June 2019

[Verse 1]

They say the road is paved with good intentions

But really it’s just our voices in their ears

So Wormwood listen up and listen close now

And bring to life their deepest, darkest fears

[Chorus]

You can tell them whatever you like

You can tell them anything you want

You can tell them everything

But the truth

[Verse 2]

It’s hard to take a man and then break him

You gotta make a jail and lead them down inside

Lock him up while the key’s still in their hands

Just make sure they’re blinded by their pride

[Verse 3]

Whisper sweet nothings in their ear

Get them all wrapped up inside their lust

Ashamed and trapped by their own demons

Until they don’t know who they can even trust

[Chorus]

You can tell them whatever you like

You can tell them anything you want

You can tell them everything

But the truth

[Bridge]

A private hell of their own design

A faith they don’t believe anymore

‘Cause we’ve bound them up in guilt and shame

So they don’t know we’ve lost this spiritual war

[Chorus]

You can tell them whatever you like

You can tell them anything you want

You can tell them everything

But the truth

The Father Below told many lies in Sheol

But the best he ever told was saying that he wasn’t real

[Chorus]

You can tell them whatever you like

You can tell them anything you want

You can tell them everything

But the truth

Standard Tuning, Capo 2/3

Verse: Am F C G [4x]

Chorus: Am F C G [4x]

Bridge: Em Am Em G [2x]

This song was written during a rather dark and heavy season in my life. It was heavily inspired by C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, which contains the letters of a greater demon (Screwtape) writing to his nephew Wormwood (a beginner tempter-demon who has just gotten his first “Patient,” a human for the demon to lure away from God). The whole collection of letters are written from the perspective of Screwtape, and makes for an extremely interesting insight into the nature of temptation and Satan, who is referred to as “Our Father Below” in the book, hence the line above (as well as a minor reference to The Usual Suspects). The book played a very large role in my journey of faith. Taking after Lewis, I wrote this song from the perspective of Screwtape, who throughout the book talks about the use for twisting words and all manner of lies and thoughts in order to steer us away from God (who, in the demon’s view, is referred to as “the Enemy” through the course of the book). Screwtape advocates for telling the Patient anything possible to lead them astray. At least, anything but the truth of who God is. Because what incentive do they have to tell the truth?