When NEEDTOBREATHE’s Bear and Bo Rinehart set out to write the songs that appear on the band’s new album, The Reckoning, they felt something bigger awaited them. It wasn’t just commercial success either. The band’s last album The Outsiders hit No. 9 on Billboard’s Rock Albums chart, went Top 20 on the Top 200, saw the band sell out venues such as Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and Chicago’s House of Blues, and score an impressive number of placements in blockbuster films and numerous prime time television-shows.
With their reputation as a must-see live act built from non-stop touring, the Rinehart brothers, pastor’s sons who hail from the rural South Carolina town of Possum Kingdom, along with drummer Joe Stillwell and bass player Seth Bolt, were determined to create a statement-making album that truly captured the magic behind this genuinely appealing rock band.
Lyrically, all roads lead from the album’s title, which Bear says has several different meanings, one of them being the justification of accounts. “I like the idea that you put in all this work and at some point it comes to a peak -- that’s the reckoning time.”
What the band emerged with is a timeless-sounding album rooted in classic American rock and roll, unafraid to veer off into unexpected directions. Songs such as “Maybe They’re On To Us” address the paranoia of wondering whether people know too much about the band. “It also asks, ‘Are we still driven in the same way?’ We’re always questioning ourselves,” Bear says. Even the songs that may sound light-hearted on the surface, like “White Fences,” “Slumber,” and “Drive All Night,” explore serious themes. “’White Fences’ is about the American dream of growing up in a big house with a white picket fence, but when the dream is broken and things don’t pan out the way you planned, asking who’s going to fix it,” Bo says. “’Slumber’ is meant to be about how beauty is all around you but you just can’t see it because of the funk you’re in,” Bear says. “It speaks to something that we really care about which is giving yourself a chance.” And there’s “Drive All Night,” a galloping barnstormer that Bear sees as a statement on the false idea that one can run away from one’s problems.
With their intriguing melodies and bright choruses, the songs on The Reckoning are certain to translate in the live setting, something that is crucial to the band. “The worst thing that could happen is you get done playing and people don’t think about you again. We’ll do whatever it takes to force people to make a decision about our band, whether they love us or not. It makes for more passionate fans.”
Devil's Been Talkin'
NEEDTOBREATHE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guilty from the words I speak
Say the truth will set you free
But it won't for me
Cause I'm uneasy in my skin
Hangin' on by a thread
Life it hasn't left me yet
But I won't forget
(Oh oh oh)
The devil's been talkin'
(Oh oh oh)
The ship is setting off to sea
But it's sailing without me
I can't help but feel I'm on
An island born to sink
Oh, the devil's been talkin'
We can't change
It's who we are
We are all alone
The devil's been talkin'
We can't change
It's who we are
We are all alone
I'm running out
Of this hole alone
These fingers bled
Down to the bone
And I can't move
This hell is cold
The chorus sings
This is home
Whoa
The devil's been talkin'
The devil's been talkin'
(Oh oh oh) Whoa
The devil's been talkin'
(Oh oh oh)
The devil is talkin'
I'm running out
Of this hole alone
These fingers bled
The devil is talkin'
I can't move
This hell is cold
The chorus sings
Bag of bones and blood red cheeks
Guilty from the words I speak
Say the truth will set you free
But it won't for me
Oh, the devil's been talkin'
The song "Devil's Been Talkin'" by NEEDTOBREATHE is a deep and introspective piece that explores the themes of guilt, personal struggle, and the internal battle between good and evil. In the first verse, we are introduced to the internal turmoil of the singer, who confesses to feeling guilty for the words he speaks. He admits that while the truth may set others free, it remains a source of unease for himself. We are thrust into a world where the singer is hanging by a thread, his life is draining away, and he is haunted by the voice of the devil.
The second verse deepens the sense of despair as the singer watches the ship of life set off without him. He feels that the birthplace of his life is an island destined to sink, and the devil's voice continues to weigh upon him, dragging him down. The chorus serves as a reminder of the central theme of the song - the devil's voice can't be silenced, and it's a part of who we are as humans. We are alone and can't change that fact.
The final verse introduces a sense of urgency as the singer is running out of the hole alone, his fingers bleeding until he can't move. Despite the bleakness of it all, the chorus echoes - this hell is home. The song's lyrics suggest that the most we can do is keep moving forward, acknowledging the devil's voice without giving in. All in all, the song is a reminder that the demons we face can't be vanquished forever, but we must keep pushing through.
Line by Line Meaning
Bag of bones and blood red cheeks
I am physically weak and my face is worn out due to constant guilt and shame.
Guilty from the words I speak
I am aware that my words have consequences and I feel guilty for how they might have hurt people around me.
Say the truth will set you free
People often claim that speaking the truth will help one feel free from guilt and pain.
But it won't for me
However, I understand that speaking the truth may not relieve me of guilty feelings as the damage has already been done.
Cause I'm uneasy in my skin
I don't feel comfortable in my own body and constantly feel guilty and ashamed for my actions.
Hangin' on by a thread
I am barely holding on to my sanity and feel overwhelmed by the guilt and the weight of my actions.
Life it hasn't left me yet
Despite feeling guilty and hopeless, I am still alive and fighting to survive.
But I won't forget
I know that the things I have done will always be a part of me and I cannot escape from them.
Oh, the devil's been talkin'
I feel like an outside force, like the devil, has been talking to me and reminding me of my mistakes and guilt.
The ship is setting off to sea
The rest of the world is moving on, while I feel stuck in my guilt and shame.
But it's sailing without me
I am not able to move forward with the rest of the world because of my guilt and shame.
I can't help but feel I'm on
I constantly feel like I am doomed to feel guilty and ashamed for the rest of my life.
An island born to sink
I feel like I am isolated and alone in my guilt and no matter what I do, I will never be free from it.
We can't change
It is difficult, if not impossible to change who we are and the actions we have done.
It's who we are
Our actions define us and we cannot escape from them, even if we try.
We are all alone
We are all responsible for our own choices and mistakes, and often we have to bear the consequences alone.
I'm running out
I am running out of hope and am losing my strength to fight my guilt and shame.
Of this hole alone
I am trapped in my guilt and cannot seem to escape from it on my own.
These fingers bled
I have worked hard and exhausted myself trying to escape from the guilt, but it seems impossible.
Down to the bone
I have poured all my energy and strength into my fight against my guilt, but it has all been in vain.
And I can't move
I am stuck in my guilt and pain, unable to move on from it.
This hell is cold
The weight of my guilt and shame feels like a cold, never-ending torture that haunts me day and night.
The chorus sings
Despite my pain, the rest of the world continues functioning and life goes on for everyone else.
This is home
My guilt and pain have become so familiar to me, that it feels like this is where I belong and there is no escape from it.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nathaniel Rinehart, William Rinehart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind