who sang the original devil went down to georgia
Charlie Daniels Band
title: The Devil Went Down to Georgia text: The Devil Went Down to Georgia "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is a song written and performed by the Charlie Daniels Band and released on their 1979 album "Million Mile Reflections". The song is written in the key of D minor. 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 title: Million Mile Reflections text: Million Mile Reflections Million Mile Reflections is the 10th studio album by 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 had died in October, 1977 in a plane crash. All songs written by Charlie Daniels, Tom Crain, Taz DiGregorio, Fred Edwards, Charles Hayward & James W. Marshall, title: The Devil Went Down to Georgia text: 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." 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. title: The Devil Went Down to Georgia text: replied, but considering that the song was recorded in December 1978 and "Urban Cowboy" was filmed in 1979, it would have been impossible for Swayze to set the recorded song's tempo. The song is an uptempo bluegrass song about the Devil's failed attempt to "steal" a young man's soul through a fiddle-playing contest that involved enticing the young man's participation using a worldly prize. The song begins with a disappointed Devil arriving in Georgia, having stolen far fewer souls than expected, when he comes upon a fiddle-playing young man named Johnny. At that moment, Johnny happens to be playing his title: The Devil Went Down to Georgia text: accommodate radio airplay (both Country and Top 40 formats), the 45 RPM single release overdubbed that portion of the lyric as ""'Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I'm the best that's ever been."" (The uncensored album version appears on the soundtrack of the movie "Urban Cowboy", and it is this version that has been used on numerous music compilations since then.) Thus, Johnny maintains his virtue, keeping his soul from the Devil by displaying his musical virtuosity in performing traditional songs of America's South. The ballad's story is a derivative of the traditional deal with the