The Lord, "The Lord", and the Miller
The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin' for a soul to steal (8/9)
He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind (5/6)
And he was willin' to make a deal (9)
When he came across this young man sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot (8/6/5)
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump (6/6)
And said, "boy, let me tell you what" (8)
"I guess you didn't know it but I'm a fiddle player too (7/8)
And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you (4/4/6)
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy (10)
But give the devil his due (6)
I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul (7/4)
'Cause I think I'm better than you" (8)
The boy said, "my name's Johnny and it might be a sin (3/4/5)
But I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret (5/5)
'Cause I'm the best there's ever been" (8)
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard' (2/5/6)
'Cause Hell's broke loose in Georgia, and the devil deals the cards (7/7)
And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold (4/7/3)
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul (4/6)
The devil opened up his case and he said, "I'll start this show" (8/7)
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow (8/7)
And he pulled the bow across the strings (5/4)
And it made an evil hiss (7)
Then a band of demons joined in (8)
And it sounded something like this (8)
When the devil finished, Johnny said, "well, you're pretty good, ol' son (6/3/7)
But sit down in that chair right there (8)
And let me show you how it's done" (8)
"Fire on the Mountain" run boys, run (5/3)
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun (5/3)
Chicken in a bread pan pickin' out dough (6/4)
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no (5/3)
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat (6/8)
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet (8/7)
Johnny said, "Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again (3/6/9)
I done told you once you son of a bitch, I'm the best that's ever been" (5/5/7)
"Fire on the Mountain" run boys, run (5/3)
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun (5/3)
Chicken in a bread pan pickin' out dough (6/4)
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no (5/3)
He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind (5/6)
And he was willin' to make a deal (9)
When he came across this young man sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot (8/6/5)
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump (6/6)
And said, "boy, let me tell you what" (8)
"I guess you didn't know it but I'm a fiddle player too (7/8)
And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you (4/4/6)
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy (10)
But give the devil his due (6)
I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul (7/4)
'Cause I think I'm better than you" (8)
The boy said, "my name's Johnny and it might be a sin (3/4/5)
But I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret (5/5)
'Cause I'm the best there's ever been" (8)
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard' (2/5/6)
'Cause Hell's broke loose in Georgia, and the devil deals the cards (7/7)
And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold (4/7/3)
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul (4/6)
The devil opened up his case and he said, "I'll start this show" (8/7)
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow (8/7)
And he pulled the bow across the strings (5/4)
And it made an evil hiss (7)
Then a band of demons joined in (8)
And it sounded something like this (8)
When the devil finished, Johnny said, "well, you're pretty good, ol' son (6/3/7)
But sit down in that chair right there (8)
And let me show you how it's done" (8)
"Fire on the Mountain" run boys, run (5/3)
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun (5/3)
Chicken in a bread pan pickin' out dough (6/4)
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no (5/3)
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat (6/8)
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet (8/7)
Johnny said, "Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again (3/6/9)
I done told you once you son of a bitch, I'm the best that's ever been" (5/5/7)
"Fire on the Mountain" run boys, run (5/3)
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun (5/3)
Chicken in a bread pan pickin' out dough (6/4)
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no (5/3)
The lord shouted at his fifedom, he was lookin' for some coin to steal
He needed a ton, there's a war to be won
And he din't care about how they feel
When his eyes spotted a wiseman wearin' a fine tunic and lookin' distraught
And the priest rebuffed between the highborn's puffs
And said, "sir, let me tell you what"
"I guess you didn't know if but I'm in need of some funds too
And if you'd care to split the fare, I'll make a deal with you
Now you run a mighty fine fifedom, sir
But give the true Lord his due
I'll take a tenth of all before your haul
And I'll care for their souls for you"
The lord said, "you're a bold one" with a great toothy grin
"But I'll take your deal, 'cause I like your zeal
And I've other battles to win."
Fifelings, best prepare yourselves to work your bodies scarred
'Cause church and state are allies, and your life's gon' be real hard
And if you serve, you will live to see next year's fields of gold
But if you don't, you'll be dust in a hole
The miller wandered up to them and he said, "I'll join this goal"
The flour flew from his fingertips as he proposed a new role
"In exchange for a share of their stuff,
I will grind the grain to dust
For I'll make the people their bread
so in us their bodies will trust"
When the miller finished, the priest said, "well, you're quite the evil one"
"Their land, body, and soul we stole
and so should the lord's will be done"
When the devil finished, Johnny said, "well, you're pretty good, ol' son (6/3/7) But sit down in that chair right there (8) And let me show you how it's done" (8)
"Fire on the Mountain" run boys, run (5/3)
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun (5/3)
Chicken in a bread pan pickin' out dough (6/4)
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no (5/3)
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat (6/8)
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet (8/7)
Johnny said, "Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again (3/6/9)
I done told you once you son of a bitch, I'm the best that's ever been" (5/5/7)
"Fire on the Mountain" run boys, run (5/3)
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun (5/3)
Chicken in a bread pan pickin' out dough (6/4)
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no (5/3)
He needed a ton, there's a war to be won
And he din't care about how they feel
When his eyes spotted a wiseman wearin' a fine tunic and lookin' distraught
And the priest rebuffed between the highborn's puffs
And said, "sir, let me tell you what"
"I guess you didn't know if but I'm in need of some funds too
And if you'd care to split the fare, I'll make a deal with you
Now you run a mighty fine fifedom, sir
But give the true Lord his due
I'll take a tenth of all before your haul
And I'll care for their souls for you"
The lord said, "you're a bold one" with a great toothy grin
"But I'll take your deal, 'cause I like your zeal
And I've other battles to win."
Fifelings, best prepare yourselves to work your bodies scarred
'Cause church and state are allies, and your life's gon' be real hard
And if you serve, you will live to see next year's fields of gold
But if you don't, you'll be dust in a hole
The miller wandered up to them and he said, "I'll join this goal"
The flour flew from his fingertips as he proposed a new role
"In exchange for a share of their stuff,
I will grind the grain to dust
For I'll make the people their bread
so in us their bodies will trust"
When the miller finished, the priest said, "well, you're quite the evil one"
"Their land, body, and soul we stole
and so should the lord's will be done"
When the devil finished, Johnny said, "well, you're pretty good, ol' son (6/3/7) But sit down in that chair right there (8) And let me show you how it's done" (8)
"Fire on the Mountain" run boys, run (5/3)
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun (5/3)
Chicken in a bread pan pickin' out dough (6/4)
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no (5/3)
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat (6/8)
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet (8/7)
Johnny said, "Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again (3/6/9)
I done told you once you son of a bitch, I'm the best that's ever been" (5/5/7)
"Fire on the Mountain" run boys, run (5/3)
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun (5/3)
Chicken in a bread pan pickin' out dough (6/4)
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no (5/3)
An on-going and repeated WorldAnvil community joke (okay mainly perpetuated by and I) when Dimitris lays down some deep lore on medieval taxation structures. The original concept of the lord, "the Lord", and the miller refers to 30% of grain production going to the feudal Lord, 10% tithed to the Church, and 10% going to the miller. The miller became a symbol for the devil to create the "perfect" triad, whereupon I immediately suggested the tune is from "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (originally by the Charlie Daniels Band circa. 1979). Original:
Covers:
Blues Traveler "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (???)
The Levellers "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (1991)
K.M.C. Kru "The Devil Came Up to Michigan" (1991)
Primus "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (1998)
Steve Ouimette with Ed DeGenaro and Geoff Tyson "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (2007)
Michelle Lambert "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (2015)
Home Free with Taylor Davis and Charlie Daniels "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (2015)
The Toy Dolls "The Devil Went Down to Scunthorpe" (???)
Nickelback with Dave MArtone "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (2020)
Korn feat. Yelawolf "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (2020)
Leo Moracchioli (Frog Leap Studios) "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (2020)
I finally found some time to compare the two versions with the Charlie Daniels's version. What I love the most is the fact that you were able to find a very good song with a similar theme and adjust it to the story of your liking. It's fun to see how the devil's role is shared between the lord, the priest and the miller. I remember the discussion on WA, where Dimi, I think, mentioned that there was a triad present there, but I honestly thought the miller was the only devil figure there. Here, all three play a role of their own, which neatly fits the cast. It also makes the song nihilistic as "the Lord" is used as as excuse to rob the Fifelings of their very souls, leaving nothing after death. The rhythmics are nice, but at times more difficult to sing out than the "Johny and Devil" version, e.g., Johnny said / the priest said I suspect the collision of two consonants - *st and pries(t s)aid* and the long "ie" that mess with the flow. On the right side I see some not yet translated stuff. Is it WIP? ^^
It is indeed a WIP that I made live to show Stiltis plus it had to be benched for Peculiar Plants and Adventure April (plus my day job haha). But thank you for the like and the feedback! One day I'll come back and keep working on it!
I should know. Stiltis... is me. ;]
Dun dun DUNNNN!!!! My bad lol