Analysis

Demons

Imagine Demons · Demons

13+
Verdict
Listen first
Detailed Analysis

These are the lyrics to 'Demons' by Imagine Dragons. The song deals with mature emotional and psychological themes, including inner darkness, personal demons, feelings of being hell-bound, greed, and a sense of inevitable failure or doom. There is no explicit language, sexual content, or drug/alcohol references. However, the recurring imagery of 'demons,' references to hell, sinners crawling, graves being dug, and a pervasive tone of despair and self-loathing touch on themes of mental health struggle, guilt, and existential darkness that may be heavy for younger children. The overall message is actually empathetic and protective — the narrator warns a loved one away from their inner darkness out of care — which gives the song emotional depth rather than a harmful tone. Still, the weight of the themes (psychological darkness, feelings of being irredeemably flawed, fatalism) warrants parental guidance for younger audiences. Suitable for teens and older with some context.

Themes
inner demons
mental health
self-loathing
protection of a loved one
fatalism
guilt

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Lyrics

When the days are cold And the cards all fold And the saints we see Are all made of gold When your dreams all fail And the ones we hail Are the worst of all And the blood's run stale I wanna hide the truth I wanna shelter you But with the beast inside There's nowhere we can hide No matter what we breed We still are made of greed This is my kingdom come This is my kingdom come When you feel my heat Look into my eyes It's where my demons hide It's where my demons hide Don't get too close It's dark inside It's where my demons hide It's where my demons hide When the curtain's call Is the last of all When the lights fade out All the sinners crawl So they dug your grave And the masquerade Will come calling out At the mess you made Don't wanna let you down But I am hell bound Though this is all for you Don't wanna hide the truth No matter what we breed We still are made of greed This is my kingdom come This is my kingdom come When you feel my heat Look into my eyes It's where my demons hide It's where my demons hide Don't get too close It's dark inside It's where my demons hide It's where my demons hide They say it's what you make I say it's up to fate It's woven in my soul I need to let you go Your eyes, they shine so bright I wanna save that light I can't escape this now Unless you show me how When you feel my heat Look into my eyes It's where my demons hide It's where my demons hide Don't get too close It's dark inside It's where my demons hide It's where my demons hide


Remember: You know your child best. Use LyricsRay as a tool to inform your decisions, but always trust your parental instincts and family values when determining what's right for your children.
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Analysis performed on August 31, 2026