Step by Step
Jesse Winchester Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Step by step, all the happy Saints go marching in
And if one of those Saints step out of line, he'll have to start again
'Cause Jacob's golden ladder, get's slippery at the top
And many a happy-go-lucky saint has made that long long drop.
If I'm late, don't wait, go on without me
'Cause I need to know before I go
How come the Devil smiles.
If I'm late, don't wait, go on without me
I may tarry awhile
'Cause I need to know before I go
How come the Devil smiles.
Free from care, free from sin, the Saints are trooping in
The children play all around the throne, innocent of sin
A trillion voices sing the name the mortals may not know
And Heaven's walls are too high to hear the trouble down below.
If I'm late, don't wait, go on without me
I may tarry awhile
'Cause I need to know before I go
How come the Devil smiles
I need to know before I go
How come the Devil smiles
I need to know before I go
How come the Devil smiles ...
The song "Step By Step" by Jesse Winchester is a contemplation of heaven and what it means to be a saint. The first verse describes the process of marching into the pearly gates and warns that it's important to stay in line or risk falling off the ladder to heaven. The second verse suggests that the singer may be hesitating to join his fellow saints because he wants to understand why the Devil is still smiling. The third verse paints a picture of a perfect heaven, where children play and voices sing in praise of God.
The song is rich with religious imagery and raises important questions about salvation and moral responsibility. The ladder described in the first verse is likely a reference to Jacob's dream in the Bible, where he sees a ladder reaching up to heaven. The warning that the ladder gets slippery at the top could be interpreted as a reminder that even the most devout and righteous can fall from grace. The singer's hesitation in the second verse suggests that he's not willing to blindly accept the idea that good deeds always lead to a blissful afterlife. The final verse, with its vision of innocent children playing and singing, reinforces the idea that heaven is a place of purity and joy.
Overall, "Step By Step" is a thought-provoking song that asks listeners to consider some of the most fundamental questions of faith and morality. The imagery is vivid and memorable, and the melody is gentle and soothing, making this a wonderful song for quiet contemplation or spiritual reflection.
Line by Line Meaning
Step by step, all the happy Saints go marching in
The song describes how saints enter heaven with every small good deed they perform in life.
And if one of those Saints step out of line, he'll have to start again
If any of them lose their focus on what's right, they'd have to restart their climb towards heaven.
'Cause Jacob's golden ladder, get's slippery at the top
The final steps towards heaven are the hardest, as it is a slippery slope that can make anyone lose their balance with the slightest misstep.
And many a happy-go-lucky saint has made that long long drop
Even happy-go-lucky saints can fall from the slippery ladder, making it a difficult path to follow.
If I'm late, don't wait, go on without me. I may tarry awhile.
If I'm late in joining you in heaven, don't wait for me, and continue your journey towards heaven as I might need time to sort out my karmic baggage.
'Cause I need to know before I go how come the Devil smiles
I want to find out about the nature of evil (the Devil's smile) before leaving the mortal world, which would help me understand the whole concept of good and evil.
Free from care, free from sin, the Saints are trooping in
The Saints enter heaven with pure and clean souls, free from any worries and sins, towards a peaceful and happy life in the hereafter.
The children play all around the throne, innocent of sin
In heaven, children play and have fun without any fear or guilt, as they haven't lived a life of sin and haven't been influenced by evil forces from the mortal world.
A trillion voices sing the name the mortals may not know
The songs of the angels in heaven are beautiful, and they sing the names of the gods and divine forces that mortal beings might not know of, yet they are still beautiful.
And Heaven's walls are too high to hear the trouble down below.
The walls of heaven are too high that no sounds of trouble or evil can be heard or would penetrate through the walls.
Contributed by Brayden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Tuath
[Verse 1]
Step by step
All the happy Saints go marching in
And if a Saint step out of line he'll have to start again
'Cause Jacob's golden ladder gets slippery at the top
And many a happy-go-lucky saint has made that long long drop
[Chorus]
If I'm late don't wait
Go on without me
I may tarry awhile
'Cause I need to know
Before I go
How come the Devil smiles
If I'm late don't wait
Go on without me
I may tarry awhile
'Cause I need to know
Before I go
How come the Devil smiles
[Verse 2]
Free from care, free from fear
The Saints are trooping in
The children play all around the throne innocent of sin
A trillion voices sing the name the mortal may not know
And Heaven's wall's too high to hear the trouble down below
[Chorus]
If I'm late don't wait
Go on without me
I may tarry awhile
'Cause I need to know
Before I go
How come the Devil smiles
I need to know
Before I go
How come the Devil smiles
I need to know
Before I go
How come the Devil smiles
@anthonylarkin7640
The last episode of" The wlre" season 1 brought me here
@tucko11
I mean I can’t name another better show.l besides the sopranos
@MrQuadro83
Same here
@jeffkeogh1982
It just brought me here a year later. Hope a lot of other people do too👌🏼
@taxidriver2146
same
@nadimkazi87
@@tucko11 I agree, have u seen MrRobot tho? My fav shows:
1.Sopranos/Wire
2.MrRobot
3.Better Call Saul
@KabooM1067
Coolest song to end the first season with.
And that slow zoom on Stringer's face as he tastes what it's really like to have full control with Avon in jail, foreshadowing his ambition.
I watched this show years ago but I don't remember it being this fucking good.
@briandee8570
Rip snot boogie
@tradecraft46
Boy Baltimore all the way.
@thomasdahlsuhr5932
And downfall