“The rhythm is what our band is about." Says Pete Bernhard: Guitarist, Front Man. The Devil Makes Three are quite possibly the best band that you have never heard of. They have been constantly on tour, selling out dates across the country and in their neck of the woods on the West Coast drawing near capacity crowds nightly. This is all word of mouth. Over the years, the Devil Makes Three have garnered fans the old school way, playing a city, making friends, conquering fans and moving on.
Laced with elements of ragtime, blues, country, folk and rockabilly, the critically praised, drummer-less trio - consisting of Vermont native, guitarist/front man Pete Bernhard, stand-up bassist Lucia Turino and guitarist Cooper McBean, also of rural Vermont - brings forth a genuine approach to acoustic music. The sound is deeply steeped in rhythm and alive with three part harmonies, while keeping a slightly punk aesthetic to their music and especially their live shows.
Note: the following songs belong to a different band with the same name, a small local metal band from Northern Ireland:
A Lesson Unlearnt
Dead
Feed the Greed
Heaven Descent
Help Yourself
The Devil Makes Three Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lord, they threw him down in hell there all alone
and now he builds a castle out of the sinners' bones
You'd be angry too if you could never go home
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
A thousand ways to heaven, a thousand ways to hell
So help yourselves now
Old man Nicodemus could not make his heart believe
He could see that Jesus had some tricks up his sleeve
Said now, Oh man, Jesus I can't do things your way
But I can see you work with somebody big, so I'm backing your play
Old man Nicodemus, his pockets they were deep
But on the day the Romans decided to put Jesus to sleep
Jesus could not care for money now or any such thing
Old Nicodemus paid to have Jesus just buried like a king
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
A thousand ways to heaven, a thousand ways to hell
Well I say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
So help yourselves now
Our father art in heaven hallowed be thy name
Told Noah "build a boat" on the driest of days
And everybody in the neighborhood said old Noah was insane
I guess when the waters receded now, the truth was plain
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
A thousand ways to heaven, a thousand ways to hell
Well I say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
So help yourselves now
Moses was a great man, parted the waters of the Red Sea
Down the road to Egypt, he made sure the slaves were free
Well he could speak to God, so they say, yes indeed
Well the noise of his voice would have made our poor ears bleed
Moses, he had an army I tell you all his own
They stood in circles outside his very home
and when the the Pharaohs got to killing they left old moses alone
but the Romans drove their nails through old Jesus' bones
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
Why they got Jesus now and not Moses, who can tell?
But they do say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
So help yourselves now
--- This is pretty close to correct. - Ryan
The Devil Makes Three's "Help Yourself" is a song rooted in the religious sentiments of Christianity. The lyrics reveal a sense of defiance against established religious norms and traditions. The opening verse talks of how even the devil, who was once an angel, was thrown down to hell for trying to rush the throne. However, the devil still manages to build a castle out of the sinners' bones. This verse could be interpreted as a commentary on how those who are deemed 'bad' by religious authority still manage to thrive despite being cast aside.
The second verse talks about the singer's actions and beliefs. He acknowledges that he has done bad things but just wants to have fun. The lyrics suggest the idea that the good Lord helps those who try to help themselves. The following verses talk about figures like Old man Nicodemus, Noah, and Moses. Old man Nicodemus, although rich, paid to have Jesus buried like a king. Noah built a boat on the driest of days and was deemed insane until the waters receded. Moses helped free the slaves and even had an army of his own, yet the Romans killed Jesus instead of Moses.
Overall, "Help Yourself" seems to challenge traditional religious beliefs, emphasizing the idea that individuals should take control of their own lives rather than relying on established religious dogma.
Line by Line Meaning
Even the devil was an angel before he tried to rush the throne
The devil, who was once an angel, got banished from heaven for his rebellion against God.
Lord, they threw him down in hell there all alone
God sent the devil to hell as a punishment for his sinful act of trying to overthrow Him.
and now he builds a castle out of the sinners' bones
The devil uses the sinful actions of people to further his own interests and power.
You'd be angry too if you could never go home
The devil's anger is justified because he can never return to heaven after his rebellion.
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
The artist is not a religious leader or a religious leader's offspring.
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
The singer has made mistakes in the past, but enjoys living life to the fullest.
A thousand ways to heaven, a thousand ways to hell
There are many paths to either heaven or hell.
Well I say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
God assists those who take action to help themselves.
Old man Nicodemus could not make his heart believe
Nicodemus struggled internally with accepting Jesus' teachings.
He could see that Jesus had some tricks up his sleeve
Nicodemus recognized that Jesus had special abilities and knowledge.
Said now, Oh man, Jesus I can't do things your way
Nicodemus was hesitant to follow Jesus' teachings.
But I can see you work with somebody big, so I'm backing your play
Nicodemus believed that Jesus was being supported by a higher power and decided to support him as well.
Old man Nicodemus, his pockets they were deep
Nicodemus was a wealthy man.
But on the day the Romans decided to put Jesus to sleep
When Jesus was sentenced to death by the Romans,
Jesus could not care for money now or any such thing
Jesus' focus was not on material possessions or wealth, but rather on his mission.
Old Nicodemus paid to have Jesus just buried like a king
Nicodemus provided for Jesus' burial in a grand manner fit for a king.
Our father art in heaven hallowed be thy name
This line is a reference to the beginning of the Lord's Prayer.
Told Noah "build a boat" on the driest of days
God instructed Noah to build an ark before a great flood.
And everybody in the neighborhood said old Noah was insane
No one believed Noah's warning about the flood, thinking he was crazy.
I guess when the waters receded now, the truth was plain
After the flood, it was clear that Noah had been right all along.
Moses was a great man, parted the waters of the Red Sea
Moses was a respected figure who performed many miracles, including parting the Red Sea.
Down the road to Egypt, he made sure the slaves were free
Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and towards the Promised Land.
Well he could speak to God, so they say, yes indeed
Moses was believed to be able to communicate directly with God.
Well the noise of his voice would have made our poor ears bleed
Moses' powerful voice was said to be overwhelming and possibly even deafening.
Moses, he had an army I tell you all his own
Moses had a group of followers who were devoted to him.
They stood in circles outside his very home
These followers were loyal and protective, even guarding his home.
and when the the Pharaohs got to killing they left old moses alone
When the Pharaohs tried to harm Moses, his army of followers prevented it from happening.
but the Romans drove their nails through old Jesus' bones
The Romans killed Jesus by nailing him to the cross.
Why they got Jesus now and not Moses, who can tell?
It's unknown why Jesus was persecuted and killed rather than someone like Moses.
But they do say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
God rewards those who take initiative and work towards their own success.
So help yourselves now
The singer encourages listeners to take action and improve their own lives.
Contributed by Julian H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ashleekerry7255
Even the devil was an angel before he tried to rush the throne
Lord, they threw him down in hell there all alone
And now he builds a castle out of the sinners' bones
You'd be angry too if you could never go home
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
A thousand ways to heaven, a thousand ways to hell
Well I say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
So help yourselves now
Old man Nicodemus could not make his heart believe
He could see that Jesus had some tricks up his sleeve
Said now, Oh man, Jesus I can't do things your way
But I can see you work with somebody big, so I'm backing your play
Old man Nicodemus, his pockets they were deep
But on the day the Romans decided to put Jesus to sleep
Jesus could not care for money now or any such thing
Old Nicodemus paid to have Jesus just buried like a king
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
A thousand ways to heaven, a thousand ways to hell
Well I say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
So help yourselves now
Our father art in heaven hallowed be thy name
Told Noah "build a boat" on the driest of days
And everybody in the neighborhood said old Noah was insane
I guess when the waters receded now, the truth was plain
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
A thousand ways to heaven, a thousand ways to hell
Well I say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
So help yourselves now
Moses was a great man, parted the waters of the Red Sea
Down the road to Egypt, he made sure the slaves were free
Well he could speak to God, so they say, yes indeed
Well the noise of his voice would have made our poor ears bleed
Moses, he had an army I tell you all his own
They stood in circles outside his very home
And when the the Pharaohs got to killing they left old moses alone
But the Romans drove their nails through old Jesus' bones
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
Why they got Jesus now and not Moses, who can tell?
But they do say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
So help yourselves now..
@nagash2731
This came on Pandora while I was driving and it went "The Good Lord helps those that -- Take the next left on Washington Avenue."
Had to share it somewhere.
@PresstheButtonStudio
I appreciate this.
@earlinesmith4717
Awesome lol
@darbycoyle
Wwrŕ
@Onion_of_Ultimate_Concern
Too funny!!😂
@petespencer8813
I love this. I've been listening to them for a couple of years now. Always a treat
@smartalek180
This is genius.
@littlesilver2205
YOUR TELLING ME LOL
@batmanwins5701
You got that right!
@ashleekerry7255
Even the devil was an angel before he tried to rush the throne
Lord, they threw him down in hell there all alone
And now he builds a castle out of the sinners' bones
You'd be angry too if you could never go home
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
A thousand ways to heaven, a thousand ways to hell
Well I say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
So help yourselves now
Old man Nicodemus could not make his heart believe
He could see that Jesus had some tricks up his sleeve
Said now, Oh man, Jesus I can't do things your way
But I can see you work with somebody big, so I'm backing your play
Old man Nicodemus, his pockets they were deep
But on the day the Romans decided to put Jesus to sleep
Jesus could not care for money now or any such thing
Old Nicodemus paid to have Jesus just buried like a king
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
A thousand ways to heaven, a thousand ways to hell
Well I say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
So help yourselves now
Our father art in heaven hallowed be thy name
Told Noah "build a boat" on the driest of days
And everybody in the neighborhood said old Noah was insane
I guess when the waters receded now, the truth was plain
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
A thousand ways to heaven, a thousand ways to hell
Well I say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
So help yourselves now
Moses was a great man, parted the waters of the Red Sea
Down the road to Egypt, he made sure the slaves were free
Well he could speak to God, so they say, yes indeed
Well the noise of his voice would have made our poor ears bleed
Moses, he had an army I tell you all his own
They stood in circles outside his very home
And when the the Pharaohs got to killing they left old moses alone
But the Romans drove their nails through old Jesus' bones
Well now, I ain't no preacher, no preacher man's son
I done some bad things but I like to have my fun
Why they got Jesus now and not Moses, who can tell?
But they do say, the good Lord helps those that help themselves
So help yourselves now..