---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I been running up a bill with the devil…"
description: "\"“I been running up a bill with the devil ever since, and now he's come to collect on the debt.”\" — Steven B. Weissman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d52/steven-b-weissman-279989_debt_i-been-running-up-a-bill-with-the-devil_2417466.jpg"
---

#  I been running up a bill with the devil ever since, and…

![“I been running up a bill with the devil ever since, and now he's come to collect on the debt.” quote by Steven B. Weissman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d52/steven-b-weissman-279989_debt_i-been-running-up-a-bill-with-the-devil_2417466.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d52/steven-b-weissman-279989_debt_i-been-running-up-a-bill-with-the-devil_2417466.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d52/steven-b-weissman-279989_debt_i-been-running-up-a-bill-with-the-devil_2417466.jpg)

> ““I been running up a bill with the devil ever since, and now he's come to collect on the debt.””

[Steven B. Weissman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-b-weissman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A pact with the devil leads to mounting debt, culminating in the devil’s inevitable collection.

**In simple terms:** Deal with devil incurs debt.

Key Takeaway

Beware of dangerous bargains.

Themes

Fantasy Morality Dealings Supernatural Consequences

Mood

ominous dramatic

Type

Debt:1 Devil:1 Historical fiction:1 Historical-romance:1 Devil Come:1 Collect Debt:1 Running Devil:1

When to use this quote

- Story analysis
- Moral lessons
- Creative writing

Key Concepts

Temptation Karmic Justice Mythic Archetype

Questions to Reflect On

- What alternatives exist to resolve such debts?

A Different Perspective

May use cliché devil trope.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Collect Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collect-debt-6106575/) [Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Devil Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil-come-2520276/) [Historical fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical-fiction/) [Historical-romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical-romance/) [Running Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running-devil-6106576/)

## Related quotes

> [“He must have made a deal with the devil to come back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsay-sands/he-must-have-made-a-deal-with-the-devil-to-come-back/)

[Lynsay Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsay-sands/)

> [“If money controls our life, the devil will come into our life also to control that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-jansen-easy-branches/if-money-controls-our-life-the-devil-will-come-into-our-life-also-to/)

[Jan Jansen Easy Branches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-jansen-easy-branches/)

> [You never know when the devil might come calling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farley-mowat/you-never-know-when-the-devil-might-come-calling/)

[Farley Mowat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farley-mowat/)

> [Some day the Devil will come to me and say: 'Come with me.'And I will answer: 'Yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-maclane/some-day-the-devil-will-come-to-me-and-say-come-with-me-and-i-will/)

[Mary MacLane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-maclane/)

> [“a devil will come, or maybe two or three, but you can't see 'em, you can only hear something like the wind, or maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-devil-will-come-or-maybe-two-or-three-but-you-can-t-see-em-you-can/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [O you beast! I'll so maul you and your toasting-iron, That you shall think the devil is come from hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-you-beast-i-ll-so-maul-you-and-your-toasting-iron-that-you-shall/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Dr. Green laughed, resting a hand on his forehead. “You should have seen those boys. They ran so fast, you’d have thought I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-l-stone/dr-green-laughed-resting-a-hand-on-his-forehead-you-should-have-seen/)

[C.L. Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-l-stone/)

> [If having you in my life would take me to hell.. well let the devil come and take me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-delan/if-having-you-in-my-life-would-take-me-to-hell-well-let-the-devil/)

[John Lee Delan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-delan/)

> [You put the Devil on the other side, and I will come to fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/royce-gracie/you-put-the-devil-on-the-other-side-and-i-will-come-to-fight/)

[Royce Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/royce-gracie/)

> [I will fight the devil until I die! But aslong as I have GOD on my Side! Devil COME ON!!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-w/i-will-fight-the-devil-until-i-die-but-aslong-as-i-have-god-on-my/)

[Sonya W](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-w/)

> [“Midnight Omen Deja vu" - Because everyone should experience love in the Caribbean...at least once in a lifetime.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marti-melville/midnight-omen-deja-vu-because-everyone-should-experience-love-in-the/)

[Marti Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marti-melville/)

> [“Yet, the quest for knowledge will overcome us and we must know. And, at last, we must see where the road ends, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-b-brewer/yet-the-quest-for-knowledge-will-overcome-us-and-we-must-know-and-at/)

[Nancy B. Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-b-brewer/)

> [“Altogether, the first glimpse of his bride-which should have come as no surprise to Alex, standing there looking so lean and handsome himself-nearly brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-de-la-cruz/altogether-the-first-glimpse-of-his-bride-which-should-have-come-as/)

[Melissa de la Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-de-la-cruz/)

> [“Whatever befalls us, we will endure it together. I clutch my longbow and dagger close to my side. My last thoughts linger on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-noce/whatever-befalls-us-we-will-endure-it-together-i-clutch-my-longbow/)

[Mark Noce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-noce/)

> [“I know a feeling like that only comes once in a lifetime, and I think you should follow your heart’s desires. I believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmad-ardalan/i-know-a-feeling-like-that-only-comes-once-in-a-lifetime-and-i-think/)

[Ahmad Ardalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmad-ardalan/)

## More Debt quotes

> [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [Praise will come to those whose kindness leaves you without debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-finn/praise-will-come-to-those-whose-kindness-leaves-you-without-debt/)

[Neil Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-finn/)

> [“Most people, given more money, only get into more debt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-kiyosaki/most-people-given-more-money-only-get-into-more-debt/)

[Robert T. Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-kiyosaki/)

> [“An honest man is a debtless man, he doesn't owe anyone anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-honest-man-is-a-debtless-man-he-doesn-t-owe-anyone-anything/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/)

[Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/)

> [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/without-a-trace-of-irony-i-can-say-i-have-been-blessed-with-brilliant/)

[E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/)

> [I love Black Sabbath. They made an amazing contribution to music today. Almost every band that made it big in the Nineties owed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-love-black-sabbath-they-made-an-amazing-contribution-to-music-today/)

[Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/)

> [“The human eye is restricted to see the useen, because there’s a price to be paid to the rulers of this image and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/the-human-eye-is-restricted-to-see-the-useen-because-there-s-a-price/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [It is a well-settled principle of the international code that where one nation owes another a liquidated debt which it refuses or neglects to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/it-is-a-well-settled-principle-of-the-international-code-that-where/)

[Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/)

> [Student loans have been helpful to many. But they offer neither incentive nor assistance to those students who, by reason of family or other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/student-loans-have-been-helpful-to-many-but-they-offer-neither/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [Our sins are debts that none can pay but Christ. It is not our tears, but His blood; it is not our sighs, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/our-sins-are-debts-that-none-can-pay-but-christ-it-is-not-our-tears/)

[Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/)

> [Instead of explaining the sober facts of mechanics and electricity, I want to say a few words about the debt which we owe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/instead-of-explaining-the-sober-facts-of-mechanics-and-electricity-i/)

[Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/)

> [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

[Browse all 2,345 Debt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I been running up a bill with the devil ever since, and now he's come to collect on the debt.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Steven B. Weissman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-b-weissman/i-been-running-up-a-bill-with-the-devil-ever-since-and-now-he-s-come/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Debt"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-b-weissman/i-been-running-up-a-bill-with-the-devil-ever-since-and-now-he-s-come/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d52/steven-b-weissman-279989_debt_i-been-running-up-a-bill-with-the-devil_2417466.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d52/steven-b-weissman-279989_debt_i-been-running-up-a-bill-with-the-devil_2417466.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d52/steven-b-weissman-279989_debt_i-been-running-up-a-bill-with-the-devil_2417466.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I been running up a bill with the devil ever since, and now he's come to collect on the debt.” — Steven B. Weissman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Steven B. Weissman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-b-weissman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I been running up a bill...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-b-weissman/i-been-running-up-a-bill-with-the-devil-ever-since-and-now-he-s-come/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-b-weissman/i-been-running-up-a-bill-with-the-devil-ever-since-and-now-he-s-come/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
