Now.... This is another interestign one. I see this as one of the more personal songs on Infinity, and despite it's frothing-at-the-mouth-with-glee sound, I feel it is actually a very dark song. I have to admit, it is the song on Infinity that I get over the quickest, but it also a very deep tune and I guess I see a lot of Dev's personality in this one, and also it reminds me of others I know who suffer from similar problems to what Devin goes through.

It seems to me that the Bad Devil being referenced is the split personality that lurks inside our minds, the personality that most of us thankfully only have to deal with in small doses, to the point where we may not really be aware that we are undergoing personality change when we act under the influence.... Some people, be they schitzophrenic, bipolar, whatever, seem to be caught a fair bit harder in the grasp of personality conflict.

I don't know that this is true, so I will merely bring up the topic as a maybe, but I have heard that Devin is bipolar... This would mean that there are two (or more) distinct personalities that come into play at various stages, mostly beyond the control of the person whom they inhabit. I am best friends with a bipolar person, and my fucking God........... it is not an easy thing to reconcile with. Sometimes it feels like you're with a completely different person.

Devin has admitted to battling many demons while making this album (which probably adds to it's greatness) and has mentioned several times his "Christ complex" that was taking him over at this point. This song seems to me to be the most curt musical explaination of the situation that he has thus delivered, describing his inner demons as a literal devil, telling him what to do and pushing him around like a child.

The verses seem to be various sketches at what the "Devil" says to him, be they metaphorical or otherwise. From the level of insanity Dev suggests that his persona took on at this point, I don't think that any one of us will ever be able to accurately state what lyrical content was derived from literal conversations with his personalities, but I would suggest that the lyrics are predominantly metaphorical and given to suggest the general feel of what was going down.

For example - I don't know, but - I wouldn't think that devin's demons would literally ask what he had for dinner. But I think perhaps he put that in to imply the level of intimacy the demons demanded of him, prying into his personal life and demanding that he answer to them. The mention of the rodeo perhaps is a metaphorically driven image, putting across the idea perhaps of attempting to ride the demons to whatever mental state they may lead to, or perhaps trying to ride them "home" and be free of them.

"We'll see how you feel when you're older
We'll see how you feel when it's over
Cause it's all just a waste of time
So enjoy what's on my mind"

Perhaps the words of a parent or mentor suggesting that early signs of the split personalities manifesting would be only a passing phase? Perhaps the words of the "devil" suggesting that it would only hang around for a short while... Perhaps an invitation from the devil to delve deeper into the depravity of it's being and explore the dark undercurrent of it's mind.... perhaps an invitation from Devin for us to do the same, to use this album as a springboard to explore the deepest thoughts that perhaps we would be afraid to go to on our own.

"Train won't stop, it's never gonna stop
And it's coming back to carry me back home
Leave me alone with nowhere to go
And I'll ride that wind back out"

This seems to be the onslaught of the bipolarity taking it's toll, with Devin giving in to the thought that the depression/personality split may never end, and that it (in the metaphor of a train) would carry him indefinitely onwards. Is the "leave me alone..." part asking for privacy to deal with the demons alone? Or is it a defiant gesture to the demons to strand him where they will and know that he will get himself out of the labrynth?

"And I've seen how I feel when I'm older
And I've seen how I feel when it's over
And it's not just a waste of time
So enjoy what's on my mind"

This strikes me as a definite defiant resolve against the inner demons. Devin had grown up with the problems and had lived through turbulent times and was aware that he was able to still do things of greatness despite being hampered by personal trauma. He had discovered that despite whatever those demons told him, his personal concerns were not just a waste of time, and that he had visions that he would cause to unfold, demons or no.

I feel that the last "enjoy what's on my mind" in that verse is a definite invitation extended to us, as listeners, to delve deeper into his psyche. Notice that after this song, the album starts to go to very deep territory, territory that most of us probably have never experienced within our own minds. Devin knows that what eh has created is glorious, and he knows that we mere humans will be awed by this insanely brilliant work....

Devin seems to have gotten through his Infinity era demons, saying recently that he has absolved the "Christ complex".... leaving him unable to be in the headspace of Infinity ever again (this was his reason for being unable to complete the remix of Infinity in the manner of the original vision) and I think that this is very much a good thing. I would personally much rather Devin be a happy man living a happy life than struggle with whatever demons caused him to create Infinity, as amazing as it is... We know that untroubled he can still create masterworks, and Hell, there can only be one Infinity.....

I'm a huge fan of the song. I love what seems like a New Orleans cajun type of flavor in it with the trombone and everything. The female vocals also give the song a huge kick and some added power as well as the heavy guitar sound. Cool intro as well, with that dark beginning that just suddenly bursts into a party, I love it.

One of my motto songs
Plus, the trumpet/bass passage is AWESOME
I used to listen to it on really early morn/late night trains, before my portable audio got stolen
Ah, the genius of the song
*bows*

[Blazingmonga]

Interesting read their Greg, and it sounds very plausible. I dont know what Dev would think to read it, but its cool to think about these sort of things.

The thing that strikes me the most about this song is the 'family' chorus. That gives the song a very strange sort of feel to me. I imagine him lying in a hospital bed with his family surrounding him, singing those lines. Not the nicest image in the world, but there you go!

Lyrically, it is very advanced and dark. On a sonic level it just makes me wanna dance! Strange combination really...

One of my Dev's favourites. When I listen to this one I CAN'T stand still.

And also this time Greg has said a lot of interesting things about.
Nothing to add!!

I was always pretty sure it was about Devin's love of music, and the big, low voice is that of his father/parent.

I think it fits perfectly with every line, especially "someone should have said...train don't stop, it's never gonna stop" I think this is about how he wish someone would have told him that music IS life, and it's what he wants to do, so just go ahead and do it.

And the whole part "we'll see how it feels when you're older", meaning that music, hard rock and metal in particular, are sort of a childish thing to some people, but we all know it isn't. "It's NOT just a waste of time".

A song which really gives me all kinds of messy thoughts. My Windows Media Player put this song under "Blues" playlist - quite odd.

Sometimes I find myself almost dancing with the song (of course if i'm alone though) and sometimes I just drown in my thoughts, usually grey ones.

Perhaps the words of the "devil" suggesting that it would only hang around for a short while... Perhaps an invitation from the devil to delve deeper into the depravity of it's being and explore the dark undercurrent of it's mind....

I just know that when I arrange some time for myself, sit down, play that song and really start working with my thoughts coming up from it, I will get some kind of a point in something.

I have a friend who stumbled upon bad devil for the first time on his i-pod one rainy night, whilst walking home. He was quick to listen to the song a second time, and found himself dancing up a steep, wet hill back home.

However deep and dark the content of the song may be, it can be uplifting. We hear a bloke going through hell in his head, but the fact that he is able to sit down, and deal with these "devils" through music is a great inspiration.

i classify it as evil swing metal. i wonder fi theres any way we can get dev to do a full cd like this o_O

i classify it as evil swing metal. i wonder fi theres any way we can get dev to do a full cd like this o_O

Evil swing music! I love it!!! That describes the style perfectly.

While it's fun to dissect the lyrics, sometimes I get the feeling that there might not really be any deep philosophical meaning to some of Devin's lyrics; half the time it seems like he's just being sarcastic, but when and where we may never know.

I do know that he is a brilliant lyricist and having suffered from Clinical Depression and A.D.D. I can totally relate to a lot of what he writes. Sometimes it is just downright eerie how similar his thought process is to mine, to the point where I feel like screaming "get out of my head dammit! and quit spying on me!" LOL. I think that is why I am a huge fan -- it's great to know I'm not the only one thinking this shit. That and the fact that he is so brutally honest with some of his lyrics. I really respect him for that as well.

Keep up the great amazing work, Devy!

(this was his reason for being unable to complete the remix of Infinity in the manner of the original vision)

I know this has been mentioned elsewhere on the forum, but I still need to adress this:

Is this a verified fact? Do we know from Devin (or some other reliable source) that he had an "original vision" of how Infinity should be and that (as implied by Greg and others) the finished verison in fact would be "unfinished"?
Or is this just the next phase in the urban legend of sorts, that began when someome posted that picture of the songlist from the recording of Infinity, suggesting that it would be the "original" or "real" order of the songs on Infinity?

I really need to know, because this is getting out of (my) hand(s)...

There's some really good and plausible explanations in this topic, probably way more in depth than the one I'd always thought before reading this.

My original interpretation was that Bad Devil is a song about sex. When you look at it this way it really makes sense, in that 'Bad Devil' refers to the certain part on your body that kinda controls males.

"Train won't stop
Never gonna stop
And it's coming back to carry me back home"


There's an obvious Train in the tunnel metaphor right here, and if you wanna get really technical about it, the train carrying you back home is appropriate since the place where the 'train' is going is kinda the place we all came from.


"Cry for me baby
Lie for me baby
Lay down before me baby
And ride that wind back home"

I think this is also self explanatory when looked at in this way.




It also strikes me as this because Devin seems to write other lyrics about the same topic (Random Analysis off AE for example). Or maybe... I'm just completely off the mark. Comments welcome!

Put my vote down for TinyTear's theory. I am stunned at the simplicity of the metaphor. It rings true.

Put my vote down for TinyTear's theory. I am stunned at the simplicity of the metaphor. It rings true.

yea it does sound quite good doesnt it, ive never read the lyrics before, but those few points sound quite good to me!!

TT007 - you are so clever

I've heard that Christian Olde-Wolbers from Fear Factory had a contribution to this song. Did he play bass? Guitar? Somethin else?