Music

1

The Devil Went Down to Georgia

The Devil went down to Georgia. He was lookin' 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 sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot.

And the Devil jumped upon 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'll 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; and 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 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 he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss.

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

�

When the Devil finished, Johnny said, "Well, you're pretty good ol' 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's in the bread pan 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 wanna try again,

I done told you once�you son of a bitch�I'm the best that's ever been."

And he played:

�

"Fire on the Mountain." Run, boys, run!

The Devil's in the house of the rising sun;

The chicken's in the bread pan picking out dough.

Granny, will your dog bite? No, child, no.

2

Long Haired Country Boy

People say I'm no good
And crazy as a loon
'Cause I get stoned in the mornin'
I get drunk in the afternoon

Kinda like my old blue tick hound
I like to lay around in the shade
And I ain't got no money
But I damn sure got it made

'Cause I ain't askin' nobody for nothin'
If I can't get it on my own
If you don't like the way I'm livin'
You just leave this long haired country boy alone

Preacher man talkin' on TV
Puttin' down the rock and roll
Wants me to send a donation
'Cause he's worried about my soul

He said, "Jesus walked on the water"
And I know that it's true
But sometimes I think that preacher man
Would like to do a little walkin' too

But I ain't asking nobody for nothin'
If I can't get it on my own
You don't like the way I'm livin'
You just leave this long haired country boy alone

A poor girl wants to marry
And a rich girl wants to flirt
A rich man goes to college
And a poor man goes to work

A drunkard wants another drink of wine
And a politician wants your vote
I don't want much of nothin' at all
But I will take another toke

But I ain't asking nobody for nothin'
If I can't get it on my own
You don't like the way I'm livin'
You just leave this long haired country boy alone

3

Wichita Jail

I woke up on a cement floor this mornin'

My head felt like somebody been walkin' on it

Don't know how I got here,

Don't remember nothin' at all,

but if I done all the things that they say I did,

well I sure musta had a ball

'Cause in 30 more days

I'm goin' back home,

to see that gal of mine,

but the Wichita Jail

is a long long way

from the Tupelo County line,

I gotta do my time

Well I ain't got a cent of the money I had

I spent it

Shirts tore, my shoes got a big hole in it,

There's a king size knot on the side of my head

and I got one big black eye

But brother if you think I look bad,

you oughtta see that other guy

'Cause in 30 more days

I'm goin' back home,

to see that gal of mine,

but the Wichita Jail

is a long long way

from the Tupelo County line,

I gotta do my time

Well this nine pound hammer feels like it weighs a ton

makin lil ones outta big ones in this red hot Kansas sun

I just hope I can make it 30 more days

and get out of this mess I'm in,

and if I ever get back to Mississippi

I ain't ever gonna leave again

'Cause in 30 more days

I'm goin' back home,

to see that gal of mine,

but the Wichita Jail

is a long long way

from the Tupelo County line,

I gotta do my time

4

Long Haired Country Boy

I was takin a trip out to L.A.
Toolin along in my Cheverolet
I was tokin' on a number and diggin on the radio

Just as I crossed the Mississippi line
I heard that highway started to whine
And I knew that left rear tire was about to go

Well the spare was flat and I got uptight
Cause there wasn't a filling station in sight
So I just limped on down the shoulder on the rim

I went as far as I could and when I stopped the car
It was right in front of this little bar
Kind of a red-neck lookin joint called the Dew Drop Inn

I stuffed my hair up under my hat
And told the bartender that I had a flat
And would he be kind enough to give me change for a one

There was one thing I was sure proud to see
There wasn't a soul in the place except for him and me
He just looked disgusted and pointed toward the telephone

I called up the station down the road a ways
He said he wasn't very busy today
And he could have someone out there in just about 10 minutes or so

He said, "Now, you just stay right where yer at!"
And I didn't bother to tell the darn fool
That I sure as hell didn't have anyplace else to go

I just ordered up a beer and sat down at the bar
When some guy walked in and said, "Who owns this car
With the peace sign, the mag wheels and the four on the floor?"

He looked at me and I damn near died
And I decided that I'd just wait outside
So I laid a dollar on the bar and headed for the door

Just when I thought I'd get outta there with my skin
These 5 big dudes come strollin in
With one old drunk chick and some fella with green teeth

I was almost to the door when the biggest one
Said, "You tip your hat to this lady, son!"
And when I did, all that hair fell out from underneath

Now the last thing I wanted was to get into a fight
In Jackson Mississippi on a Saturday night
Especially when there was three of them and only one of me

They all started laughin and I felt kinda sick
And I knew I better think of something pretty quick
So I just reached out and kicked old green teeth right in the knee

Now he let out a yell that'd curl yer hair
But before he could move I grabbed me a chair
And said "Now watch him folks cause he's a thoroughly dangerous man!"

"You may not know it but this man is a spy.
He's a undercover agent for the FBI
And he's been sent down here to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan!"

He was still bent over holdin on to his knee
But everybody else was looking and listening to me
And I laid it on thicker and heavier as I went

I said, "Would you believe this man has gone as far
As tearing Wallace stickers off the bumpers of cars.
And he voted for George McGovern for President."

"Well, he's a friend of them long haired, hippy-type, pinko fags!
I betchya he's even got a commie flag
tacked up on the wall inside of his garage."

"He's a snake in the grass, I tell ya guys.
He may look dumb but that's just a disguise,
He's a mastermind in the ways of espionage"

They all started lookin real suspicious at him
And he jumped up and said "Now just wait a minute Jim!
You know he's lying I been living here all of my life!"

"I'm a faithful follower of Brother John Birch
And I belong to the Antioch Baptist Church.
And I ain't even got a garage, you can call home and ask my wife!"

Then he started saying somethin bout the way I was dressed
But I didn't wait around to hear the rest
I was too busy moving and hoping I didn't run outta luck

When I hit the ground I was making tracks
And they were just taking my car down off the jacks
So I threw the man a twenty and jumped in and fired that mother up

Mario Andretti woulda sure been proud
Of the way I was movin when I passed that crowd
Coming out the door and headed toward me at a trot

And I guess I should of gone ahead and run
But somehow I just couldn't resist the fun
Of chasing them all just once around the parking lot

Well they headed for their car, but i hit the gas
And spun around and headed them off at the pass
I was slinging gravel and putting a ton of dust in the air

I had them all out there steppin and fetchin
Like their heads was on fire and their asses was catchin
then I figgered I had better go ahead and split before the cops got there

When I hit the road I was really wheelin
Had gravel flyin and rubber squeelin
And I didn't slow down till I was almost to Arkansas

I think I'm gonna reroute my trip
I wonder if anybody'd think I'd flipped
If I went to L.A., via Omaha

5

Mississippi

Mississippi
You've been on my mind
Like a mist in the morning
From some dream I've left behind
Mississippi
I've been kinda down
Because it's been such a long time
Since I've seen old Jackson town

[Chorus]
I could be on the other side of the world
But in my memory, all I can see
Is Spanish moss hanging from a live oak tree

[Verse 2]
Mississippi
Save a place for me;
I'll be coming home again [coming home again]
Mississippi, until then [until then]
You'll be on my mind
I'll be coming home again
Mississippi, until then
You'll be on my mind

[Chorus]

6

Trudy

Call up Trudy on the telephone
Send a letter in the mail
Tell her I'm hung up in Dallas
And they won't let me outta this jail

And if she asks you how I'm fairing
Tell her I'm just about to lose my mind
Worried about old John Lee Walker
And the girl I left behind

Now John Lee Walker was a card mechanic
Had a hand for trouble and a eye for cash
Luckiest man in Dallas County
He had a gold watch chain and a black mustache

And he loved his whiskey and he loved his women
Drove a big long Cadillac limosine
Kept a big fine fancy townhouse in Dallas
And a hotel suite in New Orleans

Carried a switchblade knife in his left hip pocket
And a .44 hog leg up under his coat
Cut you down in a New York minute
If he catch you cheating that was all she wrote

So call up Trudy on the telephone
Send her a letter in the mail
Tell her I'm hung up in Dallas
And they won't let me outta this jail

If she asks you how I'm fairing
Tell her I'm just about to lose my mind
Worried about old John Lee Walker
And the girl I left behind

I just got to town last Friday evening
Sure as hell didn't mean to stay
I was on my way back to Louisiana
Had a powerful thirst and six months pay

I met a peroxide blonde in a bar on DeBell
I was flying high and feeling mean
Poured down a bottle and a half of red eye
I dropped 35 dollars in the slot machine

And the boys in the back was dealing 7 card
I set down and won me a 110
I was raking in chips like Grant took Richmond
Till big John Lee come a strolling in

He ripped off the table like a 707
Pretty soon he done won all of my bread
I accused him of cheating he reached for a pistol
I grabbed a chair and went upside of his head

Then I took off a running like a motorcycle
Heard the bullets whining and sirens wail
But it took half the cops in Dallas County
Just to put one boy in jail

So call up Trudy on the telephone
Send her a letter in the mail
Tell her I'm hung up in Dallas
And they won't let me outta this jail

And if she asks you how I'm fairing
Tell her I'm just about to lose my mind
Worried about old John Lee Walker
And the girl I left behind

7

Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues

Every time I hear a fiddle and it's cookin' just a little
Well it makes me want to jump up and run
And if he's sawing with some soul boogie woogie rock n' roll
Well I know I'm gonna have some fun
And when the resin starts to fly and I'm looking in the eye
Like I'm just about to blow a fuse
Mama call the doctor 'cause your boy has got�

The rocking Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues

I met a man from Tenessee this is what he said to me
He said music is a rhapsody
He picked up his violin stuck it underneath his chin
And started playing me a symphony
I said that ain't the way it's done let me see that fiddle son
And I sawed him off a chorus or two
He said you'd better call the doctor 'cause I think I've got

The rocking Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues

Now if you want to play me some fiddle
I'll tell you right from the start
You'd better play me something lowdown hoedown honking
I don't want to hear no funeral march
It's got to pick me up and roll me over
It's got to make me want to jump up and sing
If it ain't buzzing like a beehive, kick it into overdrive
Or it don't mean a doggone thing
So let me resin up my bow and I think I can show you
The way I like to play this thing
Let's put some boogie rhythm in it kick it on up to the limit
I'm gonna put some fire on these strings
And if you feel your feet start moving to the beat
And you feel like you've got ants in your shoes
Well you'd better call the doctor 'cause you've probably got

The rocking Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues

8

Texas

There's a place not too far away from here
Out with the cows and the Lone Star beer
Where the livin' and lovin' is quite all right with me
Well they call it Texas and it's a mighty fine place to be

Runs from Texarkana to El Paso
And Oklahoma down to old Mexico
And there's Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antone
People in Texas sure do make you feel at home

They just want everybody to leave them alone
While they drink their whiskey and roll their own
And they like their music with a little bit of southern sound
They kick up their heels every evening when the sun goes down

And you can call them country and they don't care
And if you don't like the way they wear their hair
You can take your like and shove 'em on up the line
People in Texas don't care if the sun don't shine

9

Simple Man

I ain't nothin' but a simple man
They call me a redneck I reckon that I am
But there's things going on
That make me mad down to the core.

I have to work like a dog to make ends meet
There's crooked politicians and crime in the street
And I'm madder'n hell and I ain't gonna take it no more.

We tell our kids to just say no
Then some panty waist judge lets a drug dealer go
Slaps him on the wrist and then he turns him back out on the town.

Now if I had my way with people sellin' dope
I'd take a big tall tree and a short piece of rope
I'd hang 'em up high and let 'em swing 'til the sun goes down

Well, you know what's wrong with the world today
People done gone and put their Bible's away
They're living by the law of the jungle not the law of the land
The good book says it so I know it's the truth
An eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth
You better watch where you go and remember where you been
That's the way I see it I'm a Simple Man.

Now I'm the kinda man that'd not harm a mouse
But if I catch somebody breakin in my house
I've got twelve guage shotgun waiting on the other side

So don't go pushing me against my will
I don't want to have to fight you but I dern sure will
So if you don't want trouble then you'd better just pass me on by

As far as I'm concerned there ain't no excuse
For the raping and the killing and the child abuse
And I've got a way to put an end to all that mess

Just take them rascals out in the swamp
Put 'em on their knees and tie 'em to a stump
Let the rattlers and the bugs and the alligators do the rest

You know what's wrong with the world today
People done gone and put their Bible's away
They're living by the law of the jungle not the law of the land
The Good Book says it so I know it's the truth
An eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth
You better watch where you go and remember where you been
That's the way I see it I'm a Simple Man

10

In America

Well the eagle's been flyin' slow
And the flag's been flyin' low
And a lot of people sayin' that America's fixin' to fall
Well speakin' just for me
And some people from Tennessee
We've got a thing or two to tell you all
This lady may have stumbled
But she ain't never fell
And if the Russians don't believe that�
They can all go straight to hell
We're gonna put her feet back
On the path of righteousness and then
God bless America again

And you never did think
That it ever would happen again (In America, did you?)�
You never did think
That we'd ever get together again
( We damn sure fooled you )
Yeah, we're walkin' real proud
And we're talkin' real loud again (In America)
You never did think
That it ever would happen again

From The Sound up in Long Island�
Out to San Francisco Bay�
And everything that's in between them is our own�
And we may have done a little bit�
Of fightin' amongst ourselves�
But you outside people best leave us alone�
'Cause we'll all stick together�
And you can take that to the bank�
That's the cowboys and the hippies�
And the rebels and the yanks�
You just go and lay your hand�
On a Pittsburgh Steelers' fan�
And I think you're gonna finally understand

And you never did think
That it ever would happen again (In America, did you?)�
You never did think
That we'd ever get together again
( We damn sure fooled you )
Yeah, we're walkin' real proud
And we're talkin' real loud again (In America)
You never did think
That it ever would happen again

And you never did think
That it ever would happen again (In America, did you?)�
You never did think
That we'd ever get together again
( We damn sure fooled you )
Yeah, we're walkin' real proud
And we're talkin' real loud again (In America)
You never did think
That it ever would happen again

11

Still in Saigon

(Dan Daley)

Got on a plane in 'Frisco
And got off in Vietnam
I walked into a different world
The past forever gone

I could have gone to Canada
Or I could have stayed in school
But I was brought up differently
I couldn't break the rules

Thirteen months and fifteen days
The last ones were the worst
One minute I'd kneel down and pray
And the next I'd stand and curse

No place to run to
Where I did not feel that war
When I got home I stayed alone
And checked behind each door

'Cause I'm still in Saigon
Still in Saigon
I am still in Saigon
In my mind

The ground at home was covered in snow
And I was covered in sweat
My younger brother calls me a killer
And my daddy calls me a vet

Everybody says I'm someone else
And I'm sick and there's no cure
Damned if I know who I am
There was only one place I was sure

When I was still in Saigon
Still in saigon
I am still in saigon
In my mind

Every summer when it rains
I smell the jungle, I hear the planes
I can't tell no one, I feel ashamed
Afraid some day I'll go insane

That's been ten long years ago
And time has gone on by
Now and then I catch myself
Eyes searching through the sky

All the sounds of long ago
Will be forever in my head
Mingled with the wounded cries
And the silence of the dead

'Cause I'm still in Saigon
Still in Saigon
I am still in Saigon
In my mind

I am still in Saigon
I am still in Saigon
Yes, I'm still in Saigon
In my mind

12

The Legend of Wooley Swamp

If you ever go back in�Wooley Swamp well you better not go at night
There's things out there in the middle of them woods
That�make a strong man die from fright
There's things that crawl and things that fly
And things that creep around on the ground
And they say the ghost of Lucius Clay gets up and it walks around

[Chorus:]
But I couldn't believe it, I just had to find out for myself
And I couldn't conceive it, I never would listen to nobody else
No I couldn't believe it, I just had to find out for myself
That there's some things in this world you just can't explain

The old man lived in the Wooly Swamp way back in Booger Woods
And he never did do a lot of harm in the world
But he never did do no good
People didn't think too much of him
They all thought he acted funny
The old man didn't care about people anyway
All he cared about was his money
He'd stuff it all down in Mason jars and bury it all around
But on certain nights if the moon was right
He'd dig it up out of the ground
He'd pour it all out on the floor of his shack
And run his fingers through it
Old Lucius Clay was a greedy old man
And that's all there ever was to it

[Chorus]

The Cagle boys were white trash they lived over on Carver's Creek
They were mean as a snake and sneaky as a cat
And belligerent when they'd speak
One night the oldest brother said ya'll meet in the Wooley Swamp later
We'll take ol' Lucius' money and we'll feed him to the alligators
They found the old man out in the back with a shovel in his hand
And thirteen rusty Mason jars he just dug up out of the sand
And they all went crazy and they beat the old man
Then they picked him up off the ground
Then they threw him in the swamp and they stood there and laughed
as the black water sucked him down
Then they turned around and went back to the shack
And they picked up the money and ran
But they hadn't gone nowhere when they realized
They were running in quicksand
And they struggled and screamed but they couldn't get away
Then just before they went under
They could hear that old man laughing
In a voice as loud as thunder

Now that's been fifty years ago an' if you go back by there yet
There's a spot in the yard in back of that shack
Where the ground is always wet
And on certain nights if the moon is right
down by the dark footpath
You can hear three young men screaming
And you can hear one old man laugh

[Repeat verse 1]

[Chorus]

13

Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye

Sittin' on a bar stool actin' like a durn fool
That's what I'm a doin' today
Sitting' her drinkin' tryin' to keep from thinkin'
I'm a boozin' my troubles away
Well now I couldn't make her stay, well doggone her anyway
She can't say that I didn't try
So pour me another one
Im finished with the other one
I'm drinkin' my baby goodbye

Spoken:
Everytime we disagreed
She was always askin' me
Are you a man or a mouse
Now that she's gone
She probably thinks I'm home
Just a mopin' around the house
She probably thinks that she's the one thing
I just couldn't get along without
Well wouldn't it surprise her I got a sympathizer
As long as these bottles hold out

Repeat Chorus

Every time I triy�to sit down and talk to her
It always ends up in a fuss
I tried to reason with her right up to the time
She got on that Greyhound bus
It'd be better if I could forget her
'Cause she sure forgot about me
And if takes all night I'm gonna' do it right
I'm gonna' sit here till I can't see

Repeat Chorus

14

The South's Gonna Do It (Again)

Well, the train to Grinderswitch is runnin' right on time
And them Tucker Boys are cookin' down in Caroline
People down in Florida can't be still�
When ol' Lynyrd Skynyrd's pickin' down in Jacksonville
People down in Georgia come from near and far
To hear Richard Betts pickin' on that red guitar

[Chorus:]
So gather 'round, gather 'round chillun'
Get down, well just get down chillun'
Get loud, well you can be loud and be proud
Well you can be proud, hear now
Be proud you're a rebel
'Cause the South's gonna do it again and again

Elvin Bishop sittin' on a bale of hay
He ain't good lookin', but he sure can play
And there's ZZ Top and you can't forget
That old brother Willie's gettin' soakin' Wet
And all the good people down in Tennessee
Are diggin' Barefoot Jerry and CDB

[Chorus]
So gather 'round, gather 'round chillun'
Get down, well just get down chillun'
Get loud, well you can be loud and be proud
Well you can be proud, hear now
Be proud you're a rebel
'Cause the South's gonna do it again and again

The Essential Charlie Daniels Band (2003)

The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Long Haired Country Boy

Wichita Jail

Long Haired Country Boy

Mississippi

Trudy

Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues

Texas

Simple Man

In America

Still in Saigon

The Legend of Wooley Swamp

Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye

The South's Gonna Do It (Again)