There's an interview on YouTube where she discusses the meaning of her songs on Ceremonials. According to Florence, Seven Devils could be interpreted as the seven deadly sins, however, she says she wasn't thinking about that when she wrote it. She referred to a book by Chester Himes called 'If He Hollers, Let Him Go'.
It's about an african American around WW2 who works in a shipyard and has to deal with racism, work discrimination and anti-communist fears. He is so angry and frustrated about all he has to deal with that he often battles thoughts of murdering and raping the people around him to get back at 'white america'. She said she read the book and it was beautifully written and one of the quotes in the book says something like 'I woke up with seven devils in me' and Florence says she liked that quote and wrote her song.
To me, the lyrics and this story are disconnected a bit. I favor the deadly sins idea to the one she had, but to each their own, I guess. I'm just stating what she said, but I have my own interpretation just like all of you have your own.
There's an interview on YouTube where she discusses the meaning of her songs on Ceremonials. According to Florence, Seven Devils could be interpreted as the seven deadly sins, however, she says she wasn't thinking about that when she wrote it. She referred to a book by Chester Himes called 'If He Hollers, Let Him Go'.
It's about an african American around WW2 who works in a shipyard and has to deal with racism, work discrimination and anti-communist fears. He is so angry and frustrated about all he has to deal with that he often battles thoughts of murdering and raping the people around him to get back at 'white america'. She said she read the book and it was beautifully written and one of the quotes in the book says something like 'I woke up with seven devils in me' and Florence says she liked that quote and wrote her song.
To me, the lyrics and this story are disconnected a bit. I favor the deadly sins idea to the one she had, but to each their own, I guess. I'm just stating what she said, but I have my own interpretation just like all of you have your own.
@EightThirty I thought it was about The Inquisition, but the racist persecution angle fits the narrative as well.
@EightThirty I thought it was about The Inquisition, but the racist persecution angle fits the narrative as well.