The Devil Went Down to Georgia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Question book-new.svg
 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2006)
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
Single by Charlie Daniels
from the album Million Mile Reflections
Released 1979
Genre Southern rock, Country rock
Length 3:37
Label Epic
Writer(s) Charlie Daniels, Tom Crain, "Taz" DiGregorio, Fred Edwards, Charles Hayward, James W. Marshall
Producer John Boylan
Certification Platinum
Charlie Daniels singles chronology
"Trudy"
(1978)		 "The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
(1979)		 "Mississippi"
(1979)

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is a song written and performed by the Charlie Daniels Band and released on their 1979[1] album Million Mile Reflections.

The song is written in the key of D minor. Vassar Clements originally wrote the basic melody an octave lower, in a tune called "Lonesome Fiddle Blues". The Charlie Daniels Band moved it up an octave and put words to it. The song's verses are closer to being spoken rather than sung (i.e. chant or Sprechstimme), and tell the story of a boy named Johnny, who one day is challenged by the devil to a battle of fiddle-playing: If Johnny triumphs, he claims a golden fiddle; losing the battle will forfeit his soul. The performances of Satan and Johnny are played as instrumental bridges.

The song was the band's biggest pop hit, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]

Contents

[edit] Plot

The song is a narrative about the Devil, who comes to Georgia to procure souls. He has not obtained any recently, and is willing to "make a deal" out of desperation. He happens upon a young fiddle player named Johnny, who is minding his own business and playing impressively. The Devil approaches Johnny, and informs him that he too, plays the fiddle. He then decides to challenge Johnny to a fiddle-playing contest, confident that he is more skillful than the young boy. The terms of the duel are that should Johnny win, he will be given a fiddle made of solid gold, but should the Devil triumph, he gains Johnny's soul. Johnny accepts the terms, proudly telling the Devil that he will regret it as he is "the best there's ever been". The duel commences, with the Devil performing a sinister and powerful piece with the backing of demon musicians. Despite this, the Devil is squarely defeated when Johnny takes his turn to perform. The Devil acknowledges being bested and, true to his word, the Devil presents Johnny with a beautiful golden fiddle. Johnny boastfully informs the Devil that he is welcome anytime to come back for a rematch.

[edit] Musical references

The narrative is a derivative of the traditional pact with the Devil motif. Charlie Daniels has stated in interviews, "I don’t know where it came from, but it just did. Well, I think I might know where it came from, it may have come from an old poem called 'The Mountain Whippoorwill' that Stephen Vincent Benét wrote many, many years ago [1925], that I had in high school. Either that or Jersey."[3]

Johnny's song itself is an amalgamation of traditional tunes:

  • Fire on the mountain, run boys run- from Fire on the Mountain, a bluegrass fiddle tune dating to at least the early 19th century.[4]
  • The devil's in the house of the rising sun- reference to The House of the Rising Sun, an American folk song
  • Chicken in the bread pin pickin' out dough/Granny does your dog bite? No, child no- from Bob Wills' version of Ida Red.[5]

[edit] Sequel

A sequel to the song, titled "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia," was recorded by Daniels and fiddle player Mark O'Connor in 1993, featuring guest performances by Travis Tritt (as the devil), Marty Stuart (as Johnny) and Johnny Cash. In the sequel, Johnny has grown into a man, who is married and has a child. Hoping to take advantage of Johnny's sinful pride, the Devil challenges him to a rematch. The Devil snatches the Golden Fiddle from Johnny, and demands that he practice with his old fiddle to play against him. The ending does not state the victor outright, though the music video suggests Johnny won, as does the line "Johnny's still the best that's ever been". The song can be found on Mark O'Connor's album, Heroes.

[edit] Other versions and parodies

 This article may contain excessive, poor or irrelevant examples. You can improve the article by adding more descriptive text. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for further suggestions.
  • The version that appeared on the Charlie Daniels Band album Million Mile Reflections, and on the soundtrack for the movie Urban Cowboy includes the line "I done told you once, you son of a bitch, I'm the best that's ever been", but the version played by many radio stations had the words "son of a gun" instead, owing to censorship concerns.
  • When it is performed at the Sean Hannity Freedom Concerts by the Charlie Daniels Band, Hannity plays the balladeer, and often says "I done told you once, you evil . . . "
  • A parody of the song, titled "Cledus Went Down to Florida," was recorded by country music parodist Cledus T. Judd on his 1996 album I Stoled This Record.
  • A hard rock/metal cover by Steve Ouimette appears as the last boss fight in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Daniels did not approve of the cover, because it was possible to lose the competition against "Lou" (Lucifer).[6]
  • Toy Dolls recorded "The Devil Went Down To Scunthorpe" in which Johnny plays guitar.[7]
  • Those Darn Accordions did a cover of the song using an accordion player named Big Lou in place of Johnny.
  • A version of the song was recorded by animated singing group Alvin & the Chipmunks, however the Devil wagers a golden harmonica, Alvin's instrument of choice, instead of a fiddle.
  • The song "Beelz" by Stephen Lynch, in which he says the devil is more of a homosexual because "that's just how i picture him", the end of the song features the opening lyrics of the song, causing "The Devil" to say "That's fucking bullshit, because i would not be caught dead in Georgia".
  • Tenacious D's song Tribute has similar elements to this song, albeit with the group playing to a demon rather than the Devil himself. However Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown) follows the songs format more closely. It is a profanity-laced parody of the song Devil Went Down to Georgia. If the Devil wins, he gets Kage's soul, but if he loses, he has to pay the rent on the band's apartment.
  • A rap version entitled "The Devil Came up to Michigan" was recorded in the early 90's by K.M.C KRU. In it the Devil offers a turntable of gold.
  • The Futurama episode "Hell is Other Robots" parodies this when the crew members (in accordance to the "Fairness in Hell Act,") engage the Robot Devil a fiddle battle with their freedom and a Golden Fiddle as the prize. When it is pointed out that a gold fiddle would be very heavy and sound terrible, the Robot Devil admits it is mostly for show.
  • The Greek rap band "Imiskoubria" recorded a song titled "O diavolos katevike kato ston Holargo"(translation: The Devil Went Down To Holargos, Holargos is a neighbourhood in Athens). The prize here was an MK2 golden turntable and a mixer.
  • A Fort Wayne radio DJ named Travis "Buster" Meyer made a parody called `The Devil Went to Jamaica'; in which Johnny and the Devil are beach-bum drug dealers battling with the potency of their 'weed', the prize being 'a million in cash' against Johnny's stash. This song has been incorrectly credited to David Allan Coe and "Weird Al" Yankovic.
  • An episode of Squidbillies is called "Mephistopheles Traveled Below to a Southern State Whose Motto Is 'Wisdom, Justice and Moderation,'" and features a comedic standoff with electric guitars between the main characters and a Satanic squid.
  • The Robot Chicken episode Celebutard Mountain featured a sketch called Spawn Went Down To Georgia, featuring Spawn playing his own version of this song in a violin battle with Malebolgia.
  • Canadian country band Emerson Drive covered the song in 2006 in their fifth studio album, Countrified, adding part of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" to the end. The album was co-produced by Alabama's Teddy Gentry, and produced by Josh Leo. The album-closing remake of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" featuring a cameo from Charlie Daniels himself.
  • On the USA Network show Psych. Shawn tells Gus that if they catch "this so called "Devil" we'll challenge him to a fiddling contest, if the Devil wins he gets Shawn soul but if Shawn wins he gets his cooperation
  • Australian band Ruckus recorded "Devil Pub" in which the devil challenges a young man to a drinking competition.[8]
  • Alice Springs duo "Rock Wallabies" recorded "Devil Went Down to the Desert", depicting the scene of the Devil challenging Gazza, with the prize of a golden didgeridoo.[9]

[edit] See also

Preceded by
"Coca-Cola Cowboy"
by Mel Tillis		 Billboard Hot Country Singles number one single
August 25, 1979
 Succeeded by
"Heartbreak Hotel"
by Willie Nelson and Leon Russell

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel: "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits", p. 92, ISBN 0-8230-7518-4
  3. ^ [2]
  4. ^ [3]
  5. ^ [4]
  6. ^ Charlie Daniels Denounces The Version Of The Song
  7. ^ http://www.thetoydolls.com/media/lyrics_menu/t/the_devil_went_down_to_scunthorpe.htm
  8. ^ http://www.ruckus.net.au/media/
  9. ^ http://www.rockwallabies.com.au/lyyy.html

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_Went_Down_to_Georgia"