Devil Inside by INXS Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Shadow Within Us All
Lyrics
With the look in her eye
Raised on leather
With flesh on her mind
Words as weapons
Sharper than knives
Makes you wonder how the other half die
How the other half die
Makes you wonder, wonder, wonder
Here come the man with the look in his eye
Fed on nothing but full of pride
Look at them go, look at them kick
Makes you wonder how the other half live
Devil inside
The devil inside
Every single one of us
The devil inside
Devil inside
Every single one of us
The devil inside
Here come the world
With the look in its eye
Future uncertain but certainly slight
Look at the faces listen to the bells
It’s hard to believe we need a place called hell
A place called hell
The devil inside
The devil inside
Every single one of us
The devil inside
Devil inside
The devil inside
Every single one of us
Here comes the woman
With the look in her eye
She’s raised on leather
With flesh on her mind
Words are weapons sharper than knives
Makes you wonder how the other half die
Devil inside
The devil inside
Every single one of us
The devil inside
Devil inside
Devil inside
Every single one of us
The devil inside
Devil inside
Devil inside
Every single one of us
The devil inside
Devil inside
Devil inside
Every single one of us
The devil inside
The devil inside
Yeah, yeah, yeah
The devil inside
Yeah, yeah, yeah
In the pantheon of rock’s most mesmerizing anthems, INXS’s ‘Devil Inside’ stands apart as a sleek, leather-clad enigma. Released as the second single from their 1987 album ‘Kick,’ this track still echoes through the halls of music history with its haunting refrain and driving beat. But beyond the infectious hooks lies a deeper reflection of the human condition—a dance with the darkness that resides in each of us.
The dichotomy of angelic visage and demonic impulse shrouds the song’s potent lyrics, penned by INXS’s frontman Michael Hutchence and bandmate Andrew Farriss. As we dissect these verses, we find ourselves staring at a mirror reflecting our psyche’s own crevices and peaks. What does it truly mean to have the devil inside? Let’s explore the layers of INXS’s enduring classic.
Leather-Clad Sirens: Symbolism and Seduction
Opening with an indelible image, ‘Here come the woman with the look in her eye,’ the song immediately sets a tone of sensuality and danger. The iconic ‘raised on leather, with flesh on her mind’ evokes a Bacchanalian spirit, hedonistic and unapologetic. The leather, simultaneously symbolizing strength and aggressive sexuality, sets the stage for a narrative where primal urges and lascivious glances are as sharp as the ‘words as weapons’ the song describes.
This seduction, however, isn’t without consequence. The knives don’t only cut physically but slice through the facade of civility. It strips bare the essence of our interactions and leaves us wondering about the lives of others—are we so different, or do we all harbor a ‘devil inside’?
Pride and Prejudice: The Masculine Counterpart
The male figure in the song is depicted not by sensuality, but through ego and pride. ‘Here come the man with the look in his eye, fed on nothing but full of pride’ effectively contrasts the woman’s desire-driven existence with the man’s self-importance. Their actions, ‘look at them kick,’ suggests a life of struggle and assertion, an endeavor to leave their mark upon the world.
This masculine energy, while different in nature, still churns with the same undercurrent of the devil within. It is a portrayal not of gendered experience, but of the shared duality of human nature. The lyrics ask us to scrutinize how we live in competition and bravado, and what drives our public pursuits of power.
The Collective Conscience: A World Awash with Sin
In a deft lyrical move, the song then pivots from the individual to the collective—’Here comes the world with the look in its eye.’ In a few brief words, the song captures a global sense of foreboding, cementing the ubiquity of the ‘devil inside’ across societal lines. The world’s future, described as ‘uncertain but certainly slight,’ lays bare our communal anxieties and the fears of a descending moral landscape.
The collective faces and the tolling bells echo a call to reckon with our shared internal devils. Such imagery invokes both existential dread and a call to introspection. INXS drives home the point that the darker parts of our natures aren’t isolated they belong to all of us—the very fabric of humanity.
Lyrics that Linger: ‘Makes You Wonder How the Other Half Die’
Among the lyrics, a line stands out in stark relief, ‘Makes you wonder how the other half die.’ It’s a loaded statement, questioning the societal divide and the fate of those who don’t share our own experiences. This lyric taps into the voyeuristic curiosity and horror at how easily life can flip—how easily any one of us could be among that ‘other half’ facing a darker destiny.
It’s a line that’s simple on the surface, but its repetitive nature across the verses forces listeners to confront their perceptions of mortality, morality, and the fragility of the visage of normalcy. INXS have transformed a catchy hook into a reflective surface for our own societal musings.
The Hidden Meaning: Unraveling Our Internal Strife
If one thing is clear from ‘Devil Inside,’ it is that INXS does not shy away from exposing the shadow-self that Carl Jung spoke of. It’s about more than literal interpretations of good versus evil. By illustrating the tension of disparate drives and desires within individuals and societies, the song allows for an introspection into the human psyche.
The ‘devil inside’ can be viewed not as an evil force, but as a symbol of the hidden parts of our nature that we choose to ignore or suppress. It’s the impulsive, the passionate, the raw—the aspects we’re both drawn to and repelled by. INXS’s anthem is an invitation to embrace this duality, understand it, and accept the totality of our humanity.
