It was originally recorded by Cab Calloway in 1931. It is now considered a standard, with recordings by many artists, such as George Harrison on his final album, Brainwashed. The Boswell Sisters recorded the song with The Dorsey Brothers in 1932. Frank Sinatra also recorded the song in 1959. Ella Fitzgerald recorded it for her 1961 album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook. Thelonious Monk plays it on his 1967 album, Straight, No Chaser.
Between The Devil And The Deep
George Harrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I hate to lose you
You 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
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
The lyrics of George Harrison's "Between The Devil And The Deep" are about a relationship that is causing the singer a lot of emotional turmoil. He doesn't want the person he's singing about, but at the same time he hates to lose them. He feels trapped, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. This is a phrase that means being in a difficult, possibly dangerous situation with limited options. In the next lines, he acknowledges that he forgives the person for whatever they did to him, but he can't forget them, they've got him stuck in this difficult situation.
The lyrics continue with the singer expressing his desire to move on and forget about this person, to cross them off his list. But when they come back into his life, his heart starts to twist and turn. He can't resist them, and he always comes running back for more. Despite this internal conflict, the singer can't bring himself to hate the person he's singing about. In fact, he admits that he probably loves them.
Overall, the lyrics to "Between The Devil And The Deep" are about the complicated emotions that come with a love-hate relationship. The singer is torn between wanting to move on and be free of this person, and wanting to stay with them no matter what. The phrase "between the devil and the deep blue sea" perfectly encapsulates this feeling of being stuck in a difficult situation with no clear way out.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want you
I do not desire to have you in my life
But I hate to lose you
However, I dislike the prospect of losing you
You got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
Your presence has put me in a troublesome and difficult situation
I forgive you
I pardon you for your past mistakes
'Cause I can't forget you
Because I am unable to erase you from my memory
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
Your existence still puts me in a complicated and worrisome predicament
I want to cross you off my list
I wish to remove you from my plans and goals
But when you come knocking at my door
However, when you appear in my life unexpectedly
Fate seems to give my heart a twist
It feels like destiny is playing a cruel joke on me
And I come running back for more
And I find myself returning to you again
I should hate you
I ought to dislike you
But I guess I love you
But I suspect that I still have strong feelings for you
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
Your presence continues to keep me in a difficult and uncomfortable position
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@julietaojeda8161
I don't want you
But I hate to lose you
You 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 want 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
@tropicwave1
Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea George Harrison I don't want you
But I hate to lose you
You 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 seaI want 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 Songwriters: HAROLD ARLEN, TED KOEHLER© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, S.A. MUSIC
@ashishpanwar909
I own a Ukulele just because of George. Thanks for the influence, George.
@simontaylor2319
George's biggest mentor was, of course, George Formby. Pity they couldn't have played together
@BenZaniline
That's as much a ukulele as George Formby's ukulele - i.e. not a ukulele...
@epipick
@David Didn't Formby play the banjolele?
@manolomartingozalez9061
@Simon Taylor 7
@MrEgadwi
same here bought one because of him
@easy56wedge
Every time I watch and hear George, I miss him all the more. I had a chance meeting with him at a hotel in Los Angeles. Waiting for an elevator after checking in, I was carrying two suitcases. The door open and as is normal for me, I wait for everyone to depart before I get in. Suddenly there he was... holding a uke in one hand and a light bag in the other. He said, “checking in?” I replied “ yes,” and he said, “nice hotel, this one.” Then he left. I think Olivia and Dani were with him but I don’t really remember. Crazy.
@mysteriousmrocd8384
He was so down to earth which is one of the many reasons he’s my favourite Beatle.
@quickworks9720
How fun!
@musicformonsters
Yes but he is still oddly with us and he said he would be -