"Speak of the Devil" Part Two

A Mix by Colleen

9. "In Limbo" - Radiohead

The Devil find himself in the literary device known as limbo. Mise-en-scène: The devil falls through the sky, the purples, oranges, and navy blues of twilight are endless. His arms windmill frantically until he accepts that this is a one way journey, and gravity is in control.



 10. "Sleep Alone" 909s in DarkTimes Mix - Bat for Lashes

 A suitably dark remix of the Bat for Lashes song finds Mr. Devil in a low-lit room, supine on a cheap spring mattress of a rat-infested motel whose neon "vacancy" sign zaps on and off like a camp-light being assaulted by mosquitoes. He's smoking, flicking brimstone ashes onto the bed covers .

Last night's parties and last night's heart has shown
Smiling and welling and kissing all I know
Give my soul, give my soul, sing it free across the sea
Lonely spell to conjure you, but conjure hell is all I do

11. "Way Down" - Tori Amos

That night, his dreams are fevered.

Don't you hear the laughter on the way... down.

12. "The Devil" - PJ Harvey

But in the morning the slippery Devil begins to sense that there are places for him to exact revenge on humanity for his own crimes, insinuating himself into the lives of people weakened by the difficulties and confusions of mortality.



 13. "Look Back in Anger" - David Bowie

And why not punish humanity? This life could be crafted into a hell! 



14. "Do You Feel Loved" - U2

A song about a drug-induced euphoria (one of the sonically dirtiest songs I know) brings us to the point in our story where the Devil feels really pleased with himself, seeing all the destruction-by-illusion he's accomplishing in the world.

...My tongue to tell you the sweetest lies

 ...Do you feel loved?

 

 15. "The Devil" - Anna Calvi

The Devil makes this promise, "Wait for God/ Fall for me." He wants us to believe that the physical world is all we have, and the Devil will deliver. He's pleased to continue to deal with us, and hey, "The Devil will come" when called. It's his best line, his biggest trick, and it works far too well. Though, in the end, the Devil's over-confidence will accomplish about as much for the Devil as Frank Costello's (Jack Nicholson's character in The Departed) did for him. His time will come to a close, but he can't see it yet.

The second half of my booklet.