Annotations for The Small Print

Lyric: Hope, and I hope you’ve seen the light
 ’Cause no one really cares
 They’re just pretending
Annotation:
this lyric could mean that the devil has finally taken the protagonists soul, and that he is seeking help from his peers.

Lyric: And be my slave to the grave
Annotation:
He can use the person who sold his soul to him forever. (And be my slave to the grave) He can use the person’s memories and other parts of his life to blackmail that person.

Lyric: You’re to blame
 For all the life that you’ll lose and
Annotation:
The  legend of Faust (German origin) details the life of a man who desires to push the bounds of human limitation (e.g. in knowledge and power). Upon summoning the devil, Faustus agrees to forfeit his soul for a lifetime of godly power (i.e. Faustian Bargain).  In most interpretations (e.g. Marlowe & Goethe), the protagonist grows increasingly bothered by his fate and the emotional toll ends up costing him many otherwise pleasant days. Furthermore, in Marlowe’s interpretation (‘The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus’) the agreement caps the period at 24 years, meaning his life was shortened. Thus, life lost (“the life that you’ll lose”) is both quantitative and qualitative.

Lyric: Sell, and I’ll sell your memories
 For fifteen pounds per year
 But just the good days
Annotation:
The Devil officially owns you once you sign a deal with him, therefore he has the right to sell everything you have, even your memories. The specification of their exact price just adds to the materialness of Evil. These lines and the specular ones in the second verse highlight how the Devil is going to speculate over the protagonist in every sense, getting the highest profit out of his memories by selling only the best (most pricy) ones.

