By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas. Their next, the critically-acclaimed Heaven Up Here, reached the Top Ten in 1981, as did 1983's Porcupine and '84's Ocean Rain. Singles like "The Killing Moon" (later used in the soundtrack to Donnie Darko, a film whose imagery owed much to the artwork of the band's early records.), "Silver," "Bring on the Dancing Horses," and "The Cutter" helped keep the group in the public eye as they took a brief hiatus in the late 1980s. Their 1987 self-titled LP was a small American hit, their only LP to have significant sales there.
McCulloch quit the band in 1988. De Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident one year later. The others decided to continue, recruiting Noel Burke to replace McCulloch on vocals in Reverberation (1990), which did not generate much excitement among fans or critics. Burke, Sargeant and Pattinson split after that, but the surviving three fourths of the original band reformed in 1997 and released Evergreen (1997), What are You Going to Do with Your Life? (1999), Flowers (2001) , Siberia (2005), and the latest addition, The Fountain (2009). The group's old audience liked the return to their classic sound, and they also managed to gain a number of new, younger listeners.
Echo and the Bunnymen were managed early on by Bill Drummond, who went on to be a founder member of The KLF.
Devilment
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The devil remembers you found
Your true vocation
To live beyond your station
________ leaves wrapped in quotations
Rolling out saliva on salvation
And all that you've been looking for
Floored by design
Speak as you find
Speaking as you find
All the one skin
All the one mind
Floored by design
Speak as you find
Speaking as you find
Staggering blind
As you chase time
Waste time
Blank expression, blank verse
It could get worse
If all your past precedes you
To find the soul to take you
________ shout of indignation
Lost their worth
And meaning in translation
Unhappiness will quantify the moral
Floored by design
Speak as you find
(speaking as you find)
All the one skin
All the one mind
(one mind)
Floored by design
Speak as you find
(speaking as you find)
Staggering blind
As you chase time
As you waste time
As you waste time
Devilment embarrassment
The face in your old mirror
Now just hates you
And you _______ you
Eyes lost in comtemplation
Hands are trembling
Heads gone on vacation
And settled scores are all
That you've been fighting for
Floored by design
Speak as you find
(speaking as you find)
All the one skin
All the one mind
(one mind)
Floored by design
Speak as you find
Speaking as you find
Staggering blind
As you chase time
As you waste time
As you waste time
You waste time
You waste time
You waste time
The lyrics to Echo & the Bunnymen's song "Devilment" are somewhat abstract and open to interpretation, but seem to touch on themes of ambition, self-discovery, and the consequences that come with pursuing goals "beyond your station." The song suggests that the pursuit of success and fulfillment can lead one down a dangerous path, represented by the figure of the devil. The opening lines speak to a realization of one's calling, but also suggest a fear that by doing so, one has come to the devil's attention. The lines "Floored by design / Speak as you find" could be seen as a call to be honest and true to oneself, even when that leads to painful self-discovery.
Throughout the song, there are references to blankness, emptiness, and lost identity, suggesting that the pursuit of one's true vocation can sometimes result in a loss of self. The lines "Eyes lost in contemplation / Hands are trembling / Heads gone on vacation" reinforce the idea of disconnection and uncertainty. The repeated refrain "Floored by design / Speak as you find" seems to urge the listener to remain true to their own desires and not be swayed by external pressures or the lure of success, even if it means stumbling and falling along the way.
The details of the song are left somewhat ambiguous, but the tone and mood are haunting and introspective, evoking a sense of unease and self-doubt. Overall, the lyrics of "Devilment" touch on complex themes of ambition, identity, and the difficulty of finding one's place in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Devilment's accomplishment
The success of the devil in tempting and leading someone astray
The devil remembers you found
The devil remembers when they were able to tempt and mislead you
Your true vocation
Your true calling or purpose in life
To live beyond your station
To strive for or live a life beyond what is considered normal or expected for your status or social class
Leaves wrapped in quotations
Words that are quoted or repeated often, but may not hold true meaning
Rolling out saliva on salvation
Putting great effort or enthusiasm into achieving salvation or redemption
All the more
Even more so
And all that you've been looking for
Everything you've been searching for or hoping to find
Floored by design
Overwhelmed or stunned by the way things are or have been planned
Speak as you find
Express yourself truthfully and honestly
Speaking as you find
Speaking the truth as you see it
All the one skin
All part of one group or community
All the one mind
All having the same thoughts, feelings, or attitudes
Staggering blind
Moving forward without a clear sense of direction or purpose
As you chase time
Trying to accomplish things quickly or within a certain time frame
Waste time
Spending time on unproductive or meaningless activities
Blank expression, blank verse
A lack of emotion or meaning in your words or actions
It could get worse
Things could become even more difficult or complicated
If all your past precedes you
If your past actions or mistakes are still affecting your present or future
To find the soul to take you
To find someone or something that can help guide or lead you in the right direction
Shout of indignation
A loud and angry protest or objection
Lost their worth
No longer hold value or significance
And meaning in translation
And the original meaning or intent has been lost or changed in translation or interpretation
Unhappiness will quantify the moral
Being unhappy or dissatisfied in life can lead to a lack of moral values or ethical behavior
Devilment embarrassment
The shame or regret that comes with realizing you have been led astray
The face in your old mirror
Your own reflection, representing the way you used to be or see yourself
Now just hates you
You have a negative self-image or have come to dislike or hate yourself
And you _______ you
And you have only yourself to blame
Eyes lost in contemplation
Deeply lost in thought or reflection
Hands are trembling
Nervous and uncertain about what to do next
Head's gone on vacation
Unable to focus or concentrate on anything
And settled scores are all
And getting revenge or settling old scores is all that matters
That you've been fighting for
That you have been putting all your time and energy into achieving
You waste time
You spend too much time on unimportant things or activities
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAMON JOHN REECE, JAKE BROCKMAN, JOHN REECE DAMON, LESLIE THOMAS PATTINSON, NOEL ANDREW BURKE, WILLIAM ALFRED SERGEANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind