Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Dickie Wells and His Orchestra Lyrics


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I don't want you, but I'd 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

[Repeat: x2]
I ought to cross you off my list
But when you come a-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





You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
The devil and the deep blue sea

Overall Meaning

Dickie Wells and His Orchestra's song "Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" tells the story of being caught in a dilemma where one is faced with a difficult choice between two bad options. The singer is conflicted in his feelings towards his partner - on one hand, he does not want to be with them, but on the other, he cannot bear the thought of losing them. The phrase "between the devil and the deep blue sea" is an idiom that refers to being caught in a dangerous or difficult situation without any easy way out. The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to make a decision and is torn between his love and his hate for his partner.


The repetition of the line "You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea" throughout the song emphasizes the sense of entrapment and hopelessness the singer is feeling. He acknowledges that he should let go of his partner and move on, but every time they come back into his life, he finds himself unable to resist them. The final line "The devil and the deep blue sea" reinforces the idea that he is stuck in a dilemma with no good outcome.


Overall, the lyrics of "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea" portray the conflicting emotions of love and hate, and the difficulty of making a choice when faced with two bad options.


Line by Line Meaning

I don't want you, but I'd hate to lose you
I'm conflicted because I don't really want you, but the thought of losing you scares me.


You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
I feel trapped and caught in a difficult and dangerous situation because of you.


I forgive you, 'cause I can't forget you
Even though you have hurt me, I can't seem to let go of my feelings for you and I'm willing to forgive you.


I ought to cross you off my list
I know that I should move on from you and forget about you completely.


But when you come a-knocking at my door
Despite my intentions to forget about you, I still find myself drawn to you whenever you reach out to me.


Fate seems to give my heart a twist
It feels like the universe is conspiring against me because no matter how hard I try, my heart always seems to pull me back to you.


And I come running back for more
Even though I know it's not good for me, I can't resist coming back to you again and again.


I should hate you, but I guess I love you
Even though you've caused me pain, I can't help but love you anyways.


You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
Once again, I feel trapped and stuck in a dangerous situation because of my feelings for you.


The devil and the deep blue sea
This phrase is a metaphor for being caught in a difficult situation with no clear way out or escape.




Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, S.A. MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, MUSIC.INFO FINLAND OY, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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