This album, American Beauty, was released 42 years ago today. It is one of the two best Grateful Dead albums, the other is of course, Workingman’s Dead.
There are many good songs on this record, my favourite is Friend of the Devil. It is a refinement of their country rock sound from Workingman’s Dead.
I lit up from Reno
I was trailed by twenty hounds
Didn’t get to sleep that night
Till the morning came around
I set out running but I’ll take my time
A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight
I ran into the Devil, babe
He loaned me twenty bills
I spent that night in Utah
In a cave up in the hills
Friend of the Devil, 1970 Studio version:
Friend of the Devil is about an outlaw, on the run from the police. His crime is never directly stated. The Devil helps him escape, but winds up chasing him just as the law does. The song is ambiguous, and could refer to either law enforcement or servants of Satan, such as “I was trailed by twenty hounds”, which could refer to either police dogs sniffing his trail, or mythical hellhounds. I’ve seen it interpreted as beeing an allegory for cocaine addiction as well.
I set out running but I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight
I ran down to the levee
But the Devil caught me there
He took my twenty dollar bill
And he vanished in the air
I set out running but I take my time
A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight
Friend of the devil, 1978 live:
The song is among the most covered songs written by the Grateful Dead. Robert Hunter (who wrote the lyrics) later stated, “that was the closest we’ve come to what may be a classic song.”
Jerry Garcia and John Dawson wrote the melody.
Got two reasons why I cry
Away each lonely night
First one’s named sweet Anne Marie
And she’s my heart’s delight
Second one is prison, baby
The sheriff’s on my trail
If he catches up with me
I’ll spend my life in jail
Got a wife in Chino, babe
And one in Cherokee
First one says she’s got my child
But it don’t look like me
I set out running but I take my time
A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight
The song was introduced in concert on February 28, 1970 at the Family Dog in San Francisco. Later in the band’s history, the song slowed down significantly in live performances.
Got two reasons why I cry
Away each lonely night
First one’s named sweet Anne Marie
And she’s my heart’s delight
Second one is prison, baby
The sheriff’s on my trail
If he catches up with me
I’ll spend my life in jail
Got a wife in Chino, babe
And one in Cherokee
First one says she’s got my child
But it don’t look like me
I set out running but I take my time
A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight
As I wrote above, there are many cover versions of the song, here are my two favourites:
Bob Dylan – Friend of the devil, live:
Lyle Lovett – Friend of the devil, live:
A true “on the road” song, “Friend of the Devil” sounds like a song written while on tour, but it can also be seen as hitchhiking journey by a member of the early-’70s counterculture. Filled with the escape from romantic complications (not unlike Jackson Browne’s “Take It Easy”), this song was one of the band’s most easy to relate to compositions, and indeed garnered quite a bit of FM radio airplay. Musically, the jaunty, folk-bluegrass melody is a perfect vehicle for Jerry Garcia’s storytelling. The song remained in the band’s concert repertoire for many years and also graced Bob Dylan’s late-’90s concerts as well, a high honor.
– Hallgeir