Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (born December 9, 1932 – February … Read Full Bio ↴Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (born December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz, rhythm and blues trumpeter. Born in Detroit, Michigan. He performed with Lionel Hampton before finishing high school. After playing in a military band during a term in the United States Air Force, he obtained a bachelor's degree in music from Wayne State University and a master's degree from Manhattan School of Music. While still at the Manhattan School he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, replacing Clifford Brown. After leaving the Jazz Messengers in 1956 he performed with a wide variety of highly regarded jazz musicians.

In the 1970s, he moved away from his previous hard-bop jazz base and began to record jazz fusion and rhythm and blues. Teaming up with the Mizell Brothers, he produced Black Byrd, which was enormously successful and became Blue Note Records' highest-ever selling album. The follow-up albums, Places and Spaces, Stepping Into Tomorrow, and Street Lady, were also big sellers, and have subsequently provided a rich source of samples for hip-hop artists such as Us3.

He has taught music at Rutgers University, the Hampton Institute, New York University, Howard University, and Oberlin College. In 1974 he created The Blackbyrds, a fusion group consisting of his best students. They scored several major hits, including "Walking In Rhythm" and "Blackbyrds Theme".

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Donald Byrd 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

The lyrics of Donald Byrd's song, "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," talk about a person who is in a difficult situation where they don't want to be with someone but can't seem to let them go. They are caught between two choices - the devil and the deep blue sea, which means they are forced to choose between two undesirable situations. The devil refers to the temptation to be with this person, and the deep blue sea represents the fear of the unknown since they don't know what will happen if they let go of the relationship.

The singer cannot forget the person even though they have reasons to hate them, and they keep coming back to them. This is evidenced in the lines, "I forgive you, 'cause I can't forget you, You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea." Though they know that it's probably best to end the relationship, they can't help being drawn back in. They admit that they should hate this person, but they find themselves falling back in love with them.

The chorus repeats twice, emphasizing the dilemma the singer is in. They are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea with no easy way out. Byrd's clever wordplay and use of metaphor in the lyrics add depth to the song and resonate with anyone who has been in a similar situation.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't want you, but I'd hate to lose you
I have mixed feelings about our relationship. While I don't really want to be with you, I also don't want to lose you entirely.

You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
You have put me in a difficult and uncomfortable position, where I am faced with two equally unpleasant choices.

I forgive you, 'cause I can't forget you
Although you have hurt me in the past, I am unable to forget about you and therefore must forgive you in order to move forward.

I ought to cross you off my list
I know that I should end our relationship and move on, but it is difficult for me to do so.

But when you come a-knocking at my door
Whenever you reach out to me or want to see me again,

Fate seems to give my heart a twist
It feels like the universe is conspiring against me, because every time we reconnect, my heart feels pulled in two directions.

And I come running back for more
Despite my reservations and hesitation, I can't resist the pull of our connection and keep coming back to you.

I should hate you, but I guess I love you
Even though you have caused me pain and turmoil, I realize that I still have strong feelings of love towards you.

You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
Once again, you have put me in a difficult and uncomfortable position where I must choose between two unpleasant choices.

The devil and the deep blue sea
An idiom meaning faced with two equally difficult or dangerous 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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