FA+
Shop
Give the Devil his due
2 years ago
General
Random Rumblings
The Charles Daniel Band (they all worked on it) wrote and performed a classic song in 1979 called 'The Devil went down to Georgia'. Based on the old Faustian story (loosely but the classic deal with the Devil), the Devil is running late on his stealing souls job when it finds a young boy called Johnny playing a fiddle. The Devil then makes a bet, claiming he is good and he'll give Johnny a Fiddle of gold if he wins and if Johnny loses, the Devil gets his soul. Now, the next bit is the first bit I wanna bring attention to.. Johnny replies that though it's a sin, it'll accept the wager as he is the best that's ever been.
The devil goes first and then Johnny plays a collection of old songs and beats the devil. The devil then gives Johnny the fiddle. Johnny then tells the Devil that he can come back any time as He is the best that's ever been.
There is a slight censor issue (original line 'I done told you once, you son of a bitch, I'm the best that's eve been' which was often changed to 'Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I'm the best that's ever been') which is.. well, the one change makes sense, the other doesn't..
What's a bit odd.. a Violinist Mark O'Connor did a sequel song in 1993 which states that the Devil lost and is not happy about that and comes back for a rematch. The outcome isn't shown, though Johnny wins in the video that made, and it does feature many of the original Charlie Daniels Band members..
Now.. you might have noticed a couple of things I've said.. like how Johnny wins the fiddle contest but I said that the sequel states the Devil lost.. well.. I don't agree with this. It's pretty clear the Devil WON, but not quite in the way expected.
lets look:
* Devil wants souls to enlarge his kingdom ("Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris")
* Johnny admits it's a sin to wager
* Johnny boosts how he is the best that's EVER been
* Devil does lose the fiddle contest
* Johnny then overly boasts and gloats how he won.
So.. really, doesn't Johnny show by his 'sins' that the Devil probebly has his sold in the end? He gambled, he boasted vainly and gloats. The Devil might not have an 'instant soul' but he clearly has his soul in the end'.
However.. oh dear.. Charlie Daniels says the Devil lost 100%.. in fact, in one of them Guitar Hero Rhyme games, there was a version of the song which was used in a boss fight of sorts.. Daniels hated this saying that as the devil MIGHT win it is 'violating the very essence of the song'.. which appears very weird as it does seam Johnny lost in that fact that he probebly will end up in hell in the end, and that is in line with alot of the early faustine legends (some later ones, like the Devil and Daniel Webster, and more children based versions like 'The Care Bears Movie' have the devil being defeated though).
so.. What are people's views? does the Devil lost and will never gain Johnny's soul, or does Johnny's swearing, boasting and admitted sinning damn his soul?
Posted using PostyBirb
The devil goes first and then Johnny plays a collection of old songs and beats the devil. The devil then gives Johnny the fiddle. Johnny then tells the Devil that he can come back any time as He is the best that's ever been.
There is a slight censor issue (original line 'I done told you once, you son of a bitch, I'm the best that's eve been' which was often changed to 'Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I'm the best that's ever been') which is.. well, the one change makes sense, the other doesn't..
What's a bit odd.. a Violinist Mark O'Connor did a sequel song in 1993 which states that the Devil lost and is not happy about that and comes back for a rematch. The outcome isn't shown, though Johnny wins in the video that made, and it does feature many of the original Charlie Daniels Band members..
Now.. you might have noticed a couple of things I've said.. like how Johnny wins the fiddle contest but I said that the sequel states the Devil lost.. well.. I don't agree with this. It's pretty clear the Devil WON, but not quite in the way expected.
lets look:
* Devil wants souls to enlarge his kingdom ("Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris")
* Johnny admits it's a sin to wager
* Johnny boosts how he is the best that's EVER been
* Devil does lose the fiddle contest
* Johnny then overly boasts and gloats how he won.
So.. really, doesn't Johnny show by his 'sins' that the Devil probebly has his sold in the end? He gambled, he boasted vainly and gloats. The Devil might not have an 'instant soul' but he clearly has his soul in the end'.
However.. oh dear.. Charlie Daniels says the Devil lost 100%.. in fact, in one of them Guitar Hero Rhyme games, there was a version of the song which was used in a boss fight of sorts.. Daniels hated this saying that as the devil MIGHT win it is 'violating the very essence of the song'.. which appears very weird as it does seam Johnny lost in that fact that he probebly will end up in hell in the end, and that is in line with alot of the early faustine legends (some later ones, like the Devil and Daniel Webster, and more children based versions like 'The Care Bears Movie' have the devil being defeated though).
so.. What are people's views? does the Devil lost and will never gain Johnny's soul, or does Johnny's swearing, boasting and admitted sinning damn his soul?
Posted using PostyBirb
Then again, I guess Johnny could just do one of these "confessions" to be forgiven and have his sins absolved or something like that (if I am not entirely mistaken). So yeah...kinda tricky ^^;