994) was a U.S. jazz singer, songwriter, and p… Read Full Bio ↴Carmen Mercedes McRae (1920-1994) was a U.S. jazz singer, songwriter, and pianist.

McRae was born in Harlem, New York, on the 8th April 1920, and studied piano as a child. As a teenager she came to the attention of Teddy Wilson and his wife, the composer Irene Kitchings Wilson. Through their influence, one of McRae’s early songs, "Dream of Life", was recorded by Wilson’s longtime collaborator Billie Holiday.

By the late 1940s she was well known among the modern jazz musicians who gathered at Minton's Playhouse, Harlem’s most famous jazz club, where she was the intermission pianist. But it was while working in Brooklyn that she came to the attention of Decca’s Milt Gabler. Her five year association with Decca yielded twelve LPs.

The musicians she sang with include Benny Carter, Mercer Ellington, Count Basie, Sammy Davis Jr, Dave Brubeck, and Louis Armstrong. She was married once (and briefly), to drummer Kenny Clarke.

McRae died on the 10th November 1994.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Carmen McRae Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Is there anyone around who cannot see
It's the well-known runaround you're giving me?
I suppose you'll tell me I'm all wrong.
It's a bitter pill to take,
Coming from you,
Though I've made a big mistake,
What can I do?
I don't know what makes me string along.

[Chorus]
I don't want you,
But I hate to lose you,
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.

I ought to cross you off my list,
But when you come knocking at my door
Fate seems to give my heart a twist,
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.

Overall Meaning

In Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, Carmen McRae sings about being caught between a rock and a hard place in a romantic relationship. Despite knowing that her partner is giving her the "well-known runaround," she finds herself unable to let go because of her strong emotional attachment. She bemoans the fact that she's made "a big mistake," yet is unable to do anything about it. She expresses her frustration through the chorus, singing that while she doesn't want her partner, she also can't bear the thought of losing him. She notes that he's got her "in between the devil and the deep blue sea."

The figurative language in the song speaks to the singer's sense of being trapped. The phrase "in between the devil and the deep blue sea" refers to being caught between two dangerous choices with no easy way out. The phrase "cross you off my list" speaks to the finality of giving up on a relationship, while "it's a bitter pill to take" signals the hurt that comes with realizing a partner is not as invested in the relationship as one had hoped. The song seems to reflect on the way that love can be both wonderful and painful at the same time, leaving the singer feeling stuck and unsure of what to do.

Line by Line Meaning

Is there anyone around who cannot see
Is there anyone around who isn't aware

It's the well-known runaround you're giving me?
You're giving me the same old excuses/lines

I suppose you'll tell me I'm all wrong.
I anticipate you telling me I'm mistaken

It's a bitter pill to take,
It's hard to accept

Coming from you,
You're the source of this disappointment

Though I've made a big mistake,
I'm aware I've done wrong

What can I do?
But I'm not sure how to fix things

I don't know what makes me string along.
I'm unsure why I keep going along with this

I don't want you,
I don't desire you

But I hate to lose you,
But I'm scared of losing you

You've got me in between
You've placed me in a difficult position