A shot of tequila, I keep walking
I let it pass that diabolical train
Yes, I have drunk from that Devil's Bane
And I barely survived
Barely got out with my life
Shame, shame
He's screamin' at me
Shame, shame
Thinkin' I'll let you leave
Shot of tequila wash me clean
From his sermons and conspiracies
And he was good at turning me against me
Me doubting Venus
All the while he's preachin'
Shame, shame
On your Jezebel breed
Shame, shame
You need purifying
And I barely survived
Barely got out with my life
Next train when it comes again
If it's filled with lies and corruption
Lord, send it on
Next train when it comes again
If He's lookin' for a, a Queen of Poison
Lord, send it on
Your soul he's seekin'
All the while he's preachin'
Preachin'
Shame, shame
On your Jezebel breed
Shame, shame
He's screamin' at me
Shame, shame
Planting your wicked seed
Bride of Christ
Darlin' you'll never be
Barely got out with my life
And I keep runnin', runnin', runnin', runnin' still
And I keep runnin', runnin', runnin', runnin' still
From that Devil's Bane
Keep runnin', runnin', runnin', runnin'
Tori Quotes
I'm a minister's daughter so that kind of imagery is in my DNA. I understand how with someone charismatic, not necessarily someone religious, one can fall under their control. During this last 18 months, there was somebody [I knew] who had been groomed into thinking that they weren't the amazing person that they are. And [for me] it formed itself into this story of how you can almost lose yourself and your self-worth if you need somebody's validation.
It takes a lot of courage to walk away from that situation, and not everybody is willing to do that, but this person had the courage. I would say we've all been there at some point. I couldn't have written about it had I not experienced it myself. I've drunk from that devil's bane, my friend, so I understood it. And by then, I had some energy again and my pencil was sharpening, so the song came. [NME - September 20, 2021]
I needed to write about certain emotions that I had experienced over the last year and that a lot of us have experienced, but a relationship was the story frame. It just seemed right that this train would run through the Southwest. If you're going to have a shot of tequila anywhere, it's got to be in the Southwest. [Entertainment Weekly - October 26, 2021]
"Devil's Bane" explores how shame is something that has so many edges to it. It can cut you, even if you think you're not at the sword end of it, and it brings on so much self-loathing that's so debilitating. On the other hand, rage, I've found out, can be dangerous energy because the goal is never to spread more anger even though I think to be fired up, then to write something about it, is to provide a voice to those who don't necessarily have one. It's tricky working with rage because it can be poisonous, and it can backfire on you and it can be toxic. [Toronto Star - May 12, 2022]
Live Versions
"Devil's Bane"
June 10, 2022 - Oakland, California
