Ain't No Rest For The Wicked lyrics by Cage The Elephant, 22 meanings. Ain't No Rest For The Wicked explained, official 2024 song lyrics | LyricsMode.com
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Cage The Elephant – Ain't No Rest For The Wicked lyrics

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Cage The Elephant – Ain't No Rest For The Wicked lyrics
I was walking down the street
When out the corner of my eye,
I saw a pretty little thing approaching me.
She said I never seen a man,
Who looks so all alone,
Oh, could you use a little company?
If you could pay the right price,
Your evening will be nice,
And you can go and send me on my way,
I said you're such a sweet young thing,
Oh why you do this to yourself.
She looked at me and this is what she said.

Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees,
I got bills to pay,
I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
Oh no I can't slow down,
I can't hold back
Though you know, I wish, I could,
Oh no there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Until we close our eyes for good.

Not even 15 minutes later,
I'm still walkin' down the street
When I saw the shadow of a man creep out of sight,
And then he swept up from behind,
He put a gun up to my head,
He made it clear he wasn't looking for a fight,
He said give me all you've got,
I want your money not your life,
If you try to make a move I won't think twice,
I told him you can have my cash,
But first you know I've got to ask,
What made you want to live this kind of life?

He said there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees,
I got bills to pay
I got mouths to feed
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
Oh no I can't slow down,
I can't hold back
Though you know I wish I could
Oh no there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Until we close our eyes for good.

Well now a couple hours passed,
And I was sitting in my house,
The day was winding down and coming to an end,
And so I turn to the TV,
And flipped it over to the news,
And what I saw I almost couldn't comprehend,
I saw a preacher man in cuffs
He'd taken money from the church,
He'd stuffed his bank account with righteous dollar bills
But even still I can't say much
Because I know we're all the same,
Oh yes we all seek out to satisfy those thrills.

You know there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees,
We got bills to pay
We got mouths to feed
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
Oh no we can't slow down,
We can't hold back
Though you know we wish we could.
Oh no there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Until we close our eyes for good.
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Lyrics taken from /lyrics/c/cage_the_elephant/aint_no_rest_for_the_wicked.html

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Songwriters: Daniel Andrew Tichenor, Donald Bradley Shultz, Jared Lloyd Champion, Lincoln Parish, Matthew Ray Shultz
Ain't No Rest For The Wicked lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Submitted by LEVSTER
Corrected by h0spid

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Ain't No Rest For The Wicked meanings Post my meaning

  • d
    + 19
    Dooder1234 2009-10-31 17:48:15
    The people in this song were children once. They had a choice. It outlines how our society revolves around material flow. The people in this song have stamped themselves as 'wicked'. When you think about it though, none of these people dreamed about being crooks. In a society that revolves around money, and where avarice and greed are prevailent almost everywhere, desparation can even turn the righteous to thievery and hustling. Something tells me that Anonymous69 has never had to spend a year living on the streets. You do not have to be 'wicked' to be driven to commit wicked acts. Humans are the most adaptive of all creatures in the animal kingdom. This song simply outlines that our own society has necessitated this type of adaptation, because we live in a world where the rich and powerful are pushing more and more to poverty and destitution. I know that might sound a little communist, but so be it. Capitalism is evil, get over it.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 9
    Unregistered 2012-01-22 06:39:09
    Simply put, the actual meaning of the song is right there in the chorus. Each of us struggles especially in these rough economic times. We come home and we're wiped out only to have to get back up in a couple of hours and do it all over again and there's no way anyone out there is going to do it for us. We as a collective spend much of our time chasing the dollar and each of the situations is something that we can all look at and understand even in caricature.
    The chorus is where it is all at. We've all heard the cliched lines before but for most of us it's not until we were past adolescence and into adulthood that we understood it fully.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 7
    Unregistered 2015-08-23 22:35:43
    This song honestly has some truth behind its lyrics, unless you live in Oregon. Here our money does grow on trees cuz we voted on legal weed and lots of stuffs for free. Like sunlight, healthcare, and food stamps. Here you can grow weed make stacks and eat free food courtesy of taxpayers who are having their money stolen from them by our government.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 6
    Unregistered 2012-04-11 16:09:34
    I think this song means that people sometimes have to do things to help their families no matter the harm it does to oneself. They call themselves wicked because they know what they are doing is wrong and still do it anyway. Also when they say they have bills to pay and mouths to feed it shows that they arent wealthy and can't afford the luxuries of the wealthy, and so they don't rest until their family is good on money, which in most cases is never (close our eyes for good)!
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 5
    Unregistered 2012-08-08 12:59:06
    Well, on the surface, the song seems to point out that people are willing to give anything in order to sustain themselves.
    In the first example, the artist uses a prostitute, someone who is willing to sell their body. He asks the question, "why'd you do this to yourself? " and in response, the chorus plays. It's not that people *want* to give in and give themselves up, but they need to sustain themselves (and people close to them in some cases).
    The second example used is of the same principle, only he is willing to take a life in order to sustain himself and or people close to him.
    And the last, a priest that steals money from his church, willing to give up his beliefs to sustain himself. (giving up [their beliefs], one of the 10 commandments "thou shalt not steal. ")
    He goes on to say "but even still, i can't say much, because i know we're all the same," this line speaks for itself - almost anyone in the same position would have done the same thing.
    If you want to read in further than that, that's fine. I think this song is great and really brings out the truth about humanity. We're willing to sell anything for a few bucks to sustain ourselves (if we're put in a position where we're unable to sustain ourselves in the first place).
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 3
    Unregistered 2012-01-02 13:42:05
    We aren't all evil and we don't all turn around and do the same thing, to the person that said that. That's saying that there is all darkness in the world with no light, which is wrong.
    The balance of light and darkness; that would seem to be an immediatly apparent meaning this song works off. Everyone has the darkness in them, as they have the light. But those who refuse to rest, to stop and accept the light, embrace wickedness. And those who are wicked can never rest again. Until death.
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  • w
    + 3
    whatevertomorrowbrings 2011-06-01 03:49:28
    I think you all are making this song deeper than it is. The meaning is pretty simple: There is no rest for the wicked inside us all that causes us to commit bad deeds (in psychology the id; in christianity the devil tempting us). By circumstance of the increasingly evil world we live in, more and more people are driven to act on those bad impulses. In order to better their own lives or their family's life (desperate times, desperate measures). "Until we close our eyes for good" simply means that it is only human nature for us to be tempted by evil or driven to do bad reguardless why. And the temptation will not stop until we die (no brainer?).
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered 2012-03-29 13:34:50
    The meaning of this song is clear, he's talking about the human nature of corruption and wrong doing, not necessarily evil. It also shows the motives behind these actions, and how they aren't wholly evil. The crimes and wrong doings are committed to help the "commiter"take care of his/her life problems (but it will really just make them worse) "bills to pay... Mouths to feed", that is the motive for the prostitute and the two robber's actions; self centered survival by "the easy way". "the wicked" is what the first two criminals call themselves (and the third one is thinking it?), so that shows that they understand what they are doing, but choose to do it anyway, and they won't rest until they are dead. The sad truth behind alot of crimes.
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  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered 2012-02-07 01:23:32
    Whether you are a pastor, an innocent young girl, or just someone trying to provide for his or her family, we all have bad traits. We all steal at some point, or offer something that we might not want to give away. This song is trying to point out that all of humanity has committed crimes such as these and how nobody can complain or degrade people who so these things because we all have before.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered 2012-01-18 08:40:21
    Basically, the guy finds a hooker, and asks her why are you doing this? Then he is about to et mugged, and he asks the guy why are you doing this
    they both say the same thing:
    people who don't have lots of cash never really get a shot, people just don't give money away, and you have lots of responsibilities. If they try to stop, they might end up on the streets, or if they owe money to someone, they might get killed.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered 2012-01-17 07:18:37
    This song isn't about who's evil or who isn't, its about why these people are commiting crimes. Humanizing the lawbreakers as just normal people under tough times who have turned to crime to keep the income going.
    He started with one of the more humanized criminals, the prostitute. This brings-up the chorus, our recurring theme that basically says "nothing personal, just a job. "
    Then we get our mugger. We're all scared of the mugger with a gun. The theme comes back, "i need the money. Its just business. "
    And finally we're bridged to the most despicable crime. The priestl.
    Y perpetrator is just trying to make ends meet, even if he just damned himself in the process.
    So in summation, the song means, "criminals aren't monsters, they're just average people trying to make ends meet and it happens to be at the cost of others. "
    Add your reply
  • l
    + 2
    listentoyourheart 2011-08-19 08:42:28
    I think the song could mean whatever you want it to mean and there's many different ways to interpret it. The way I look at it is almost very literal. We have all have become very wicked with higher demand for more and more money (aka the root of all evil) just to get by. So no one has a chance to "rest" or help one another. And when he says "close our eyes" he means to help eachother and come together to take a step and put an end to it.
    Add your reply
  • t
    + 2
    Themanwiththeplan223 2011-07-13 15:13:54
    Whatevertomorrowbrings is right about this song.
    I mean, I notice that people either read too much or too little into a song.
    The song actually has nothing to do with religion, but with the reasoning that we are all born into a world with temptation, and unfortunately we all sucumb one way or another
    whether because of desperate times, or for cheap thrills, no one is innocent.
    I think it also tries to show sympathy to the "lowlifes" when the only reason we are so different from them is they have a much harder situation than most of us
    But bottom line, we are all wicked, and the only time that we can escape that is when we die.
    Add your reply
  • u
    + 2
    unknown144 2011-04-27 11:36:16
    Guys the true meaning is posted already by Evilityrues. It is truly about people who are in a position so that they can't move on in this money ruled world without doing wicked or bad deeds such as prostitution and robbery but they also wish there was another way out. This can be the only true meaning to the whole chorus as you all only look at parts of it but the truth can only be obtained through the whole and trying to promote christianity or catholocism or whatever it is wont be able to change that meaning.
    Add your reply
  • e
    + 2
    EtoileLion 2009-12-27 15:25:11
    The song speaks of survival and sustinance - it's not actually his experiences (It's been stated officially that the inspiration came from a former co-worker, who was a drug dealer, and responded to the question of why with "ain't no rest for the wicked."), but a statement of the world we live in. Not everyone has a choice - life turns on you in unexpected ways. The fact that the people in the song label -themselves- 'wicked', indicate that they did not choose the life they lead, and lament it ("Though you know, I wish I could"). Note that the narrator himself doesn't actually help (Unless the prostitute in the first verse is very quick), just observes and reports
    There's also a typo in the lyrics presented here - verse 3 line 1 'past' = 'passed'.
    Add your reply
  • a
    + 2
    Anonymous69 2009-09-17 08:35:45
    "There ain't no rest for the wicked" because the wicked seeks those things which can be found on earth and are willing to lie, cheat, and steal for sustenance. The righteous would rather die because they realize that there is endless joy in heaven and they would do nothing to jeopardize their afterlife. The "wicked" are the "hustlers" of life who do whatever they have to do to get what they want without regard for others.
    Add your reply
  • l
    + 2
    LOOOOOVEMUSIC 2009-07-13 02:40:23
    I think this song means, don't rob, cheat, steal, or prostitute, you will go around in circles and not get anywhere and certainly no rest seeing as those "Jobs" are way harder than making an honest living:) also maybe in the end, you may not be "resting peacfully" in eternity. I guess that last part was a little too deep but that's what this song means to me. There's no since in it. This song is tight work!
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 1
    Unregistered 2012-05-12 20:34:31
    You go through life wanting to be good but then you realize the beauty of feeling wicked. And the necessity of it to survive. Therefore there is a constant back and forth. Yin yang so to speak. Where there is no rest until you choose which side. But until you do. You're stuck in that limbo of tinkering in both the ins and outs of heaven and hell. And. It's good to know everyone's the same. Because that understanding lets you go on to the next one. One. Moment. And enjoy.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 1
    Unregistered 2012-04-26 04:50:43
    My meaning definition to ain't no rest for the wicked by cage the elephant is to not express the vileness of the world we live in, but the desperation and need to make end's meet. The young woman who became a prostitute needed to help her mother with making end's meet and was obviously too young to work. The robber was clearly either too incompetent or just completely in need of money that he didn't care if he killed the man. He was so desperate for the money, he was willing to go to jail if he failed. He had clearly run out of options. The priest, who is a figure to people around the world was obviously so desperate for the money, he had to steal it from his own church.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 1
    Unregistered 2011-09-12 13:18:11
    I think the song is stating that you gotta do what you gotta do to pay the bills and feed the kids. By what ever means necessary. The reference to wicked is just using a catchy old saying. Nobody really wants to be a hooker or car jacker, but they gotta pay the bills and feed the kids. The Preacher he was just trying to reference that even people whom you wouldnt expect to do bad things for money are not exempt to doing what ever it takes.
    Add your reply
  • g
    + 1
    gregmcgregerson 2011-05-22 01:58:28
    I wasn't suggesting the song promotes the christian religion. All I said was that the lyrics are taken from the bible.
    It's more of an ironic reference than a serious one. Biblically speaking, the phrase condemns the wicked to suffering. In the context of the song, the singer is relating in an amicable way to the "wicked".
    As someone who has felt totally lost to immoral behavior, and found recovery, I feel that the compassion offered from this perspective is valuable.
    Add your reply
  • g
    0
    gregmcgregerson 2011-04-23 12:11:18
    The phrase "No rest for the wicked" originates from the Bible; Book of Isaiah.
    The song is meant to be compassionate toward those who are driven to believe they have no other choice but to turn to crime and vice to survive.
    As someone who is currently coming to grips with addiction and staying sober through surrender to God's will, I can identify. There is no rest until you stop making yourself a slave to circumstance.
    Add your reply
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    Top meanings Post my meaning

    • d
      + 19
      Dooder1234
      The people in this song were children once. They had a choice. It outlines how our society... Read more →
    • U
      + 9
      Unregistered
      Simply put, the actual meaning of the song is right there in the chorus. Each of us struggles... Read more →
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