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Look up between the devil and the deep blue sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
"Between the devil and the deep blue sea" is an idiom meaning to choose between two undesirable situations (equivalent to "between a rock and a hard place").
Its original meaning may be that of a nautical reference citing the deep blue sea and a "devil"- a piece of wood or joint that is difficult to reach on a ship.
According to the "International Maritime Dictionary" by René de Kerchove, the devil is 1. The seam in a wooden deck which bounds the waterway. It is so-called from its difficulty of access in calking. 2. A seam in the planking of a wooden ship on or below the waterline.
If sailors fell from a footrope under a yardarm, they would either land on the deck (within the devil plank) or in the water (outside of the devil plank). Either option is likely fatal.
One English-Spanish translation is: "Entre la espada y la pared", which literally means, "Between the sword and the wall".
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Song
"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is an American popular song published in 1932. The music was written by Harold Arlen, the lyrics by Ted Koehler. It was originally recorded by Cab Calloway.
It is now considered a standard, with recordings by many artists, such as George Harrison. Frank Sinatra also recorded the song in 1959.
The Italian black metal band Aborym also named a song "Between the devil and deep blue sea" in the album "Generator".
The phrase also pops up in the Billy Bragg song "The Short Answer" from his 1988 album Workers Playtime, and in Van Morrison's Stranded, from his 2005 album Magic Time. And in Bad Religion's "Heaven is Falling" from their 1992 album Generator. It is also referenced in the songs "Love Song For A Witch" by Dog Fashion Disco on their Committed To A Bright Future album from 2003, "Spaceman" by The Killers from their 2008 release Day & Age, "The Other Side" by Aerosmith and Return Of The Fisherman by ex-The Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown, The Police also use the phrase in "Wrapped Around Your Finger" from their Synchronicity album. The phrase is also referenced in the song Looking As You Are by Embrace, in the line "I told the devil and the deep blue sea to wait". The line also appears in the chorus of "A Rock and a Hard Place" by The Sisters of Mercy on their album First and Last and Always. The term is also used in "Open Water" by Thrice from their album The Alchemy Index: Vol. 2- Water.
Sydney (Australia) band XL Capris used the expression in their song AMP from the album Weeds (1981).
Film
Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is also the title of a 1995 film starring Stephen Rea and based on the novel Li by Nikos Kavadias. It was produced and directed by Marion Hänsel.
Book
Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Merchant Seamen, Pirates and the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1700 - 1750 is the title of a book by Marcus Rediker, a radical labour historian and professor at the University of Pittsburgh. It was released in 1987 on Cambridge University Press.
See also
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