Released from reason.
Alive with pain.
The act has changed, the play's the same.
As he and his ministers convergered, I peaked out from behind the well.

And, oh, how I was suprised to learn the Devil is not the King of Hell
The Devil is not the King of Hell.
The Devil is not the King of Hell.
A violent dance on slippery stones
The lines gone dead
We're all alone
The Devil is not the King of Hell

Smelling victory
The engine hums
Off in the distace they beat the drums
Admist the blood and rubble I look for souvenirs to sell

And, oh, how I was suprised to learn the Devil is not the King of Hell
The Devil is not the King of Hell
The Devil is not the King of Hell
A violent dance on slippery stones
The lines gone dead
We're all alone
The Devil is not the King of Hell

Black was the mark, black was the mark. Black was the mark laid on Kane.
Black was the list, black was the list. Black was the list with our names.
Black was the mark, black was the mark. Black was the mark laid on Kane.
Black was the list, black was the list. Black was the list with our names.

The Devil is not the King of Hell
The Devil is not the King of Hell
A violent dance on slippery stones
The line's gone dead
We're all alone
The Devil is not the King of Hell

Tonight I'm gonna do something I've never done before
I'm gonna find out what the screamings about on the other side of that door
So, don't you bother calling, there ain't nobody home
Sometimes we've gotta stand together, sometimes alone.

The Devil is not the King of Hell
The Devil is not the king of Hell
A violent dance on slippery stones
The lines gone dead
we're all alone
The Devil is not the King of Hell
The Devil is not the King of Hell
The Devil is not the King of Hell
A violent dance on slippery stones
The line's gone dead
The line's gone dead
The line's gone dead
The line's gone dead
The line's gone dead
The Devil is not the King of Hell.


Lyrics submitted by PureBrilliance

The King of Hell song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

2 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm not exactly sure but I think Tom himself has stated that this song is about Guantanamo Bay.

    kingemoneyon April 29, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think the gist of this song is that humans don't need the devil as the cause of evil / pain / cruelty, as we ourselves are more than capable of causing it.

    Michieliuson February 26, 2014   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.