Kevin Devine is an American songwriter and musician from Brooklyn, New York… Read Full Bio ↴Kevin Devine is an American songwriter and musician from Brooklyn, New York, who is known for alternately introspective and political lyrics and melodic acoustic guitar tunes. He cites his influences as Bob Dylan, Elliott Smith, Guns N' Roses, Brother Paramo and Nirvana, among others. He grew up in Brooklyn and Staten Island, and has spent significant time in Manhattan and Queens as well. Devine graduated Fordham University at Lincoln Center in 2001, majoring in journalism. He also played in an indie/punk/emo band called Miracle of 86 after the (Miracle) New York Mets. Even before that, he played with a popular band in the local Staten Island scene called Delusion. At Fordham he was able to hone his acoustic solo skills by playing at various open-mic and college events which made him very popular among the student body.
During this time he also appeared in regular stints at the Wetlands Preserve. Although still relatively unknown, Devine gained some popularity with his 2003 album, Make the Clocks Move. Newer songs reflect Devine's political views and the recent death of his father to a stroke. He has recorded records for Immigrant Sun Records and Triple Crown Records and has worked with Brooklyn based producer Mike Skinner, who is also credited as the drummer on his solo records as well as the drummer for Miracle of 86. He signed with Capitol Records, who released his fourth album, Put Your Ghost to Rest, on October 17, 2006. Only four months after his major label debut, Devine was dropped from Capitol Records due to EMI merging Virgin and Capitol Records.
Devine was able to gather a strong fan base as a result of his exposure through touring with Brand New. First appearing as their opening act in their 2004 spring tour, Devine made a small splash among their fan base. However, opening for them again in April 2006, and joining their 2007 Spring tour with Manchester Orchestra, Kevin's following was multiplying by the day. (Kevin also opened for Brand New as a surprise act at the Triple Crown Records 10th Anniversary Concert.)
Devine's late 2007 touring schedule included a tour with close friend Jesse Lacey (of Brand New) and Grace Read at the end of July through early August, followed by a short trip to London, a spot on the Austin City Limits Festival, and a tour with Chin Up Chin Up throughout Germany. In October 2007 he toured with Andy Hull from Manchester Orchestra and Owen.
Kevin posted numerous demos via his MySpace profile in late 2007/early 2008 and after negotiations with Capitol records, "Put Your Ghost To Rest" was re-released on April 20, 2008 by Procrastinate! Music Traitors.
Kevin toured Europe with Jenny Owen Youngs and Tournaments in May and other tours followed throughout 2008 with Jesse Lacey, Rachael Yamagata and Matt Pryor in August and September 2008.[1]
In late 2008, Kevin announced his new album Brother's Blood would be released in early 2009 on Favorite Gentlemen records, as well as a tour with Manchester Orchestra and the I Could Be With Anyone EP in support of both.

It's Only Your Life
Kevin Devine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You wrestle yourself to the ground
You springboard and kick yourself in the mouth
'Cause all of that drama, that embarrassed charade
Couldn't stop you or settle you down

So you got back with your black hole
And you don't care who's out there or who knows
'Cause you're spent and you're sad

'Cause you've bronzed it, it's your badge
And you've fixed it to all of your clothes
Every T-shirt and overcoat

So it's with you through hot or cold
But I would tear it from the cloth
Yeah, I would tear it from the cloth
Grow up and knock it off

'Cause there's a world awake outside
With injustice and with music and with July, July
With history's arc, with your family, with art
But it don't mean nothing, not to you, not tonight

'Cause you can't see past the length of your nose
The biggest problems you're sure they're your own
That girl you cut loose, those two friends that cursed you
And all that powder that you can't leave alone

And you say you know, you know, you know

But I know that you don't, you don't, you don't
If you did you'd really try
If you did you'd really try to let all that die

So marry yourself to your work
And crowd your confusion with words
Then round out your life with some boy you might like
While you bury your love in the dirt

'Cause it's endless the ditch you can dig
You're stubborn and you're prideful and you're all over it
So I suggest you make sense of the time you've got left
So you don't end up back where you've been

And you say you won't, you won't, you won't
And I hope that you don't, you don't, you don't
If you mean it then stand up and fight
If you mean it then stand up and fight
I mean it's only your life

I mean it's only your life
To fix or ruin, to figure what to do with
It's only your life

To fix or ruin 'cause no one else is gonna do it
It's only your life

Overall Meaning

The song "It's Only Your Life" by Kevin Devine is a song about self-destruction and self-awareness. The lyrics talk about someone who is struggling with personal issues and using outside distractions, such as drugs and relationships, to avoid confronting their problems. They are stuck in their own problems and can't seem to see past their own self-interest. There's a sense of frustration in the lyrics towards someone who is not willing to take responsibility for their actions and who keeps falling into the same patterns.

The lyrics suggest that there is a whole world out there that is waiting to be explored but the person in question is unable to see it because they're too focused on their own issues. It's as if they are stuck in a cycle, repeating the same mistakes over and over again. The line "you're stubborn and you're prideful and you're all over it" sums it up perfectly. The person is unable to step back and look at their situation from a different angle and to learn from their mistakes.

Despite the sense of frustration in the lyrics, there is also a sense of hope. The song suggests that it's not too late to change and take control. The line "it's only your life to fix or ruin, to figure what to do with" is a call to action. It's up to the individual to take responsibility and decide what to do with their life.

Line by Line Meaning

You wrestle yourself to the ground
You struggle with your own thoughts and emotions, and it's taking a toll on you

You springboard and kick yourself in the mouth
You constantly undermine and hurt yourself

'Cause all of that drama, that embarrassed charade Couldn't stop you or settle you down
Even though your past mistakes and setbacks were painful, you refuse to let them define you or break you

So you got back with your black hole
You returned to your negative habits and ways of coping, despite knowing they're harmful

And you don't care who's out there or who knows
You've given up on trying to impress or please others, and maybe even yourself

'Cause you're spent and you're sad
You're emotionally drained and unhappy

'Cause you've bronzed it, it's your badge And you've fixed it to all of your clothes Every T-shirt and overcoat
You've turned your suffering and pain into a symbol of identity and worn it proudly, without realizing how unhealthy and limiting it is

So it's with you through hot or cold But I would tear it from the cloth Yeah, I would tear it from the cloth Grow up and knock it off
You carry this baggage and negativity with you everywhere, but someone who cares about you wants you to let it go and move on

'Cause there's a world awake outside With injustice and with music and with July, July With history's arc, with your family, with art But it don't mean nothing, not to you, not tonight
Despite the beauty and possibilities of the world, you can't appreciate or engage with them right now because you're consumed by your own problems

'Cause you can't see past the length of your nose The biggest problems you're sure they're your own That girl you cut loose, those two friends that cursed you And all that powder that you can't leave alone
You're stuck in a self-centered and self-destructive mindset, where your own personal issues are all you can see and think about

And you say you know, you know, you know But I know that you don't, you don't, you don't If you did you'd really try If you did you'd really try to let all that die
You claim to understand and have control over your problems, but someone who cares about you thinks you're still in denial and resistant to change

So marry yourself to your work And crowd your confusion with words Then round out your life with some boy you might like While you bury your love in the dirt
You're distracting yourself from your troubles by throwing yourself into work, using language and ideas to obscure your feelings, and pursuing romantic relationships as a way to avoid dealing with your own issues

'Cause it's endless the ditch you can dig You're stubborn and you're prideful and you're all over it So I suggest you make sense of the time you've got left So you don't end up back where you've been
You're stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage and negative self-talk, and it's up to you to break free from it and create a better future for yourself

And you say you won't, you won't, you won't And I hope that you don't, you don't, you don't If you mean it then stand up and fight If you mean it then stand up and fight I mean it's only your life
You might be resistant to making changes and improving your situation, but someone who cares about you wants you to take control of your life and make it the best it can be

I mean it's only your life To fix or ruin, to figure what to do with It's only your life To fix or ruin 'cause no one else is gonna do it It's only your life
Ultimately, it's up to you to determine what to do with your life, whether to improve it or destroy it, because no one else can do it for you

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: KEVIN PATRICK DEVINE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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