Album: Fiddle Fire

The Devil Went Down To Georgia

The Devil went down to Georgia,
he was looking for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind, ´cause he was way behind,
he was willing to make a deal.
When he came across this young man
sawing on a fiddle and playing it hot.
And the Devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said,
"Boy let me tell you what:
I guess you didn´t know it, but I´m a fiddle player too,
And if you´d care to take a dare,
I´ll make a bet with you.
Now you play a pretty good fiddle,
boy, but give the Devil his due.
I bet a fiddle of gold against your soul
´cause I think I´m better than you."

The boy said, "My name´s Johnny and it might be a sin,
But I´ll take your bet, you´re gonna regret,
´cause 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´ll 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 blew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow.
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss.
Then a band of demons joined in,
and it sounded something like this.

When the Devil finished, Johnny said,
"Well you´re pretty good old son.
But sit down in that chair right there
and let me show you how it´s done!"

Fire on the Mountain, run, boys, run.
The Devil´s in the house of the rising sun.
Chicken in the breadpan a picking out dough,
Granny does your dog bite, "No, child, no."

The Devil bowed his head because he knew that he´d been beat.
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny´s feet.
Johnny said, "Devil, just come on back
if you ever want to try again,
I done told you once, you son of a bitch,
I´m the best there´s ever been."

He played...

Fire on the Mountain, run, boys, run.
The Devil´s in the house of the rising sun.
Chicken in the breadpan a picking out dough,
Granny will your dog bite, "No, child, no."