A Masters In Reverse Psychology
Murder By Death Lyrics


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Put the bullet in the barrell
Take the safety off
Keep shootin' at the devil in the moonlight
Put it all on black
Till your luck comes back

We're all waitin' for the end
What kind of finish will he send
These hands made of splinters
Keep knockin' back the whiskey sours [Repeat: x2]

I've got a few more days to go and
I've got another crust of bread somewhere holed up
Waiting in this
Is this what's left of the house

Fill the lamp up with kerosene and toss the rest in the hall
Just coat the walls and strike the cigarette
When you hear them coming

We'll pray for them and stay with them
Till the poor little bastards die hand in hand
We'll never forget them when they're gone

So keep the girls inside
Of the little church
With their bruised knees
On the pews





We're all waitin' for the end
What kind of finish will he send?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Murder By Death's song A Masters In Reverse Psychology convey a sense of despair and violence. The first stanza talks about shooting at the devil, taking dangerous risks, and hoping for luck to return. The second stanza seems to describe a post-apocalyptic scene where the singer is barely surviving, with few resources left. The third stanza hints at impending danger, with the suggestion of preparing for an attack and staying with loved ones until the end.


The song creates a dark and unsettling mood, with its mix of violent imagery and resigned fatalism. The repeated phrase "We're all waitin' for the end" implies a sense of shared doom, as if everyone is in this together. The "masters in reverse psychology" mentioned in the title could refer to some kind of manipulative force or situation that has turned the world upside down, leaving people to scramble for survival.


Overall, the lyrics of A Masters In Reverse Psychology paint a stark picture of a world on the brink of collapse, with little hope of redemption or salvation.


Line by Line Meaning

Put the bullet in the barrell
Load the gun with a bullet


Take the safety off
Release the safety lock on the gun


Keep shootin' at the devil in the moonlight
Keep fighting against the evil forces in the darkness


Put it all on black
Take a big risk and bet everything on one outcome


Till your luck comes back
Keep going until you become lucky again


We're all waitin' for the end
All of us are expecting an end to this ordeal


What kind of finish will he send
What type of ending will occur


These hands made of splinters
These hands which are rough and rugged


Keep knockin' back the whiskey sours
Keep drinking alcohol to forget the troubles


I've got a few more days to go and
I have a limited time left


I've got another crust of bread somewhere holed up
I have some more food i.e. bread, kept in a hidden place


Waiting in this
Waiting for something


Is this what's left of the house
Is this all that is left from where I started


Fill the lamp up with kerosene and toss the rest in the hall
Fill the lamp with some flammable liquid and dispose of the rest of it in the hallway


Just coat the walls and strike the cigarette
Cover the walls with the flammable liquid and ignite it with a cigarette lighter


When you hear them coming
As soon as you hear them approach


We'll pray for them and stay with them
We'll stay with them and pray for them


Till the poor little bastards die hand in hand
Until the unfortunate people die together holding hands


We'll never forget them when they're gone
We'll always remember them even after they've left


So keep the girls inside
Make sure the girls are safe inside


Of the little church
Inside the small church


With their bruised knees
With their injured knees


On the pews
On the benches




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MATTHEW TAYLOR ARMSTRONG, SARAH JACKSON BALLIET, ADAM MICHAEL TURLA, ALEXANDER RANDOLPH SCHRODT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Bubba Gump

"Put it on all black till your luck comes back" - all time favorite MBD lyric.

ponyride23

thanks for the upload.. this is honestly my favorite song ever

Phillip Malerich

It's definitely up there amongst their absolute best. After seeing them live twice, I wish they'd go back to Who Will Survive (which, until recently, I didn't realize was a Texas Chainsaw Massacre reference) and re-record it with their new style and his whiskey baritone.

Justin Thorne

the cellos though

Dan Acula

I don’t know man, I think I prefer the older, looser style and voice but this is definitely my favorite track…this and Knife Goes In, Guts Come Out just hit me.

Cheers 😎

Mike Swanson

good one

Justin Thorne

00:19

Justin Thorne

2:31

Justin Thorne

1:41

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