Devil You Know, The Lyrics

Devil You Know, The Text

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Jake:
I'm not gonna tell you
You're making a mistake
Tell you not to go
No I won't
I'll only say
What I've learned along my way
The devil you know
Beats the devil you don't
We don't work
In the best of situations
We don't live very well
We don't live in the neighborhood of heaven
We live somewhere closer to hell
Now we have learned
To work around the situation
Learned to hide
Till the heat has passed
You will learn a promise of salvation
Can mask another inferno's blast
The devil you know
Beats the devil you don't
That promised land
Could turn out to be dry
Once you're gone
You might ask yourselves why
Maybe you will
Or maybe you won't
But the devil you know
Beats the devil you don't
Oh yeah

Roustabout #1:
You don't know
The world beyond the sideshow

Roustabout #2:
You don't know
What Satan can plan

Bearded Lady:
You don't know
The safety you'd be leaving

Sheik:
We're your family
We're your clan

Snake Girl:
Here we're got
Each other to depend on

Harem Girl #2:
Here you've got
The best home you'll ever find

Bearded Lady:
Other folk
Don't know how to take us

Jake:
The world out there can be so unkind
The devil you know
Beats the devil you don't
His game of chance
Just might be a scam

Roustabout #1:
Devil you know

Roustabout #2:
Devil you know

Bearded Lady, Harem Girl #2, Roustabout #2, Snake Girl:
Beats the devil
The devil you don't

Sheik:
Don't take that chance

Harem Girl #2, Sheik, Snake Girl:
It's just a scam

Jake, Roustabout #3:
You can't play
Then decide you should scram

Jake, Roustabout #1, Roustabout #3, Sheik:
Maybe you'll win
Or maybe you won't
But the devil you know

Bearded Lady, Harem Girl #2, Roustabout #2:
Devil you know

Bearded Lady, Harem Girl #2, Jake,
Roustabouts #1, 2, 3, Sheik, Snake Lady:
Beats the devil you don't

6th Exhibit:
How can you
Say that man's a devil?

Roustabout #4:
How can you
Say he's wicked and bad?

Geek:
How can you
Criticize an angel

6th Exhibit, Geek, Roustabout #4:
Promising more heaven
Than they've ever had

Fortune Teller:
I'm a fortune teller
I can see the future
I can look at people
See what's lying ahead
Violet and Daisy
I see you're bound for glory
That man who was here
Will do all that he said
That man's not a devil
No - Believe it I won't
He's not a devil
No - And miss this chance
I hope that they don't
No don't
No don't
No don't

The "No" Group:
What if he's a devil?

The "Yes" Group:
What if he's not?
He could be an angel

The "No" Group:
That heaven forgot

Fortune Teller:
I think you may be jealous

Jake:
Jealous of what?

All:
That Violet and Daisy
Might give him a shot

The "No" Group:
The devil you know
Beats the devil you don't
That promised land
Could turn out to be dry
So dry
Once you're gone
You might ask yourselves why
Maybe you will
But the devil you know
But the devil you know
But the devil you know

The "Yes" Group:
He's not a devil
I won't believe it
Believe it I won't
Understand
He could be a good guy
Why?
Or maybe you won't
No, no, he's not a devil
No, no, he's not a devil
No, no, he's not a devil

Jake:
Alright
Now we could argue all night
Because we care about you two
Maybe you will go
Or maybe you won't
But I hope you will remember
That that mean old
Money-grubbin'
Gin-guzzlin'
Name-callin'
Devil you know
Might be better than
That smooth talkin'
Fine-lookin'
Dream-spinnin'
Promise makin'
Devil you don't

The "Yes" Group:
No, no, no
Don't call him a devil
No, no, no
Don't call him a devil
No, no, no
Don't call him a devil

The "No" Group:
Beats the devil you don't
Beats the devil you don't
Beats the devil you

All:
Don't

A few weeks pass and Terry returns to the sideshow...