Where's the Devil (When You Need Him?)

Album: Believe (2004)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Where's the Devil" tells the story of a young man who has died and is now spinning in his grave because his beloved is about to marry another man. While lead singer JD Wilkes describes it as "another one of those 'nobody loves me, boo hoo hoo' kind of songs," he acknowledges that what sets it apart from other "girl left me, found someone new" tunes is the way the story is told.

    In our interview with Wilkes, he said, "That's the story, but it's all in the turns of a phrase. Tom Waits, what he does is he has all these clever one-liners and wordplay, and I'm also doing that. 'The warlord of all bloodshed's under the floorboard of the woodshed.' That's one of those 'I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy' things. Those kind of things float my boat and I'm always looking for new ones, those little sayings that are fun to play with."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Krishna Das

Krishna DasSongwriter Interviews

The top chant artist in the Western world, Krishna Das talks about how these Hindu mantras compare to Christian worship songs.

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.

Desmond Child

Desmond ChildSongwriter Interviews

One of the most successful songwriters in the business, Desmond co-wrote "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" and "Livin' On A Prayer."

Todd Rundgren

Todd RundgrenSongwriter Interviews

Todd Rundgren explains why he avoids "Hello It's Me," and what it was like producing Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.