Lyrics for After The Devil Beats His Wife as interpreted by A7XWakingTheFallen

After The Devil Beats His Wife Lyrics
You wanna swim in the river
I wanna dance in the summer
You've always been the believer
I'm always left to wonder
The water is rushing so fast
I think it will take us under

Oh, what thought did you recall
That would make you say my name?

The water is too deep
Our friends say don't go
But my mouth betrays me
And says hold on

And now I know this is the pain of believing
(the danger is real)
And there's no easy way out
(how did I get here?)
You trust too much in my bravery
It's my safety you're taking

We're gonna drown in the river
I cannot swim any farther
My blood is pumping so fast
My heart and limbs underwater

And I reach and find your hand in mine
And they say you will be saved, but no
I pull and I pull and I pull
But your foot, it's anchored deep
Your face tells me you won't be free

And now I know this is the pain of believing
(the danger is real)
And there's no easy way out
(how did I get here?)
You trust too much in my bravery
It's my safety you're taking

I decided long ago
Never let your loved ones know
Who you really are, who you really are
People want the truth but never want the scars
And now I'm here
With my best friend dying
And I'm the one that's still lying
And you say it's gonna be OK
Over and over again...

River, wash me clean!

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A7XWakingTheFallen
09-20-2007

Rated 0 
I have no idea what he's screaming at the end so any help with that would be appreciated, along with any lyrical corrections. As for the song, I like it even though its definitely different from their previous two albums, haven't really thought about its meaning yet though

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GrOoDmAn
09-20-2007

Rated 0 
it sounds like he's screaming "never watch me cry" at the end.

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HideNothing
09-23-2007

Rated 0 
Correct lyrics:

You want to siwm in the river
I want to dance in the summer
You've always been the believer,
I'm always left to wonder.
The water's rushing so fast,
I think it will take us under

Oh, what thought did you recall,
that would make you say my name?
The water's too seep, our friends say, "Don't Go."
But my mouth betrays me and says, "Hold on!"

And now I know, this is the pain of believing.
The danger is real and there is no easy way out.
How did I get here?
You trust too much in my bravery.
It's my safety you are taking.

We are going to drown in the river.
I cannot swim any farther.
My blood is pumping so fast to my heart and limbs
underwater.

But I reach and find your hands in mine.
And I say, "You will be saved!"
I pull and I pull and I pull.
But your foot is anchored deep.
Your face tells me you won't be freed.

I decided long ago never let your loved ones know
who you really are.
People want the truth but never want the scars.
And now I'm here with my best friend dying.
And I'm the one that's still lying.
And you say it's going to be okay.
Over and over again.

River, wash me clean.

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HideNothing
09-23-2007

Rated 0 
Correct lyrics:

You want to siwm in the river
I want to dance in the summer
You've always been the believer,
I'm always left to wonder.
The water's rushing so fast,
I think it will take us under

Oh, what thought did you recall,
that would make you say my name?
The water's too seep, our friends say, "Don't Go."
But my mouth betrays me and says, "Hold on!"

And now I know, this is the pain of believing.
The danger is real and there is no easy way out.
How did I get here?
You trust too much in my bravery.
It's my safety you are taking.

We are going to drown in the river.
I cannot swim any farther.
My blood is pumping so fast to my heart and limbs
underwater.

But I reach and find your hands in mine.
And I say, "You will be saved!"
I pull and I pull and I pull.
But your foot is anchored deep.
Your face tells me you won't be freed.

I decided long ago never let your loved ones know
who you really are.
People want the truth but never want the scars.
And now I'm here with my best friend dying.
And I'm the one that's still lying.
And you say it's going to be okay.
Over and over again.

River, wash me clean.

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HideNothing
09-23-2007

Rated 0 
Okay that double posted and also I noticed I made a grammatical error. It should say, "The water's too DEEP" not "too seep." That was stupid.

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Nothingtoknow911
10-02-2007

Rated 0 
This is a tricky one. I feel as if them drowning has to mean something, but Im not sure if it drowning in the river means drowning in sins, because at the end it says "River, wash me clean." so maybe wash me clean means wash me clean of my sins. but if thats the case then him drowning in the river couldn't mean that he was drowning in his sins.

confusing song, but very good.

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a1ex
10-12-2007

Rated 0 
yeah i was confused about that part too..but i dont know...i think the song is so powerful at the bridge and the music after it...especially when he says "people want the truth but never want the scars". SO true

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mystichaze
10-17-2007

Rated 0 
"Wash him clean" for...
- The fact that his mouth betrayed him and said "hold on", even when he thought that the river will take them under. (Meaning he is also the one who eventually made them swim in the river.)
- The fact that he "said to his friend that he will be saved" yet knowing that it's not true just "by looking at his face".
- The fact that after knowing that his friend couldn't be saved, his friend still kept telling him that "it's OK".


So, it's just a thought of Guilt that could only be known between him, his friend (who eventually dies) and the river.
Wash him clean for all the false hopes that he (and probably his friend) has made made.

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meganlikesmusic
10-25-2007

Rated 0 
I don't know anything about what the song means but I read in an interview with Devon or Toby, that "After the Devil Beats His Wife", is what they call it when it's sunny and raining in the south.
a nice little shibboleth.

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CombatChuck000
10-27-2007

Rated 0 
I think when he says "river wash me clean" he's wanting the river to take him too, because of the guilt he feels for being responsible for his friends death.

I donno. Just a guess.

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angel12
11-08-2007

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ok. After reading the lyrics and just thinking about it, i think ive come up with a good meanin for it :)

when he speaks of taking away his safety, that is God taking him out of his comfort zone. And he doesnt think he has what it takes in the bravery department. The drowning part is him trying to fight his spiritual death, because he was not a full on believer, and eventually everyone that believes must die a spiritual death and become new in Christ.

People want the truth but never want the scars has to do with everyone seeking the truth, but they dont want to give up their worldly life.

Now im here, my best friend died, and im the one, thats still alive. his friend was saved before him, and he wants it too, and eventually calls for the river to come and wash him clean.

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donnied_doan
11-17-2007

Rated 0 
i think he his friend fell in the river and he was the one that made the attempt to save them, i also think its a past love for him cause he surprised that the called his name "oh what thought did you recall that would make you say my name" also he is the only one that is brave enough to go attempt a rescue anyways. "our friends say 'dont go'". also i thinks he regrets speaking up after he gets in the water cause he realizes he cant dit...what he is saying is that believing isnt everything. that no matter how much you believe you can do something somtimes God has other plans for us... "this is the pain of believing" and i think that eventually after his failed rescue attempt he is over come with so much guilt that he just lets the river take him in too "river wash me clean"

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kassichi88
12-27-2007

Rated 0 
i dunno what it means and i don't think i could even begin to understand it, but it's such a beautiful song.

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jonneh_
02-02-2008

Rated 0 
I wish there was more input on this song, I still don't think any of us have all of it right, to where it completely makes sense.

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userwolf1898
03-10-2008

Rated 0 
Maybe this is just me, but the song appears to be about how as Christians, we're the ones in pain, because he lost his best friend, who may not have been a Christian, and Christians know the danger is real. "And I reach and find your hand in mine, and they say you will be saved, but no..." he realizes that his friend's problem isn't the water, it's not believing in Christ. And then, "I pull and I pull and I pull, but your foot it's anchored deep..." we, as Christians, try to lead other people to Christ, and sometimes, they don't accept him. The song is both literal and metaphorical at the same time. Also, it was his friend who wanted to swim in the river, not him.

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CannibalCunning
03-12-2008

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here's what i think, the river is God. "river wash me clean". his mouth betrays him so he doesn't let God carry him away. He hesitates. He's also dancing around telling his friend the truth about God's love.

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icedover
01-08-2009

Rated 0 
To me this song seems like he has a friend and they are both thinking about becoming Christians.His friend wants to "swim in the river" while he wants to "dance in the summer" I think the river symbolizes forgiveness.His friend has always "been the believer" while he's "left to wonder".

The water is too deep
Our friends say don't go
But my mouth betrays me
And says hold on
~here his friends are telling them not to become Christians and he listens to them(sadly)

I think the chorus is about him being afraid to change his life so drasticly and how his friend is relying on him to much.Then in the sedcond verse it's him telling his friend everythings gonna be alright when he knows it's not.Then I think by the time he says"now I'm here,my bestfriends dying and I'm the one whos still lying" that he's figured out he want's them to get saved.So he says "river wash me clean" and he finally gets saved along with his friend.So,in a nutshell I think it's about him wanting to become a Christian but he's afraid what his family and other friends will think.But,he knows he has to for his friend who is "dying" in some form in the song.He finally gives all the fear up and does it.Sorry if that was confusing,that was my second post on here =)
-Ice





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justin606
01-24-2009

Rated 0 
I decided long ago never let your loved ones know
who you really are.
People want the truth but never want the scars.
And now I'm here with my best friend dying.
And I'm the one that's still lying.
And you say it's going to be okay.
Over and over again.

River, wash me clean.



i've personally are going through some of what its saying "And now I'm here with my best friend dying. And I'm the one that's still lying. And you say it's going to be okay. Over and over again."

cause she is not saved and even though she is not litterally dyingg she is not saved and its really tough on me knowing that, someetimes i juss put it off and tell her its alright, knowing its not. sometimes i tell her, but it really hurts me to see her reject christ....

but maybe a thought on the "river wash me clean" is
1 - maybe he is telling the best friend that it'll be ok, and knows its a sin and wants god to forgive him...
or
2 - maybee also he wants the river (GOD) to help him with the best friend to let her feel GODs presence and take the burden off ofhimr and become saved (wash me clean)

juss a thought...


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meatwad4ooo
01-25-2009

Rated 0 
it seems as if his friend died but he wasnt sure if he truely beleived in god

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