A move to Memphis in his late twenties brought a renewed creative energy to Keith, who soon formed the expert bar band the One Four Fives with drummer John Argroves and bassist Mark E. Stuart. The group developed a loyal following in Memphis, and tours opening for acts like Lucero and Jack Oblivian drew yet more attention to Keith's vintage rock sound. In 2011, John Paul Keith & the One Four Fives released the Bruce Watson-produced The Man That Time Forgot on Fat Possum. Memphis Circa 3AM, produced by Roland Janes, arrived from Fat Possum in the fall of 2013.
Also in 2013, Keith paired with double-bassist/vocalist Amy LaVere for their country- and rockabilly-influenced project Motel Mirrors. Over the next few years, he stayed busy touring, and playing live. He also contributed to albums by the Bo-Keys, Rich Minus, and Don Bryant. In 2018, Keith returned with both his fourth solo album, Heart Shaped Shadow, and the full-length debut album from Motel Mirrors, In the Meantime.
How Can You Walk Away
John Paul Keith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How can you turn around and leave me now
How can you walk away from my love
You may never find another love like mine
Baby wake me up
Tell me it’s all been a bad bad dream
Ain’t I been good to you
Baby can’t you hear me sing
How can you walk away from my love
How can you turn around and leave me now
How can you walk away from my love
You may never find another love like mine
Is it someone else
Did they talk you out of loving me
What did I do wrong
Please baby I don’t wanna be free
And I want you to belong to me
How can you walk away from my love
How can you turn around and leave me now
How can you walk away from my love
You may never find another love like mine
Wait a minute now
You can’t leave me here like this
Make me understand
How you can turn it off like a switch
This feeling that I can’t resist
How can you walk away from my love
How can you turn around and leave me now
How can you walk away from my love
You may never find another love like mine
How can you walk away from my love
How can you turn around and leave me now
How can you walk away from my love
You may never find another love like mine
You may never find another love like mine
In John Paul Keith's song "You Devil You," the lyrics express a feeling of heartbreak and confusion. The singer's lover is walking away from their love, and the singer cannot understand why. The repetition of the phrase, "How can you walk away from my love" drives home the sentiment that the singer cannot fathom how their love was not enough to keep their partner from leaving. The singer begs for an explanation, asking if someone else interfered with their relationship, or if they did something wrong to deserve this abandonment.
The chorus repeats several times, emphasizing the singer's fear that their partner will never find another love like theirs. The final verse adds urgency to the song, with the singer pleading for an explanation and understanding of how their partner could so easily turn off their love for each other. The use of the phrase "You devil you" adds a sense of betrayal to the song, as if the singer's partner has deceived them in some way.
Overall, "You Devil You" is a poignant and emotional expression of heartbreak and confusion in the face of a failed relationship. The repetition of the chorus creates a sense of desperation and longing, while the verses express a need for answers and understanding in the face of this hurt.
Line by Line Meaning
How can you walk away from my love
I don't understand how you're able to leave behind the love I've given you.
How can you turn around and leave me now
After all we've been through, how can you just abandon me?
How can you walk away from my love
I'm still in disbelief that you're willing to let go of my love.
You may never find another love like mine
I know I've given you a love that's hard to match and you may never find another like it.
Baby wake me up
I'm hoping that this is all just a nightmare.
Tell me it’s all been a bad bad dream
I want you to tell me that everything that's happened is just a nightmare.
Ain’t I been good to you
I've treated you with kindness and I don't understand why you're leaving me.
Didn’t I give you my everything
I've given you my all and it's difficult to fathom that it's not enough for you.
Baby can’t you hear me sing
I'm singing my heart out to you, hoping you hear the sincerity in my voice.
Is it someone else
I'm questioning if there is someone else in your life and that's why you're leaving me.
Did they talk you out of loving me
I'm wondering if someone else in your life has convinced you to stop loving me.
What did I do wrong
I'm trying to understand my faults so that I can fix them and keep you from leaving.
Please baby I don’t wanna be free
I don't want to be without you and I'm pleading with you to stay.
And I want you to belong to me
I want you to be mine and I never want to let you go.
Wait a minute now
Hold on, wait and explain to me why you're leaving.
You can’t leave me here like this
I can't be without you, it's too painful.
Make me understand
I want you to explain so I can comprehend why you're willing to leave.
How you can turn it off like a switch
I'm confused by how quickly you're able to stop loving me.
This feeling that I can’t resist
I'm still in love with you and I can't resist this feeling.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: John Paul Keith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sound On
Bravo! Another masterpiece! Incredible transfer of feelings and emotions! Thank you ??🎶🎶🎶😎😎😎👍👍👍
John Paul Keith
Thank you!
Phillip Folis
Best Memphis stuff I ve heard this year !
musicfriek
Just found out about John Paul, the album is fantastic, can't stop playing it! 😃 Rock 'n Roll baby! 👍
Jim Eriksson
Love it. Great solo. Amazing tone!
rocknrev
I can't recall the last time I heard a new song from a new to me musician where I continued to sing the song 10 minutes later. This is that song.
John Paul Keith
Thank you!
Phillip Folis
All the licks this guy plays are so clean !
Richard Cox
You guys did a great video. Glad I found your channel.
Christopher Drake
Awesome!
This is music!
Sir, you earn a new follower from a far away land.
M'congrats and believe me, you made m'day.