The Devil's Crayon Lyrics
The Devil's crayon
tracing your shoulderblades
aglow like rayon
that all his children can use to draw
We are so many tiny pieces
The Devil's answer
carved from the tongue
of this romancer
that all his children use to kiss
We are so many clambering hands
I want mine said the same, devil
devildevildevil
the way you say her name I want mine said the same
devil
your arm draped around
ten times over
that all his children will use to throw their loads, their loads on you
to throw their loads on you
We are so much moulded dough
Used to throw their loads on you
Reading these lyrics, I picture a dude, a gay-dude, in an art class doing one of those nude model sketches of a not-gay-dude, and he totally has a hard-on for the model. In this case, "devil" is a reference to desire, lust, the unequivocal exhalation of physical longing. The gay-dude goes through some wishy-washy philosophical ponderings, saying everyone knows the devil (lust, longing, desire). But, in this case, the model is straight, so the gay-dude, the "romancer", realizes he's not getting any: the straight-dude says "her" name in a way that the gay-dude wants ("her" just being a reference to women). Because of the inevitable rejection, the gay-dude gets pissed: The straight-dude's in league with the devil---"your arm drapped around [the devil's shoulder] ten times over"---"your" referring to the object of the gay-dude's affection. The gay-dude, knowing his love/lust is unrequited, that his longing will end in rejection, reasons that the straight-dude deserves to have some "loads" thrown on him. Take that explicitly.
The END.
There's something gay about this band. Devil's Paintbrush is a famous gay novel by Jake Arnott. Hmmm...
Devil's Paintbrush is also a colloquial name for Orange Hawkweed. And a nickname for a machine gun, the Maxim gun. That's not quite damning evidence on your part, is it, tpdewhurst? Besides, even if there is something "gay" about them (perhaps one of the members actually is gay <sarcasm>god forbid!</sarcasm>) if a song were called "Gone with the Breeze" would you say "There's something really straight about this band."?
Anyways, since that doesn't really have much to do with the meaning, I thought I'd sort of offer my take: It's a lament about humanity--from the narrator's perspective, at least, which seems disappear intermittently. His grief at being human comes from the realization that we build ourselves up by falling back on our worst vices, that we've been practicing cynicism and tracing our cliched responses using the Devil's Crayon, which represents to me that which is evil, and in some respects, easy; as a crayon would be, a device that we've been using since we were children to create. This would be a way to simplify our own problems or correct situations to suit our desires. Thus, we act like children, and this infantile desire practically bleeds out of their voices on the "tiny pieces" "clambering hands" and "molded dough" lines, and those stanzas gain even more weight with the bridge, which is an overly emotional, almost whining (albeit tasteful whining) plea for the attention which only griping and falling into unnecessary nihilism and depression can merit. The narrator is self-aware of this mental pitfall and perhaps is interchangeably referring to himself as the devil--it is especially unclear who is addressing who near the end of the song, but the abstract quality of the lyrics leave me thinking that the songwriter must have been addressing himself for the most part; warning himself about falling too deeply into his dark side.
Your pomposity is astounding.
Your pomposity is astounding.
Seeing as how I'm a gay nude model who wakes up with hardons all the time, I have no desire other than to take that explicitly--so you mistake my defense of the song as a defense of homosexuality when in all reality I'm simply defending objectivity and empiricism. The song is "wishy-washy" in the first place, but thats what makes it fun to interpret. So really I just have to commend you, mellow, for trying harder than tpdewhurst, albeit in a way that implies a certain level of distate for gay people on your part. Although, now, I think I would have been equally impressed if you had skipped all of the hyperbolic mockery and just said "faggot". :D
if i "implied a certain level of distaste," it was aimed at the situation. the simple fact is unrequited love is distasteful, regardless of its subject or object.
if i "implied a certain level of distaste," it was aimed at the situation. the simple fact is unrequited love is distasteful, regardless of its subject or object.
Why is unrequited love distasteful? You're saying a crush is bad? Wow. I mean, unless you go full-on psycho and start stalking/forcing yourself on your object of affection, you can pine from afar all you want :)
Why is unrequited love distasteful? You're saying a crush is bad? Wow. I mean, unless you go full-on psycho and start stalking/forcing yourself on your object of affection, you can pine from afar all you want :)
saw them up in Kings X, and so should you, AWESOME voices on these lads
I've got nothing. Great song, no clue what it's about.
Devil's Paintbrush is also a colloquial name for Orange Hawkweed. And a nickname for a machine gun, the Maxim gun. That's not quite damning evidence on your part, is it, tpdewhurst? Besides, even if there is something "gay" about them (perhaps one of the members actually is gay <sarcasm>god forbid!</sarcasm>) if a song were called "Gone with the Breeze" would you say "There's something really straight about this band."?
Anyways, since that doesn't really have much to do with the meaning, I thought I'd sort of offer my take: It's a lament about humanity--from the narrator's perspective, at least, which seems disappear intermittently. His grief at being human comes from the realization that we build ourselves up by falling back on our worst vices, that we've been practicing cynicism and tracing our cliched responses using the Devil's Crayon, which represents to me that which is evil, and in some respects, easy; as a crayon would be, a device that we've been using since we were children to create. This would be a way to simplify our own problems or correct situations to suit our desires. Thus, we act like children, and this infantile desire practically bleeds out of their voices on the "tiny pieces" "clambering hands" and "molded dough" lines, and those stanzas gain even more weight with the bridge, which is an overly emotional, almost whining (albeit tasteful whining) plea for the attention which only griping and falling into unnecessary nihilism and depression can merit. The narrator is self-aware of this mental pitfall and perhaps is interchangeably referring to himself as the devil--it is especially unclear who is addressing who near the end of the song, but the abstract quality of the lyrics leave me thinking that the songwriter must have been addressing himself for the most part; warning himself about falling too deeply into his dark side.
Devil's Paintbrush is also a colloquial name for Orange Hawkweed. And a nickname for a machine gun, the Maxim gun. That's not quite damning evidence on your part, is it, tpdewhurst? Besides, even if there is something "gay" about them (perhaps one of the members actually is gay <sarcasm>god forbid!</sarcasm>) if a song were called "Gone with the Breeze" would you say "There's something really straight about this band."?
Anyways, since that doesn't really have much to do with the meaning, I thought I'd sort of offer my take: It's a lament about humanity--from the narrator's perspective, at least, which seems disappear intermittently. His grief at being human comes from the realization that we build ourselves up by falling back on our worst vices, that we've been practicing cynicism and tracing our cliched responses using the Devil's Crayon, which represents to me that which is evil, and in some respects, easy; as a crayon would be, a device that we've been using since we were children to create. This would be a way to simplify our own problems or correct situations to suit our desires. Thus, we act like children, and this infantile desire practically bleeds out of their voices on the "tiny pieces" "clambering hands" and "molded dough" lines, and those stanzas gain even more weight with the bridge, which is an overly emotional, almost whining (albeit tasteful whining) plea for the attention which only griping and falling into unnecessary nihilism and depression can merit. The narrator is self-aware of this mental pitfall and perhaps is interchangeably referring to himself as the devil--it is especially unclear who is addressing who near the end of the song, but the abstract quality of the lyrics leave me thinking that the songwriter must have been addressing himself for the most part; warning himself about falling too deeply into his dark side.
I don't think it's necessarily about homosexuality; he says "that all his children use to draw", so all of us experience passion and wonder if it's right to or not. Just pointing it out.
The way I see it, the singer is warning someone about being manipulated by "the Devil" but is a little too late, as the addressee already trusts the devil.
The lines "we are so many tiny pieces, clambering hands, moulded dough" express how weak and insignificant they (humans) are in front of the devil... and they are already being manipulated (including the singer).
The devil's children (people who have fallen for the devil) will use the devil to live easy lives and escape from their own burdens (guilt, morals etc) but will ultimately pile up and become heavier...
What or who the devil is, is questionable. It could be the real devil, or an expression for human vices... or both
"the way you say her name I want mine said the same devil" suggests the devil is something of a comfort tool.... and the singer wants to be that comfort tool, as s/he won't increase the "load" of burdens.
I keep thinking of alcoholism... people who drown their sorrows in alcohol, and their family / friends who wish they would stop drinking and rely on them for solace.