Charlie Daniels Band - The Devil Went Down To Georgia (Live at Farm Aid 1985)

Charlie Daniels Band - The Devil Went Down To Georgia (Live at Farm Aid 1985)

Charlie Daniels Band performs "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" live at the Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Illinois on September 22, 1985. Farm Aid was started by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp in 1985 to keep family farmers on the land and has worked since then to make sure everyone has access to good food from family farmers. Dave Matthews joined Farm Aid's board of directors in 2001.

For more information about Farm Aid, visit: http://farmaid.org/youtube

Farm Aid's performances are donated by the artists in order to raise funds and raise awareness for family farmers. They've raised their voices to help — what can you do?

"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.

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.

Lyrics

Well, the Devil went down to Georgia

He was lookin' for a soul to steal

He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind

And he was willing to make a deal

When he came across this young man

Sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot

And the Devil jumped up on a hickory stump

And said "Boy, let me tell you what"

"You probably didn't even know it, but I am a fiddle player too

And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll just make a bet with you

Now you're playin' pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the Devil his due

I'll bet a fiddle o' gold against your soul, I think I'm better than you"

The boy said, "My name's Johnny and it might be a sin

But I'm gon' take your bet and you're gonna regret

I'm the best there's ever been"

Johnny, rosin' up your bow and play your fiddle hard

'Cause Hell's broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards

And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold

But if you lose, the Devil gets your soul

The Devil opened up his case and he said, "I'll start this show"

And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow

And then he pulled his bow across the strings and it made a evil hiss

And then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this

When the Devil finished, Johnny said

"You know, you're pretty good ol' son

But you just flop down in that chair right there

I'm gon' show you how this stuff's done"

Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run

The Devil's in the house of the risin' sun

The chicken in the bread-pan pickin' out dough

Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no

Well, that ol' Devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat

And he laid that golden fiddle down on the ground at Johnny's feet

Johnny said, "Devil, come on back if you ever wanna try again

I done told you once, you son of a gun, I'm the best there's ever been"

And he played

Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run

The Devil's in the house of the risin' sun

The chicken in the bread-pan pickin' out dough

Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no