A quartet of Southern rock traditionalists from Nashville, the Steel Woods lay claim to the sound pioneered by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Like Skynyrd, The Steel Woods balance heavy blues-rock with Southern poetry, and they add a bit of plainspoken outlaw country to the mix, as evidenced on their 2017 debut, Straw in the Wind.
Prior to forming the Steel Woods, guitarists Wes Bayliss and Jason "Rowdy" Cope were both pursuing musical careers. Cope found work as a session musician and played in Jamey Johnson's band, but once he met Bayliss at a Nashville gig, the two clicked. First they became friends, then they wound collaborating, adding bassist Johnny Stanton and drummer Jay Tooke to round out the lineup. An eponymous EP came out in 2016, and the next year saw the release of Straw in the Wind on Thirty Tigers/Woods Music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
The Secret
The Steel Woods Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was alone but I was free
To roam the Earth
All the land and the seas
Now I sit here perched
Underneath this tree
Starin′ at a half eaten apple
She whispered in my ear
The darkness in her heart
She didn't want the world to hear
And when it all fell apart
It was her lips I should of feared
Not the viper in the garden
She said Satan is a woman
It′s not the snake it was me
That sent that man to hell
Crawlin' on his knees
And time tells all
So brother do believe
That the devil ain't no dragon
Nah, the devil ain′t no dragon
The Steel Woods's song The Secret talks about the betrayal of trust by someone close, the revelation of a terrible secret, and how it all leads to destruction. The first stanza paints a picture of a solitary wanderer, who is free to explore the world but eventually finds himself under a tree, moodily looking at a half-eaten apple. This symbolizes the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden story, which was once tempting and desirable but later led to the fall of humankind.
The second stanza reveals that someone the singer trusted has whispered a secret to him. This secret is so dark and unbearable that the person who confided in him did not want the rest of the world to hear it. The disaster that followed wasn't caused by the serpent in the Garden of Eden, but rather, by the female narrator. The lyric "Satan is a woman, it's not the snake it was me" could be interpreted in different ways; either she lured the singer into some kind of sin, or she has committed an act so heinous that it leads to the destruction of their relationship or even their lives. The final line, "the devil ain't no dragon," could suggest that evil doesn't manifest itself in the mythical form of a beast, but rather through the actions of humans.
Line by Line Meaning
In the beginning
At the start of everything
I was alone but I was free
I was by myself but I had my independence
To roam the Earth
To wander around the world
All the land and the seas
All the ground and the oceans
Now I sit here perched
Presently, I am sitting comfortably
Underneath this tree
Beneath this tree's shade
Starin' at a half eaten apple
Gazing at a partially nibbled apple
It was the secret
It was the concealed information
She whispered in my ear
She uttered in my ear quietly
The darkness in her heart
The wickedness within her being
She didn't want the world to hear
She didn't intend for the globe to know
And when it all fell apart
And when everything came apart
It was her lips I should of feared
It was her mouth I should have been afraid of
Not the viper in the garden
Not the snake in the garden of Eden
She said Satan is a woman
She mentioned Satan as a female
It's not the snake it was me
It wasn't the serpent, it was her
That sent that man to hell
Who doomed that man to eternal fire
Crawlin' on his knees
Moving on his hands and knees
And time tells all
And time reveals everything
So brother do believe
So bro, have faith
That the devil ain't no dragon
That the devil isn't a mythical creature
Nah, the devil ain't no dragon
No, the devil isn't a dragon
Writer(s): Jason Cope
Contributed by Penelope Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ComedyBros5
This band is criminally overlooked. What a talent these ol boys are.
@antonio-andresfortezastefanova
Yes, exactly. This is my fev band now.
@Enshambullz
They are so SO fantastic. Never skip a song. Couple beers, fire up the grill, put these guys on repeat.... Perfect weekend. But THIS song is perfection to me. So powerful. The strings are telling as much or the story as he is...just excellence.
@georgew.spradlin8333
This song right here is one of the greatest pieces of music I've ever heard.
@kb1927
I literally cant stop listening to you guys ever since I accidentally stumbled upon your music. Much love from Alberta, Canada!
@LatemanArt
There is so much truth in this song so many people wont even realise
@tonyrigo9096
Satin is a woman
@joshm6683
More true today than ever
@patriciastark25
@@joshm6683 Just says “ it was her lips I should have feared, not the viper in the in the garden. Ends with the truth, “ the devil ain’t no dragon” He is very sly!
@RONVK
Best band to come out in the past 30 years.