The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Last updated

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
The Devil Went Down To Georgia cover.jpg
Single by Charlie Daniels Band
from the album Million Mile Reflections
B-side "Rainbow Ride"
ReleasedMay 21, 1979
Genre
Length3:34
Label Epic
Songwriter(s)
  • Charlie Daniels
  • Tom Crain
  • "Taz" DiGregorio
  • Fred Edwards
  • Charles Hayward
  • James W Marshall
Producer(s) John Boylan
Charlie Daniels Band singles chronology
"Trudy"
(1978)
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
(1979)
"Mississippi"
(1979)
Music video
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" on YouTube

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is a song written and recorded by American music group Charlie Daniels Band and released on their 1979 album Million Mile Reflections . [3]

Contents

The song is written in the key of D minor. Although uncredited, Vassar Clements originally wrote the basic melody an octave lower, in a tune called "Lonesome Fiddle Blues" released on Clements' self-titled 1975 album on which Charlie Daniels played guitar. 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., recitation), and tell the story of a young man named Johnny, in a variant on the classic deal with the Devil. The performances of the Devil and Johnny are played as instrumental bridges. The song was the band's biggest hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, prevented from further chart movement by "After the Love Has Gone" by Earth, Wind and Fire and "My Sharona" by The Knack. [4]

Content

The song tells a story about the Devil's failure to gain a young man's soul through a fiddle-playing contest. The song begins as a disappointed Devil arrives in Georgia, apparently "way behind" on stealing souls, when he comes upon a young man named Johnny who is playing a fiddle, and quite well. Out of desperation, the Devil, who claims to also be a fiddle player, wagers a fiddle of gold against Johnny's soul to see who is the better fiddler. Although Johnny believes taking the Devil's bet might be a sin, he fearlessly accepts, confidently boasting "I'm the best that's ever been."

The Devil plays first, backed by a band of demon musicians. When he has finished, Johnny compliments him ("Well, you're pretty good, old son.") and takes his own turn, rendering at least four old-time songs, named (though not played) in the Charlie Daniels Band recording—the third of the four being identified not by title, but by an excerpt of its lyrics:

Realizing he has been defeated, the devil lays his golden fiddle at Johnny's feet. Johnny then invites the devil to "c'mon back if y'ever wanna try again" before repeating his claim to be "the best that's ever been".

Reception

Cash Box praised the "engaging narrative story line" and said the song has "thundering piano", "screaming fiddle work", "pounding drums and screeching guitar". [7] Record World said that Daniels "administers heavy doses of both [storytelling and fiddle-playing] with producer John Boylan capturing the excitement like no one else can." [8]

Censorship

Johnny's final boast, from the album version of the song, goes, "I done told you once, you son of a bitch, I'm the best that's ever been". But to accommodate radio airplay for Country and Top 40 formats, Daniels changed the lyric for the single release to, "'Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I'm the best that's ever been", though AOR stations continued to use the unaltered version.

Musical references

The ballad's story is a derivative of the traditional deal 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." [9] [10]

Personnel

Parodies and covers

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
Single by Nickelback
ReleasedAugust 14, 2020 (2020-08-14)
Recorded2016–2017
VenueLittle Mountain View Studio
Genre Hard rock
Length3:58
Label Nickelback II Productions Inc.
Songwriter(s)
  • Charlie Daniels
  • Tom Crain
  • "Taz" DiGregorio
  • Fred Edwards
  • Charles Hayward
  • James W Marshall
Producer(s) Nickelback
Nickelback singles chronology
"After the Rain"
(2017)
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
(2020)
"San Quentin"
(2022)
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
Song by Primus
from the EP Rhinoplasty
ReleasedAugust 11, 1998 (1998-08-11)
Studio Prairie Sun (Cotati, California)
Genre Alternative Rock, funk rock
Length4:35
Label Interscope, Prawn Song
Songwriter(s)
  • Charlie Daniels
  • Tom Crain
  • "Taz" DiGregorio
  • Fred Edwards
  • Charles Hayward
  • James W Marshall
Producer(s) Primus, Toby Wright

Chart performance

The original version of the song spent fourteen weeks on the Hot Country Singles charts in 1979, peaking at number 1 and holding the position for one week. It spent two weeks at a peak of number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. [34] The single was certified Platinum by the RIAA on December 20, 1989, for sales of over one million copies in the United States. [35] In 2003, the song was ranked at #69 on CMT's 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music, and #5 on CMT's 20 Greatest Southern Rock Songs in 2006. Since it became available as a download in the digital era, it has also sold 2.49 million digital copies in the US as of November 2019. [36] In June 1998, Epic Records re-released the song to country radio, but accidentally sent out the version in which the line "son of a bitch" was uncensored. This error was quickly corrected, and the song re-entered the country charts at number 62 for the chart dated June 20, 1998. [37] It spent seven weeks on the chart and peaked at number 60. [34]

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [50] Silver200,000
United States (RIAA) [51] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Sequel

"The Devil Comes Back to Georgia"
Single by Mark O'Connor featuring Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt
from the album Heroes
B-side "This Can't Be Love"
ReleasedSeptember 14, 1993
Genre Bluegrass, country, country rock
Length4:13
Label Epic
Songwriter(s)
  • Charlie Daniels
  • Tom Crain
  • "Taz" DiGregorio
  • Fred Edwards
  • Charles Hayward
  • James W Marshall
Producer(s) Mark O'Connor and Jim Ed Norman

In 1993, a sequel to the song, "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia", was released by master violinist Mark O'Connor on his album Heroes. The song featured Daniels on fiddle, with Johnny Cash as the narrator, Marty Stuart as Johnny, and Travis Tritt as the devil. The song peaked at #54 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart in 1994.

In the sequel, the devil, still furious ten years after being beaten, decides to take up Johnny's challenge to "c'mon back if y'ever wanna try again". Johnny is now grown with a wife and infant son, and the devil believes that Johnny's sinful pride will be his undoing, so he takes back the golden fiddle, forcing Johnny to practice with his old fiddle before their rematch – the same one he played when he defeated the devil.

Though the song reiterates Johnny's bold claim that he is "the best that's ever been", the lyrics do not reveal who won the rematch. But in the video, the devil is shown defeated by Johnny again.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Camper Van Beethoven</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Camper Van Beethoven

Camper Van Beethoven is a 1986 album by musical group Camper Van Beethoven, released on Pitch-A-Tent. With the six then CVB members joined in the studio by acid-folk eccentric Eugene Chadbourne, the album is arguably the zenith of the band's musical experimentation, with surreal lyrics, backwards, sped-up and slowed down parts; a portion of the track "Stairway To Heavan" (sic) is itself a musical palindrome. A great number of ethnic instruments are used in addition to the usual violin parts played by member Jonathan Segel; the album also features pedal steel, banjo, tablas and sitar.

<i>Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People</i> 2003 video and EP by Primus

Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People is a career-spanning retrospective DVD plus bonus EP by American band Primus, released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist Larry LaLonde's son, and the cover depicts a sculpture made by long-time Primus collaborator Lance "Link" Montoya. The DVD features all of the band's music videos to date, plus short films and live footage from as far back as 1986, whereas the bonus EP features five new songs written and recorded specifically for this release. When promoting the release, bassist Les Claypool remarked that "It seems of late that bands are adding supplemental DVD material to their album releases to promote record sales. We've done the opposite. We've added a supplemental audio recording of brand new music to an extremely comprehensive DVD of classic visuals."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Daniels</span> American musician (1936–2020)

Charles Edward Daniels was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, pioneering Southern rock. He was best known for his number-one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". Much of his output, including all but one of his eight Billboard Hot 100 charting singles, was credited to the Charlie Daniels Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark O'Connor</span> American violinist and composer

Mark O'Connor is an American fiddle player, composer, guitarist, and mandolinist whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards and was a member of three influential musical ensembles: the David Grisman Quintet, The Dregs, and Strength in Numbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tribute (song)</span> 2002 single by Tenacious D

"Tribute" is a song by American comedy rock duo Tenacious D, and the second single from their self-titled debut album (2001). It was released on February 11, 2002, in the United States and on June 24, 2002, in Australia. The song is a tribute to what Kyle Gass and Jack Black refer to as "The Greatest Song in the World".

"(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend" is a cowboy-styled country/western song written in 1948 by American songwriter, film and television actor Stan Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ring of Fire (song)</span> Song popularized by Johnny Cash

The song "Ring of Fire" was made popular by Johnny Cash after it appeared on his 1963 compilation album Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash. Written by Cash's eventual second wife, June Carter Cash, and songwriter Merle Kilgore, "(Love's) Ring of Fire" was originally recorded by June's sister, Anita Carter, on her 1962 album, Folk Songs Old and New.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beast of Burden (song)</span> 1978 song by The Rolling Stones

"Beast of Burden" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, featured on the 1978 album Some Girls. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song No. 435 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson (song)</span> Song recorded by Wheeler

"Jackson" is a song written in 1963 by Billy Edd Wheeler and Jerry Leiber. It was recorded in 1963 by the Kingston Trio, Wheeler, and Flatt and Scruggs. It achieved its most notable popularity with two 1967 releases: a country hit single by Johnny Cash and June Carter, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Country Singles chart, and a pop hit single by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, which reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 39 on Easy Listening.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Gambler (song)</span> 1978 single by Kenny Rogers

"The Gambler" is a song written by Don Schlitz and recorded by several artists, most famously by American country singer Kenny Rogers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Battle of New Orleans</span> Song written by Jimmy Driftwood

"The Battle of New Orleans" is a song written by Jimmy Driftwood. The song describes the Battle of New Orleans from the perspective of an American soldier; the song tells the tale of the battle with a light tone and provides a rather comical version of what actually happened at the battle. It has been recorded by many artists, but the singer most often associated with this song is Johnny Horton. His version scored number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. Billboard ranked it as the No. 1 song for 1959, it was very popular with teenagers in the late 1950s/early 1960s in an era mostly dominated by rock and roll music.

<i>Countrified</i> (Emerson Drive album) 2006 studio album by Emerson Drive

Countrified is the fifth studio album by Canadian country music band Emerson Drive. It was released in 2006 as their first issue for the Midas Records label. In the U.S., the album produced three singles on the Hot Country Songs charts: "A Good Man", "Moments", and "You Still Own Me". Two of the album's tracks are covers: "You Still Own Me" was previously a hit in Canada for Johnny Reid, and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is a cover of a song made famous by the Charlie Daniels Band.

<i>I Stoled This Record</i> 1996 studio album by Cledus T. Judd

I Stoled This Record is the second album from country music parodist Cledus T. Judd. His highest-selling album to date, it has been certified gold in the United States, although none of its singles charted. As with his previous album, this one features parodies of several country songs, as well as some original tunes.

<i>Million Mile Reflections</i> 1979 studio album by The Charlie Daniels Band

Million Mile Reflections is the tenth studio album by Charlie Daniels and the seventh as the Charlie Daniels Band, released on April 20, 1979. It is best known for the hit single "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". The title refers to the band having passed the million mile mark in its touring. The song "Reflections" is a tribute to Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, and Ronnie Van Zant. Daniels dedicated the album to Van Zant, who was killed in the CV-240 plane crash on October 20, 1977.

"Mockingbird" is a 1963 song written and recorded by Inez and Charlie Foxx, based on the lullaby "Hush, Little Baby".

"Orange Blossom Special" is a fiddle tune about the luxury passenger train of the same name. The song was written by Ervin T. Rouse (1917–1981) in 1938 and was first recorded by Rouse and his brother Gordon in 1939. Often called simply "The Special" or "OBS", the song is commonly referred to as "the fiddle player's national anthem".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Legend of Wooley Swamp</span> 1980 single by Charlie Daniels

"The Legend of Wooley Swamp" is a song written, composed, and recorded by the Charlie Daniels Band. It was released in August 1980 as the second single from the album Full Moon, which was later certified platinum.

Stephen "Steve" Ouimette is a rock guitarist. He is known for performing a cover version of the hit song "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" for the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, in which the parts played on the fiddle are instead played on an electric guitar by Ouimette, Ed DeGenaro and Geoff Tyson. Aside from this track, Ouimette also recorded seven other songs for the game, and also made a version of the Christmas carol "We Three Kings" released as downloadable content for Guitar Hero III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi (Charlie Daniels song)</span> 1979 single by Charlie Daniels Band

"Mississippi", is a song written by Charlie Daniels and first released on the Charlie Daniels Band's 1979 album Million Mile Reflections. It was also released as a single in September 1979 as the follow-up to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." It reached the top 20 on the country singles charts in both the U.S. and Canada.

"Cherokee Fiddle" is a song written by Michael Martin Murphey. Murphey's version of the song went to number 58 on the Hot Country Singles chart in 1977. The story is based on a fiddle player named "Scooter"; his real name was Dean Kirk. He was of Choctaw Indian and Irish descent. Having taken lessons as a child from Clayton McMichen, he played the fiddle his entire life. He once worked with the country music and movie star, Rex Allen. In his later years he played at the narrow gauge train station in Silverton, Colorado.

References

  1. Bluegrass Unlimited. Vol. 40. Bluegrass Unlimited. 2005. p. 71.
  2. Heller, Marsha (July 7, 2020). "What you need to know July 7". KFVS-TV . Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  3. "Million Mile Reflections - Charlie Daniels,The Charlie Daniels Band | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  4. Whitburn, Joel: "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits", p. 92, ISBN   0-8230-7518-4
  5. "Ida Red lyrics chords | Bob Wills". Classic-country-song-lyrics.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  6. "Granny will Your Dog Bite" . Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  7. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 23, 1979. p. 18. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  8. "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. June 23, 1979. p. 24. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  9. "Charlie Daniels : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts.com. March 30, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  10. "Forty and Forward: The Devil Went Down to Georgia".
  11. "The Charlie Daniels Band – Million Mile Reflections (1979, Vinyl)". Discogs. August 19, 1979. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  12. "The Levellers - One Way (CD)". Discogs.com. September 28, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  13. "David Allan Coe - Devil went down to jamaica (the complete song)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  14. "Muppet Songs: The Devil Went Down to Georgia". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  15. "K.M.C. Kru - The Devil Came Up to Michigan (CD)". Discogs.com. September 28, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  16. Coyote Ugly
  17. "Steve Ouimette - Radio King". Radio King. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. Annear, Steve (June 13, 2013). "Rate This Boston Accent and Anti-Yankees Music Video". Boston Magazine. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  20. "The Devil Went Down to Georgia by Michelle Lambert (Official Video)". YouTube . July 25, 2015. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021.
  21. "The Devil Went Down To Georgia". Youtube.com. September 19, 2015. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021.
  22. "Blues Traveler - Devil Went Down To Georgia". YouTube. February 24, 2007. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  23. "Blues Traveler - ¡Bastardos en Vivo! Live". Discogs. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  24. "Spawn Went Down to Georgia". Youtube.com. December 20, 2011. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013.
  25. "Primus - The Devil Went Down To Georgia". Youtube.com. June 16, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021.
  26. "Nature of Rebel Minds | Rock from Winston Salem, NC". Reverbnation.com.
  27. "Nature Of Rebel Minds-The Devil Went Down To Georgia(OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021.
  28. "Korn Unveils Cover of The Charlie Daniels Band's 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia'". Billboard.com. June 28, 2020.
  29. "Frog Leap Studios - The Devil Went Down To Georgia (metal cover by Leo Moracchioli)". YouTube. July 17, 2020. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  30. ""Devil Comes Back to Georgia" feat. Mark O'Connor with Daniels, Cash, Tritt and Marty Stuart". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  31. Mark O'Connor - The Devil Comes Back To Georgia, August 19, 1993, retrieved July 11, 2022
  32. "Unsupervised - TMBW: The They Might Be Giants Knowledge Base". tmbw.net. September 5, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  33. "Zac Brown Band - Live From Bonnaroo 2009 EP". Discogs. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  34. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 114. ISBN   978-0-89820-177-2.
  35. "American single certifications – Charlie Daniel Band – The Devil Went Down to Georgia". Recording Industry Association of America.
  36. Bjorke, Matt (November 6, 2019). "Top 30 Digital Country Downloads Chart". Roughstock. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  37. Jessen, Wade (June 20, 1998). "Country Corner". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 25. p. 34.
  38. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 82. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  39. "Irish Singles Chart – Search for song". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on June 2, 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  40. "{{{artist}}} – The Devil Went Down to Georgia". Top 40 Singles.
  41. "Charlie Daniels Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  42. 1 2 "Charlie Daniels Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  43. "Charlie Daniels Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  44. "Cash Box Top 100 9/08/79". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  45. "Kent Music Report No 288 – 31 December 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1979". Kent Music Report, via Imgur.com. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  46. Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  47. "Top 100 Hits of 1979/Top 100 Songs of 1979". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  48. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  49. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1979". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  50. "British single certifications – Charlie Daniels Band – The Devil Went Down to Georgia". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  51. "American single certifications – Charlie Daniels Band – The Devil Went Down to Georgia". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved October 16, 2020.