Meaning of “I Might Let The Devil Win” by Sevendust
Sevendust dropped their 14th studio album, “Truth Killer”, on 28 July 2023, with “I Might Let the Devil Win” being the opening song on its 12-track playlist. This tune was written by Clint Lowery, who for the most part has acted as the band’s lead guitarist pretty much since its inception in the mid-1990s. And the song was produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette, who isn’t part of the band but has been one of their regular collaborators of late.
Lyrics of “I Might Let The Devil Win”
Interestingly, the thesis sentiment of “I Might Let the Devil Win” contrasts the title. That’s to say that most of the lyrics are rather dedicated to the vocalist’s desire to resist the devil, even apparently instructing the Baphomet not to “come around” him in the chorus. And as for the verses, Lajon has resolved that “the devil won’t win” or prove victorious in his life.
The song revolves around themes of internal conflict, temptation, and the battle between good and evil. It suggests a struggle with personal demons and harmful desires, represented as a ‘taste of blood’. The repeated plea, “Don’t come around”, is a call for distance from these negative influences.
It illustrates a struggle between the allure of the ‘disease’ and its destructive reality. The speaker acknowledges moments of weakness and contemplates succumbing to darker desires but expresses hope and a wish for change.
“Please, oh no, don’t come around
Don’t come around
Don’t come around”
That said, there’s a part of the song in the bridge where we find the narrator admitting that he “might let the devil win”. In context, that statement reads like another way of the vocalist saying that despite his attempts to personally combat Beelzebub, he is not confident in ultimately proven successful in that regard.
As a matter of fact quite interestingly, beforehand, in the second verse, Witherspoon confesses to ‘selling out’ and ‘really giving in’.
In relation to the other lyrics which surround those statements, they can theoretically be interpreted along the lines of alluding to the singer having a tendency to disillusion himself. In other words, even though, according to the second verse, he has already submitted to Old Nick, the vocalist has put himself under the impression that he can avoid the associated contractual obligations, so to speak.
Or going back to the bridge, he has grown weary of spending his entire life “running from” the devil.
Summary
Due to multiple factors, the singer feels driven to cease his resistance against the “devil”. He is therefore now contemplating allowing ‘Lucifer’ to triumph in his life.
