Hold your grandmother's bible to your breast
Gonna put it to the test
You wanted to be blessed

And in your heart you know it to be true
You know what you gotta do
They all depend on you

And you already know
Yeah, you already know how this will end

There is no escape from the slave catcher's songs
For all of the loved ones gone
Forever's not so long

And in your soul they poked a million holes
But you never let em show
Come on, it's time to go

And you already know
Yeah, you already know how this will end

Now you've seen his face
And you know that there's a place in the sun
For all that you've done
For you and your children

No longer shall you need
You always wanted to believe
Just ask and you'll receive
Beyond your wildest dreams

And you already know
Yeah, you already know how this will end.


Lyrics submitted by aahang

How It Ends song meanings
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  • +7
    General Comment

    I was introduced to DeVotchka at a Halloween concert in Boston back in 2005. When they performed this song, I started crying. When they came back to Boston in May, I cried again.

    What I (personally) get from this is that in the back of our minds, we often always know how our labors will end, good or bad, success or failure. But it shouldn't matter if we know that all our efforts end in some fiery explosion; we have to try. We have to hope. To give up hope is to give up our humanity. It's about being strong and resilient and vulnerable and fragile, all at the same time. It's about the beauty and comfort and loneliness of hope, and so, belief in human life.

    At least for me. :)

    Nightbeforeon July 30, 2008   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    This is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard.

    There's such a sense of hopefullness yet inevitable failure written into this song. I think that's what I love about it the most.

    The_Variableon September 03, 2005   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    death certainly fits. everyone's life will end in death, there is no way to escape it. i love devotchka so much.

    lack of coloron March 26, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I agree that the song is about death. In my mind, when I hear the song I think of a lone Iraqi Insurgent who "Already knows how it will end", and is preparing to die for Allah, either by suicide belt, or as a defender of Fallujah.

    Burke888on February 12, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I think this song has a religious side to it. I think he has died but now he know where he is headed. "now you've seen His face" (God's) "and you know there's a place in the sun for all that you've done" (Judgement day) In the bible it says that you will be put before God and judged on what you have done on earth. He is standing before God and knows that he is in Heaven. Also...just ask and you receive....is very similar to a verse in the Bible. Matthew 7:7 " Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."....anyways, I think maybe he is what burke888 said but with a religious side to it.

    caveman006on March 30, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Of course the beautiful thing is that the same set of words can apply to so many things. I had a chance to ask the amazing tuba girl about the lyrics and she said Nick never has atually written them out for the world, because he wants everyone to garner from it what they will, and that sometimes what people determine the lyrics to mean or even be are better (for each individual) than what the artist may have intended. I think that's so true and this song can apply to relationsships, the inevitability of death, whatever it may be. But it certainly has an emotional wistfulness about it -a howling at the moon quality which i feel Nick Urata shares with Thom Yorke. No matter what the song may mean to you, there's no doubt it evokes an emotional response.

    4downon June 06, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i may have to agree with Deus on this one.. its about hoping there is a heaven and a god, but probably not ever getting to see it.

    hoydenon September 11, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song is amazing. It's so beautiful in its lonliness and hopefullness. They wrap so many emotions around every instrument, and the voice is perfect. AMAZING SONG.

    t4pyroon May 18, 2007   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    This song has a very special meaning to me.

    I had been secretly struggling with alcoholism, hiding it from my wife, friends and family. My family has a history of alcohol abuse problems but everyone believed I was successful and strong for not following in their footsteps.

    One night, I was up late drinking alone while my wife believed I was watching our newborn daughter. This song came on the radio and it somehow struck a chord with me.

    I "knew how this would end" as I had seen my family members destroy their lives with substance abuse. My wife and new daughter were depending on me but I was trying to fill the holes in my heart with alcohol.

    The line "Now you've seen his face and you know that there's a place in the sun" was my infant daughter sleeping next to me showing me that "no longer shall you need, just ask and you'll receive beyond your wildest dreams"

    I suddenly "knew it to be true" that I was an alcoholic and that "You know what you gotta do; they all depend on you and you already know how this will end" if I didn't stop drinking.

    I got up, poured the vodka down the sink and told my wife about how much I drank and that I needed her help to stop. It's been 42 weeks since I've had a drink and this song was the spark that helped me start. I put the instrumental version on my daughter's lullaby playlist and when my resolve wavers I pick her up, turn on this song and sing it to her.

    "For all that you've done For you and your children No longer shall you need You always wanted to believe Just ask and you'll receive Beyond your wildest dreams"

    acekjd83on May 04, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    when i hear this song, i think of it talking about death. is this what its about?

    newpaltzvagabondon November 09, 2005   Link

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