The Devil's Crayon

Album: Limbo, Panto (2008)
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Songfacts®:

  • The expression of a male's deeper desires is a constant theme running through Wild Beasts' work. Other songs that touch on the topic include "Plaything" and "Nature Boy." Vocalist Hayden Thorpe sings here how men are shaped by their carnality. He explained the song meaning to Q magazine:

    "It's ownership of the aspects of masculinity that are perceived as negative. There's almost now a denial of male desire, as if it's in some way arrogant or obnoxious. Women and men have these carnal needs, and that's what we're tapping into."
  • The song is a duet between Thorpe and his bandmate Tom Fleming.

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