No one does satanic panic quite like Florence + The Machine. Ritual sacrifices, communing with demons — you wouldn’t dare sing about these things unless you’re intimately familiar with witchcraft à la lead singer Florence Welch.
Expect the British rock band to lean into its witchy aesthetic even harder when their upcoming album, Everybody Scream, arrives Oct. 31. Based on the lead single, we can already tell this won’t just be a record you turn to every time the leaves change colors; instead, the group is taking a page from Mariah Carey’s holiday playbook and coming for their rightful place as the Highnesses of Halloween.
In preparation for its release, we’ve cherry-picked the nine witchiest lyrics in the band’s discography, so you can prepare your next devotional altar accordingly.
1. This is a gift, it comes with a price / Who is the lamb, and who is the knife? — “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)”
Sacrificial lamb metaphors? Check. Allusions to ritualistic magic? Check.
2. Holy water cannot help you now / See, I’ve come to burn your kingdom down — “Seven Devils”
Swap in nearly any line in this song and it would still be deserving of the No. 2 spot on this list. God help anyone who wrongs a witch — they’ll literally descend seven devils upon you.
3. Oh, bring your salt, bring your cigarette / Draw me a circle and I'll protect — “Heaven Is Here”
In witchcraft, it’s believed that a circle of salt can protect against evil, and this line is one of the few instances where Florence promises to use her sorcery skills for good.
4. I met the Devil / You know, he gave me a choice / A golden heart / Or a golden voice — “Girls Against God”
With a voice like Florence’s, we’re inclined to believe the ethereal singer has Satan on speed dial.
5. Now I creep out when there's no one about / 'Cause they put crosses on the doors to try and keep me out — “Cassandra”
If your neighbors are putting crucifixes on their doors just to keep you away, you’re never beating the witch allegations.
6. I've seen it in you, in the entrails of the animals / The blood running through, but in order to get to the heart / I think sometimes you have to cut through — “Heartlines”
The only people concerned with the animal intestines are hunters, diviners, and black-magic practitioners.
7. There's a ghost in my lungs and it sighs in my sleep / Wraps itself around my tongue as it softly speaks — “I’m Not Calling You A Liar”
Possessions and witchcraft aren’t exactly interchangeable, but they both fall under the larger occult umbrella, so it counts.
8. I'll be your demon daddy / And do they speak to you? / 'Cause they spеak to me too — “Choreomania”
Florence is a vessel for demons, confirmed.
9. The witchcraft, the medicine, the spells, and the injections / The harvest, the needle protect me from evil / The magic and the misery, madness and the mystery / Oh, what has it done to me? — “Everybody Scream”
The band’s latest track examines how her talent has turned her into a cult-like figure for her fans. The “witchcraft” in question seems to be a reference to everything Florence has done to get to this current place, and though making music can be healing for her, it also comes at a cost. Simply put, her previous allusions have all been leading up to this song.
