Sympathy For The Devil
Guns N' Roses Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith

And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game

I stuck around St. Petersberg
When I saw it was a time for a change
I killed the Czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain

I rode a tank
Held a general's rank
When the Blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
What's puzzling you is the nature of my game, oh yeah

I watched with glee as your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the Gods they made

I shouted out
"Who killed the Kennedy?"
When after all
It was you and me

So let me please introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reached Bombay

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game, oh yeah

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what's puzzling you is just the nature of my game

Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails just call me Lucifer
'Cause I'm in need of some restraint

So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse?
Or I'll lay your soul to waste, um yeah

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game, oh baby

Oh yeah
Tell me baby, what's my name
Oh tell me honey, can you guess my name?
Oh oh oh oh
Tell me honey, what's my name
Oh, just the sweetest, tell me what's my name?
Tell me, sweetie, what's my name
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah

(Oh oh oh)





Can papa get a holler now?

Overall Meaning

The song Sympathy for the Devil by Guns N’ Roses is a cover of a classic Rolling Stones hit featuring eerie, dark lyrics. According to the interpretation of fans, the song is a personification of the Devil introducing himself and boasting about the wicked deeds he's accomplished throughout human history. The singer of the song portrays himself as a charismatic figure of immense power, an individual with fathomless wealth and universal dominion. Like the devil, he is a shrewd, charming and persuasive orator, having taken numerous souls and faiths over the years. The opening of the song was a reference to the devil's long history of temptation and corruption dating back to the Garden of Eden where he convinced Eve to disobey God, thus altering the course of human history.


The second verse of the song refers to the crucifixion of Jesus. According to the Bible, Pontius Pilate washed his hands before condemning Jesus to be crucified. In the song, the devil boasts that he made sure that Pilate went ahead to betray Jesus to death. The third verse refers to the Bolshevik revolution in Russia where the devil claims to have killed the Czar and Anastasia, the daughter of the Czar, and tormented everyone in the country. The fourth verse tells of the singer's involvement in World War II. The line "I rode a tank, held a general's rank when the blitzkrieg raged, and the bodies stank" suggests the singer played a role in the conflict, hinting at his ability to manipulate and control.


Line by Line Meaning

Please allow me to introduce myself
I am introducing myself for the purpose of revealing my identity


I'm a man of wealth and taste
I am an affluent and refined individual


I've been around for a long, long year
I have existed for a significant period of time


Stole many a man's soul and faith
I have caused many people to lose their soul and belief


And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
I existed during the time of Jesus Christ


Had his moment of doubt and pain
When Jesus experienced a period of uncertainty and suffering


Made damn sure that Pilate
Ensured that Pilate took responsibility


Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Declined to take any responsibility for the situation


Pleased to meet you
I am pleased to make your acquaintance


Hope you guess my name
I hope that you are able to identify me


But what's puzzling you
However, there seems to be confusion regarding


Is the nature of my game
The way I operate, in other words


I stuck around St. Petersburg
I was present in St. Petersburg


When I saw it was a time for a change
When I recognized the need for a transformation


I killed the Czar and his ministers
I was responsible for the murder of the Czar and his cabinet members


Anastasia screamed in vain
Anastasia, the Czar's daughter, cried out to no avail


I rode a tank
I rode in a military tank


Held a general's rank
I held a high military position


When the Blitzkrieg raged
During a German military maneuver in World War II


And the bodies stank
When corpses began to decompose


I watched with glee as your kings and queens
I took delight in observing your monarchs


Fought for ten decades
Engaging in conflicts over a ten-decade period of time


For the Gods they made
In the name of the deities they had created


I shouted out 'Who killed the Kennedy?'
I yelled 'Who was responsible for the assassination of President Kennedy?'


When after all it was you and me
When, in the end, we were the culprits


So let me please introduce myself
Once again, let me introduce myself


And I laid traps for troubadours
I set traps for musicians and poets


Who get killed before they reached Bombay
Many failed to make it to Bombay, and died instead


Just as every cop is a criminal
As the saying goes, every policeman is a lawbreaker


And all the sinners saints
Similarly, all sinners can be regarded as saints


As heads is tails just call me Lucifer
When things are upside down, refer to me as Lucifer because I need to be restrained


'Cause I'm in need of some restraint
The reason for the name Lucifer is that I require restraint


So if you meet me
If you encounter me in person


Have some courtesy
Be polite and respectful


Have some sympathy, and some taste
Show some compassion and good sense


Or I'll lay your soul to waste, um yeah
Otherwise, I will destroy your soul


Oh yeah, tell me baby, what's my name
Oh yes, tell me my name, darling


Tell me honey, can you guess my name?
Sweetie, can you determine my name?


Can papa get a holler now?
Can I get an exclamation from you now, my dear?




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Monicx


on Sweet Child o' Mine

Guns N' Roses sind eine großartige Band. Ich frage mich, wie Sweet Child o' Mine live klingen wird. Ich habe gerade Tickets für ihr Konzert in Deutschland auf https://www.timeforgig.com/de/guns-n-roses/artists/0mjrv gekauft.

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