I think the image of a vast sea represents the true love between two people. With the lines "And we wade out way out past the bar, / I had not planned on going out this far," maybe he's saying that he didn't expect to find such a degree of intimacy in a relationship.
"The devil," as a symbol or personification of negativity, might vaguely refer to negative aspects of himself. What he wants to "wash away" are his weaknesses, or whatever might bring about this negativity.
I think the image of a vast sea represents the true love between two people. With the lines "And we wade out way out past the bar, / I had not planned on going out this far," maybe he's saying that he didn't expect to find such a degree of intimacy in a relationship.
"The devil," as a symbol or personification of negativity, might vaguely refer to negative aspects of himself. What he wants to "wash away" are his weaknesses, or whatever might bring about this negativity.