'Devil Don't Go There' by Lainey Wilson – Lyrics & Meaning

Following her blockbuster sophomore record, Bell Bottom Country, all eyes have been fixed on Lainey Wilson as she's readied her 2024 follow-up, Whirlwind.

Taking its name from what her life and career have felt like over the last few years – what with winning ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year, scoring multiple No. 1s at country radio, blazing trails on tour all over the world and more – the project features 14 songs that capture some of the highs, lows and in betweens the Louisiana native has had since 2022's award-winning effort.

In a rare showing from Wilson, the record also finds her sharing some of her perspectives on love found and love lost, including some of the darker parts of a romantic relationship like on 'Devil Don't Go There.'

Produced by Jay Joyce, who helms the entire project, 'Devil Don't Go There' kicks off with some heavy acoustic guitar picking as Wilson comes up to the mic. With cinematic elements like a whining pedal steel floating around in the background, it's a sparse and largely stripped down tune up until the second verse as the rest of the band starts to fill in.

Following the bridge, and an oddly satisfying psychedelic time warp of sorts, we're brought back to Wilson's compelling stripped down delivery as her vocals soar across the song's end.

"I’ll never forget them words you said
Cause damn they burned like a Marlboro red
I know the difference ‘tween wrong and right
And boy that way you said goodbye"

Speaking to who we can only assume in an ex-boyfriend, 'Devil Don't Go There' starts with Wilson stating that she'll never be able to forgive what he said to her.

While she doesn't share many of the specifics, she explains that she knows the difference between wrong and right, and from what we can gather, the way we decided to leave her may not have been the right way at all.

"Even the Devil don’t go there
The way you did me that night
I bet the hell you put me through
Could make his angels cry
How’d you up and leave me like that
Are you really that cold
I’m betting even where he lives
He wouldn’t go that low
And boy I swear
Even the Devil don’t go there"

Flashing back to the night they split, Wilson recalls the utter hell that he put her through and how even the devil, known for getting off on torture and downtrodden people, wouldn't do what her old flame did.

Her ex is in a class all his own, having done and said things that stoop far below where the devil would dare to even go.

"You built you a fire with sticks and stones
Were you tryna break my heart or break my bones
No I never thought I’d be cursing your name
But you took my love and lit it up in flames"

As the saying goes, "Sticks and stones may break my bones" but in Wilson's case those sticks and stones were only used to build the fire that ultimately burned their relationship to the ground.

Explaining that her ex went in for the kill with his words and actions, it's hard to tell whether he just wanted to break her heart or break her spirit altogether. Regardless, now she's left cursing his name and wishing she could take back all of their time together and all the love she gave him.

"He’d go to Georgia
Looking for a soul to steal
Spitting smoke out the back
Of his Coupe DeVille
He’d take a long black train
Down to hell and back
But boy I can tell ya that"

Referencing Charlie Daniels' iconic 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia,' Wilson takes a moment to opine on where the devil would, in fact, go. Mentioning much of the things from Daniels classic anthem, it doesn't take away from the fact that the devil would never hurt Wilson the way her ex did... and that's saying something.

"Even the Devil don’t go there
The way you did me that night
I bet the hell you put me through
Could make his angels cry
How’d you up and leave me like that
Are you really that cold
I’m betting even where he lives
And boy I swear
Even the Devil don’t go there"

While nothing has been shared specifically about 'Devil Don't Go There,' Wilson has been open about the fact that this new project has been a major source of solace and self-discovery over the last few years as she's seen her life completely change while her career has skyrocketed.

Weaving together the highs, lows and in-betweens that she's experienced along the way, her signature storytelling is front and center across the project, which she explains has been in the works essentially since the release of Bell Bottom Country in October of 2022.

“This album has been a long time coming, and I can’t wait for the world to have this body of work in their hands soon,” Wilson noted when announcing the highly-anticipated project. “This new chapter of music is the most cathartic and personal piece of art I’ve ever made. I hope this record brings some peace to your whirlwind and wraps its arms around you like it did for me.”

Expanding on these sentiments, the decorated entertainer also added: "Writing & recording these 14 songs over the past couple of years has helped me stay grounded in ways you’d never believe. This album brought me back to my roots and made me feel at home during times when I couldn’t have been further away and my biggest hope is that it gives you that same sense of comfort that it has for me."

I’ll never forget them words you said
Cause damn they burned like a Marlboro red
I know the difference ‘tween wrong and right
And boy that way you said goodbye

Even the Devil don’t go there
The way you did me that night
I bet the hell you put me through
Could make his angels cry
How’d you up and leave me like that
Are you really that cold
I’m betting even where he lives
He wouldn’t go that low
And boy I swear
Even the Devil don’t go there

You built you a fire with sticks and stones
Were you tryna break my heart or break my bones
No I never thought I’d be cursing your name
But you took my love and lit it up in flames

Even the Devil don’t go there
The way you did me that night
I bet the hell you put me through
Could make his angels cry
How’d you up and leave me like that
Are you really that cold
I’m betting even where he lives
He wouldn’t go that low
And boy I swear
Even the Devil don’t go there

He’d go to Georgia
Looking for a soul to steal
Spitting smoke out the back
Of his Coupe DeVille
He’d take a long black train
Down to hell and back
But boy I can tell ya that

Even the Devil don’t go there
The way you did me that night
I bet the hell you put me through
Could make his angels cry
How’d you up and leave me like that
Are you really that cold
I’m betting even where he lives
And boy I swear
Even the Devil don’t go there

Even the Devil don’t go there
Even the Devil don’t go there

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