In My Tribe. Merchant joined 10,000 Maniacs at the age of 17 and became the band's driving artistic force. After a pair of successful independent releases, they signed to Elektra in 1985 and briefly became one of the most popular acts in alternative rock, shooting into the Top 40 with 1987's In My Tribe and charting even higher with their follow-up effort, Blind Man's Zoo. Merchant's desire to launch a solo career increased alongside the band's growing reputation, however, and by the time the group sat down to record 1992's Our Time in Eden, she gave her bandmates two years' notice. Following the release of MTV Unplugged in 1994, she publicly announced she was leaving the group's ranks.
OpheliaMerchant made her solo debut with 1995's Tigerlily, a self-produced album that debuted at number 13 and scored a Top Ten single with "Carnival." Two additional singles, "Wonder" and "Jealousy," also cracked the Top 40, prompting Tigerlily to sell over five million copies in the U.S. alone. It was followed in 1998 by Ophelia, another platinum-selling effort that was supported by Merchant's inclusion in the second Lilith Fair tour. Live in Concert, recorded at New York's Neil Simon Theatre, appeared a year later. A prominent social activist, Merchant also drew notice by campaigning in the name of such hot-button issues as animal rights, domestic violence, and homelessness.
MotherlandMerchant launched a folk tour in 2000, with members of progressive folk band the Horse Flies joining her on the road. She then returned to her solo career with Motherland. Two years later, Merchant left Elektra's roster and formed her own independent label, Myth America, in order to issue House Carpenter's Daughter, a collection of traditional and contemporary folk music inspired by the 2000 tour. A long period of silence followed, during which a pair of greatest-hits releases -- the 10,000 Maniacs collection Campfire Songs and Merchant's own Retrospective: 1995-2005 -- kept fans relatively sated. As the decade drew to a close, though, Merchant signed with Nonesuch Records and began making plans for a new album, which eventually arrived in the form of the ambitious, double-disc neo-children's album, 2010's Leave Your Sleep. Merchant returned to straight-ahead pop music with a self-titled album in May 2014.
She Devil
Natalie Merchant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Big dark eyes like Cleopatra
The eyes of a femme fatale
Bet you get the ominous feeling
A cold blooded creature in the dark
Is stealing toward you
You best beware, take care
She's better than a work of fiction
Half ingénue, half a vixen
Your little paper doll
But brother she's a wicked sister
Subtle and sly, watch it mister
And take my advice, stay away
Or number your days
Opiate clouds surround you
An addiction to love has found you out
Half out of your mind
Fool, when I think about you
I want to wrap my arms around you
And tell you more than words can say
She devil, she conquer, she devil, you want her
You're unaware
Tonight of the danger everywhere
My poor little sleeping giant
Dreaming warm and silent
Where has your Delilah gone?
Why don't you wake and see through
Every way that she's deceived you
How she moves within?
See, everything the woman touches
It withers and dies in her clutches
Why should your fate be
Any different from these?
Oh, well I've heard about you
Every word that's said about you
The man in the silvery web
He fell for the sweet persuasion
Of a black widow spider now nothing can save him
Now it's just a matter of time
She devil, she conquer, she devil, you want her
You're unaware
Tonight of the danger everywhere
She devil, she conquer, she devil, you want her
You're well aware
Tonight of the danger everywhere
But you don't care
The song "She Devil" by Natalie Merchant is a cautionary tale of a woman who possesses dangerous and alluring qualities. The lyrics compare her to Cleopatra, the infamous and seductive queen of Egypt, and describe her as having "big dark eyes" that lure unsuspecting men into her trap. The singer warns the listener to "beware, take care" and stay away from her, as she is a "subtle and sly" character with ulterior motives.
In the second verse, the lyrics become more personal as the singer addresses a specific person who has fallen under the woman's spell. The person is described as being "half out of your mind" and addicted to the woman's love. Despite the warnings, the singer is drawn to this person and wants to protect him/her from the dangerous femme fatale.
The third verse tells a story of a man who fell for the sweet persuasion of a black widow spider, and now his fate is sealed. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the danger and allure of the she devil.
Overall, "She Devil" can be interpreted as a warning against falling for someone who is manipulative and dangerous. The singer advises the listener to stay away and be cautious, but also acknowledges the difficulty of resisting the temptation of someone who is so alluring.
Line by Line Meaning
Look out she's coming at ya
Be cautious, she's on her way to get you
Big dark eyes like Cleopatra
She has intimidating and captivating eyes like the queen of ancient Egypt
The eyes of a femme fatale
Her eyes possess the charm of a deceitful woman
Bet you get the ominous feeling
You have a sense of foreboding
A cold blooded creature in the dark
A calculating and cruel being coming from behind
Is stealing toward you
Approaching you silently and secretly
You best beware, take care
You need to be careful and cautious
She's better than a work of fiction
She is more powerful and dangerous than a fictional character
Half ingénue, half a vixen
She is both innocent and seductive
Your little paper doll
You are easily controlled by her like a puppet
But brother she's a wicked sister
Beware, she is a vicious woman
Subtle and sly, watch it mister
She is sneaky, so be careful
And take my advice, stay away
Stay clear of her, don't get involved
Or number your days
Your life may be in danger
Opiate clouds surround you
You are intoxicated and unable to think straight
An addiction to love has found you out
You are in love, but it's ruining you
Half out of your mind
You are losing your sanity
Fool, when I think about you
You are foolish and I worry about you
I want to wrap my arms around you
I want to protect and comfort you
And tell you more than words can say
I want to express my concern, but words are not enough
She devil, she conquer, she devil, you want her
She is an evil woman, but you are drawn to her
You're unaware
You don't realize the danger she poses
Tonight of the danger everywhere
There is danger lurking tonight
My poor little sleeping giant
You are naive and unaware
Dreaming warm and silent
You are peacefully asleep
Where has your Delilah gone?
Where has the woman who has deceived you gone?
Why don't you wake and see through
Wake up and see through her deceit
Every way that she's deceived you
She has betrayed you in every possible way
How she moves within?
How she operates and manipulates you from the inside
See, everything the woman touches
Everything she is involved in is destroyed
It withers and dies in her clutches
She destroys everything she touches
Why should your fate be
Why should you be an exception?
Any different from these?
Why would you be any different from others she has destroyed?
Oh, well I've heard about you
I have heard stories about you
Every word that's said about you
Everything that is being said about you
The man in the silvery web
You are caught in a dangerous situation
He fell for the sweet persuasion
You were lured in by her charm
Of a black widow spider now nothing can save him
You are trapped in her dangerous web and doomed
Now it's just a matter of time
Your fate is sealed, and you are merely waiting for the end
You're well aware
You know the danger she poses
But you don't care
Despite knowing the danger, you still want her and don't care
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind