The band is led by singer-songwriter Mike Edwards. They have released six studio albums, with the latest, 'Culture Vulture', published through Mi5 Recordings in 2004. They also have made two live albums and continue to tour. For more information, see their official website here.
The Devil You Know
Jesus Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That is ours alone
Is as hard as hell to come by these days
Time that I took what's mine, took it now
Things aren't what they where, they're what they are
There's no time of our own
And the devil you know is the only one
Is time too fast for us to grasp something of our own?
It moves everywhere in all I hear and see
And the devil you know is the only one
Look at you now, look at you then, see how you will be
All of your life belongs to me
Things aren't what they where, they're what they are
There's no time of our own
And the devil you know is the only one
In Jesus Jones's song The Devil You Know, the lyrics describe the difficulty of finding a life that is truly one's own. The singer laments that "a life to call our own, that is ours alone, is as hard as hell to come by these days." The theme of time is also present throughout the song, as the singer suggests that there is "no time of our own" and wonders if "time is too fast for us to grasp something of our own." The devil metaphorically represents the things that are holding the singer back from claiming their own life. The singer recognizes that "things aren't what they were, they're what they are," and that the past continues to haunt them in all they see and hear. The devil they know is the only one because it's easier to stick with what's familiar than to take a risk and try something new.
Overall, the song's lyrics convey a sense of frustration with the limitations of life and the difficulty of carving out a personal identity in a world that seems to be moving too quickly. The devil metaphor serves as a reminder that sometimes it's easier to stay with what's familiar, even if it's not what we truly want.
Line by Line Meaning
A life to call our own
The desire for a unique and distinct life of our own
That is ours alone
One that is not influenced by the past or others around us
Is as hard as hell to come by these days
It's extremely difficult to find this kind of life in modern times
Time that I took what's mine, took it now
It's time to take control of our lives and claim what's ours
Things aren't what they were, they're what they are
The present is different from the past and we must accept that
There's no time of our own
It's hard to find time and space that is truly ours
And the devil you know is the only one
The familiar and known can be more comforting than the unknown
Is time too fast for us to grasp something of our own?
Do we have enough time to truly live our lives the way we want?
The ghost of the past has its arms around me
The past still has a powerful hold on us and our lives
It moves everywhere in all I hear and see
The past is present in everything we experience, even if we don't realize it
Look at you now, look at you then, see how you will be
Reflect on your past and present to understand your future
All of your life belongs to me
The devil is claiming ownership over our lives
And the devil you know is the only one
Sometimes we stick with the familiar, even if it's not good for us
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
yiyo rivas
A life to call our own
That is ours alone
Is as hard as hell to come by these days
Time that I took what's mine, took it now
Things aren't what they where, they're what they are
There's no time of our own
And the devil you know is the only one
And the devil you know is the only one
Is time too fast for us to grasp something of our own?
The ghost of the past has its arms around me
It moves everywhere in all I hear and see
And the devil you know is the only one
And the devil you know is the only one
Look at you now, look at you then, see how you will be
All of your life belongs to me
Things aren't what they where, they're what they are
There's no time of our own
And the devil you know is the only one
Robinsson
safely this song will be in my top 10 all times song! why not? here my list:
1.Counting Blue Cars - Dishwalla
2. Losing My Religion - R.E.M.
3.Halo - Deep Blue Something
4. Mistress - Red House Painters
5. Get a good thing - Jesus Jones
6. In a daydream - The Freddy Jones Band
7. Josey - Deep Blue Something
8. The devil you know - Jesus Jones
9. Revolving Door - American Music Club
10.Plowed - Sponge
Sushil Kumar
Not just great songs but radical life-altering songs which defined that era; which gave you goose bumps every time u listened to it and this continues right to this day. Perverse is a huge album light years ahead of its time.
Cristian Palmer
Exactly 👊🤘😎🧘♂️
Buffalo Revolver
Agreed
M4R1U5GU174R
Is it me or this band was ahead of their time when they released this ? Great tune !
Christina Cunningham
@tutsy bassista Supernaturally CHOSEN JESUS JONES HELLO HELLO I LOVE YOU
tutsy bassista
They got lost due to the birth of grunge!
Problembeing
The 90s... when you didn’t have to sound like everyone else to have a hit record.
Ouroboros
It was the best time for music ... it really was. The record company crash ruined it all.
Kevin Ruby
Saw JJ in 1993 in support of Perverse, the album which includes this song. Holy shit they were so loud...incredible live. I will never understand why they couldn't capitalize on the initial success from Doubt, released in 1991.
Makikomi
This came out in 1992 - that's nearly a quarter of a century ago! - but is better than 90% of the crap on the radio these days. I miss the 80s and 90s music and bands so much.