The following was an email I sent to Five for Fighting, and was put on their website...it's long. :P
FFF-
My name is Greg. I'm fifteen (for a moment, yuk, yuk), and I own Americatown and The Battle For Everything. The Battle For Everything is, by far, the most influencial and powerful album I know. Especially "The Devil In The Wishing Well." I wrote a thorough description of how this has affected me on my personal website, and I'll post an excerpt.
This is a song by Five for Fighting, a music group I listen to a lot. I went through a period of depression back at the end of ninth grade. My friend Emily got me help, so the recovery started. I later found out that it was caused by a medication I was taking. Luckily, I am now off the medication. During this depression period, I bought Five for Fighting's latest CD, "The Battle For Everything." There was one song that really struck a chord with me, "The Devil In The Wishing Well." It almost perfectly described what I was going through. Here is how it works out.
I met Jane at the center of the earth
It was dark there was dirt all around
But I gather you can figure that
In this stanza, replace Jane with Emily. This is just the beginning, nothing earth-shattering yet. Except the center of my world was dark and dirty.
Jane says I'm your body in the night
And I'll lead you where you might find yourself
Better if you follow me
This would be Emily telling me that she's going to get me help with my depression. She's going to lead me down the road, as she once felt the same way I felt.
So go right you'll be left at a big hotel
You'll meet the devil at the bottom of a wishing well
You know you better give him something
Give him something good
Like everybody else he's misunderstood
This was Emily leaving me to come to grips with my depression. She couldn't take me the whole way, I have to confront the devil (depression) by myself and help myself out.
Jane says it's a long way out...
I'm gonna make it out
Cause I'm about her
The striking theme of this song in the first two lines. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but there wasn't a doubt in my mind that it was going to end. It wasn't a question of "if," it was just "when."
Jane says, you're as Holy as a ghost,
But who loves you the most, if you offer
I might let you carry me
Well, both my parents work in the church, I have a holy family...she was going to carry me through this, help me out. Just not all the way.
Jane there's nobody here but yourself
In the end it's the wealth of your spirit
Now hurry up get on with it
Hurry up and get better, Greg! More or less...just not in those words.
I went left I got right at some big hotel
There was a devil at the bottom of the wishing well
He said you better give me something
Give me something good
Like everybody else I'm misunderstood
This was the defining moment, when I confronted my depression head on. I wasn't going to let it beat me. It couldn't. I had God on my side, this was the Devil.
Jane says it's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
Cause I'm about
Jane says it's a long way out
I'm gonna make it out
Just the strong message of the song again...it's long, but I'm making it out.
I took a guess and cut a portion out of my heart
He said that's nowhere close enough but it's a damn good start
I wrote the secret that I buried on the wishing well wall
He said I've seen one... it follows that I've seen them all
There wasn't really a moment like this that I remember, but this was me starting to find out how to get over my depression.
We spoke of human destination in a perfect world
Derived the nature of the universe (found it unfulfilled)
As I took him in my arms he screamed I'm not insane
I'm just looking for someone to understand my pain...
Taking the devil in my arms...a poignant way to talk about me finally reaching the peak of my depression. I found out what he wanted, I decided to not let him beat me. He didn't, I won the battle.
It's a long way out...
I'm gonna make it out
It wasn't long timewise, but it seemed long for me. It was long, but I made it out. No doubt that I was going to get over it. I made it. Thanks to all my friends and everyone who gave me the courage to confront the Devil and overcome him.
Thanks for inspiring me to make it out of one of the most hellish experiences of my life.
The following was an email I sent to Five for Fighting, and was put on their website...it's long. :P
FFF- My name is Greg. I'm fifteen (for a moment, yuk, yuk), and I own Americatown and The Battle For Everything. The Battle For Everything is, by far, the most influencial and powerful album I know. Especially "The Devil In The Wishing Well." I wrote a thorough description of how this has affected me on my personal website, and I'll post an excerpt.
This is a song by Five for Fighting, a music group I listen to a lot. I went through a period of depression back at the end of ninth grade. My friend Emily got me help, so the recovery started. I later found out that it was caused by a medication I was taking. Luckily, I am now off the medication. During this depression period, I bought Five for Fighting's latest CD, "The Battle For Everything." There was one song that really struck a chord with me, "The Devil In The Wishing Well." It almost perfectly described what I was going through. Here is how it works out.
I met Jane at the center of the earth It was dark there was dirt all around But I gather you can figure that
In this stanza, replace Jane with Emily. This is just the beginning, nothing earth-shattering yet. Except the center of my world was dark and dirty.
Jane says I'm your body in the night And I'll lead you where you might find yourself Better if you follow me
This would be Emily telling me that she's going to get me help with my depression. She's going to lead me down the road, as she once felt the same way I felt.
So go right you'll be left at a big hotel You'll meet the devil at the bottom of a wishing well You know you better give him something Give him something good Like everybody else he's misunderstood
This was Emily leaving me to come to grips with my depression. She couldn't take me the whole way, I have to confront the devil (depression) by myself and help myself out.
Jane says it's a long way out... I'm gonna make it out Cause I'm about her
The striking theme of this song in the first two lines. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but there wasn't a doubt in my mind that it was going to end. It wasn't a question of "if," it was just "when."
Jane says, you're as Holy as a ghost, But who loves you the most, if you offer I might let you carry me
Well, both my parents work in the church, I have a holy family...she was going to carry me through this, help me out. Just not all the way.
Jane there's nobody here but yourself In the end it's the wealth of your spirit Now hurry up get on with it
Hurry up and get better, Greg! More or less...just not in those words.
I went left I got right at some big hotel There was a devil at the bottom of the wishing well He said you better give me something Give me something good Like everybody else I'm misunderstood
This was the defining moment, when I confronted my depression head on. I wasn't going to let it beat me. It couldn't. I had God on my side, this was the Devil.
Jane says it's a long way out I'm gonna make it out Cause I'm about Jane says it's a long way out I'm gonna make it out
Just the strong message of the song again...it's long, but I'm making it out.
I took a guess and cut a portion out of my heart He said that's nowhere close enough but it's a damn good start I wrote the secret that I buried on the wishing well wall He said I've seen one... it follows that I've seen them all
There wasn't really a moment like this that I remember, but this was me starting to find out how to get over my depression.
We spoke of human destination in a perfect world Derived the nature of the universe (found it unfulfilled) As I took him in my arms he screamed I'm not insane I'm just looking for someone to understand my pain...
Taking the devil in my arms...a poignant way to talk about me finally reaching the peak of my depression. I found out what he wanted, I decided to not let him beat me. He didn't, I won the battle.
It's a long way out... I'm gonna make it out
It wasn't long timewise, but it seemed long for me. It was long, but I made it out. No doubt that I was going to get over it. I made it. Thanks to all my friends and everyone who gave me the courage to confront the Devil and overcome him.
Thanks for inspiring me to make it out of one of the most hellish experiences of my life.
-Greg
It's a long way out... I'm gonna make it out.