Dmtap to play
Amtap to play
Ctap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Capo
None
Chords
Dm · Am · C · F · G
Charlie Daniels Band’s classic Southern rock story-song about a fiddle duel with the devil. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Keep a steady, driving rhythm to mimic the fiddle’s intensity.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D A
The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for a soul to steal
D A
He was in a bind ’cause he was way behind, he was willin’ to make a deal
D A
When he came across this young man sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot
D A
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, “Boy, let me tell you what”
Verse 2
D A
I guess you didn’t know it, but I’m a fiddle player too
D A
And if you’d care to take a dare I’ll make a bet with you
D A
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the devil his due
D A
I’ll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul ’cause I think I’m better than you”
Chorus
G D
The boy said, “My name’s Johnny and it might be a sin
G D A
But I’ll take your bet, you’re gonna regret ’cause I’m the best that’s ever been”
Verse 3
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 4
D A
The devil opened up his case and he said, “I’ll start this show”
D A
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow
D A
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss
D A
Then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this
Instrumental Break
*(Fiddle solo represented by chords)*
D A D A
D A D A
G D G D A
Verse 5
D A
When the devil finished, Johnny said, “Well, you’re pretty good, old son
D A
But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it’s done”
Chorus
G D
Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Verse 6
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 7
D A
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he’d been beat
D A
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny’s feet
D A
Johnny said, “Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again
D A
‘Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I’m the best that’s ever been”
Chorus
G D
And he played Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Practice tip: Master the D to A transitions first, as they form the backbone of the song. For the fiddle solo section, keep your strumming tight and percussive to drive the rhythm forward.
Dmtap to play
Amtap to play
Ctap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Tuning
G-C-E-A
Chords
Dm · Am · C · F · G
Charlie Daniels Band’s classic Southern rock story-song about a fiddle duel with the devil. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Keep a steady, driving rhythm to mimic the fiddle’s intensity.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D A
The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for a soul to steal
D A
He was in a bind ’cause he was way behind, he was willin’ to make a deal
D A
When he came across this young man sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot
D A
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, “Boy, let me tell you what”
Verse 2
D A
I guess you didn’t know it, but I’m a fiddle player too
D A
And if you’d care to take a dare I’ll make a bet with you
D A
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the devil his due
D A
I’ll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul ’cause I think I’m better than you”
Chorus
G D
The boy said, “My name’s Johnny and it might be a sin
G D A
But I’ll take your bet, you’re gonna regret ’cause I’m the best that’s ever been”
Verse 3
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 4
D A
The devil opened up his case and he said, “I’ll start this show”
D A
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow
D A
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss
D A
Then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this
Instrumental Break
*(Fiddle solo represented by chords)*
D A D A
D A D A
G D G D A
Verse 5
D A
When the devil finished, Johnny said, “Well, you’re pretty good, old son
D A
But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it’s done”
Chorus
G D
Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Verse 6
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 7
D A
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he’d been beat
D A
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny’s feet
D A
Johnny said, “Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again
D A
‘Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I’m the best that’s ever been”
Chorus
G D
And he played Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Practice tip: Master the D to A transitions first, as they form the backbone of the song. For the fiddle solo section, keep your strumming tight and percussive to drive the rhythm forward.
Dmtap to play
Amtap to play
Ctap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Left Hand
Root notes
Chords
Dm · Am · C · F · G
Charlie Daniels Band’s classic Southern rock story-song about a fiddle duel with the devil. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Keep a steady, driving rhythm to mimic the fiddle’s intensity.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D A
The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for a soul to steal
D A
He was in a bind ’cause he was way behind, he was willin’ to make a deal
D A
When he came across this young man sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot
D A
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, “Boy, let me tell you what”
Verse 2
D A
I guess you didn’t know it, but I’m a fiddle player too
D A
And if you’d care to take a dare I’ll make a bet with you
D A
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the devil his due
D A
I’ll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul ’cause I think I’m better than you”
Chorus
G D
The boy said, “My name’s Johnny and it might be a sin
G D A
But I’ll take your bet, you’re gonna regret ’cause I’m the best that’s ever been”
Verse 3
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 4
D A
The devil opened up his case and he said, “I’ll start this show”
D A
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow
D A
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss
D A
Then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this
Instrumental Break
*(Fiddle solo represented by chords)*
D A D A
D A D A
G D G D A
Verse 5
D A
When the devil finished, Johnny said, “Well, you’re pretty good, old son
D A
But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it’s done”
Chorus
G D
Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Verse 6
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 7
D A
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he’d been beat
D A
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny’s feet
D A
Johnny said, “Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again
D A
‘Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I’m the best that’s ever been”
Chorus
G D
And he played Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Practice tip: Master the D to A transitions first, as they form the backbone of the song. For the fiddle solo section, keep your strumming tight and percussive to drive the rhythm forward.
Dmtap to play
Amtap to play
Ctap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Tuning
gDGBD (Open G)
Chords
Dm · Am · C · F · G
Charlie Daniels Band’s classic Southern rock story-song about a fiddle duel with the devil. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Keep a steady, driving rhythm to mimic the fiddle’s intensity.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D A
The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for a soul to steal
D A
He was in a bind ’cause he was way behind, he was willin’ to make a deal
D A
When he came across this young man sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot
D A
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, “Boy, let me tell you what”
Verse 2
D A
I guess you didn’t know it, but I’m a fiddle player too
D A
And if you’d care to take a dare I’ll make a bet with you
D A
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the devil his due
D A
I’ll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul ’cause I think I’m better than you”
Chorus
G D
The boy said, “My name’s Johnny and it might be a sin
G D A
But I’ll take your bet, you’re gonna regret ’cause I’m the best that’s ever been”
Verse 3
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 4
D A
The devil opened up his case and he said, “I’ll start this show”
D A
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow
D A
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss
D A
Then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this
Instrumental Break
*(Fiddle solo represented by chords)*
D A D A
D A D A
G D G D A
Verse 5
D A
When the devil finished, Johnny said, “Well, you’re pretty good, old son
D A
But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it’s done”
Chorus
G D
Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Verse 6
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 7
D A
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he’d been beat
D A
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny’s feet
D A
Johnny said, “Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again
D A
‘Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I’m the best that’s ever been”
Chorus
G D
And he played Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Practice tip: Master the D to A transitions first, as they form the backbone of the song. For the fiddle solo section, keep your strumming tight and percussive to drive the rhythm forward.
Dmtap to play
Amtap to play
Ctap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Tuning
G-D-A-E
Chords
Dm · Am · C · F · G
Charlie Daniels Band’s classic Southern rock story-song about a fiddle duel with the devil. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Keep a steady, driving rhythm to mimic the fiddle’s intensity.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D A
The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for a soul to steal
D A
He was in a bind ’cause he was way behind, he was willin’ to make a deal
D A
When he came across this young man sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot
D A
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, “Boy, let me tell you what”
Verse 2
D A
I guess you didn’t know it, but I’m a fiddle player too
D A
And if you’d care to take a dare I’ll make a bet with you
D A
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the devil his due
D A
I’ll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul ’cause I think I’m better than you”
Chorus
G D
The boy said, “My name’s Johnny and it might be a sin
G D A
But I’ll take your bet, you’re gonna regret ’cause I’m the best that’s ever been”
Verse 3
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 4
D A
The devil opened up his case and he said, “I’ll start this show”
D A
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow
D A
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss
D A
Then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this
Instrumental Break
*(Fiddle solo represented by chords)*
D A D A
D A D A
G D G D A
Verse 5
D A
When the devil finished, Johnny said, “Well, you’re pretty good, old son
D A
But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it’s done”
Chorus
G D
Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Verse 6
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 7
D A
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he’d been beat
D A
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny’s feet
D A
Johnny said, “Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again
D A
‘Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I’m the best that’s ever been”
Chorus
G D
And he played Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Practice tip: Master the D to A transitions first, as they form the backbone of the song. For the fiddle solo section, keep your strumming tight and percussive to drive the rhythm forward.
Dmtap to play
Amtap to play
Ctap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Harp Key
C Diatonic
Chords
Dm · Am · C · F · G
Charlie Daniels Band’s classic Southern rock story-song about a fiddle duel with the devil. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Keep a steady, driving rhythm to mimic the fiddle’s intensity.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D A
The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for a soul to steal
D A
He was in a bind ’cause he was way behind, he was willin’ to make a deal
D A
When he came across this young man sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot
D A
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, “Boy, let me tell you what”
Verse 2
D A
I guess you didn’t know it, but I’m a fiddle player too
D A
And if you’d care to take a dare I’ll make a bet with you
D A
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the devil his due
D A
I’ll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul ’cause I think I’m better than you”
Chorus
G D
The boy said, “My name’s Johnny and it might be a sin
G D A
But I’ll take your bet, you’re gonna regret ’cause I’m the best that’s ever been”
Verse 3
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 4
D A
The devil opened up his case and he said, “I’ll start this show”
D A
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow
D A
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss
D A
Then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this
Instrumental Break
*(Fiddle solo represented by chords)*
D A D A
D A D A
G D G D A
Verse 5
D A
When the devil finished, Johnny said, “Well, you’re pretty good, old son
D A
But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it’s done”
Chorus
G D
Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Verse 6
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 7
D A
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he’d been beat
D A
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny’s feet
D A
Johnny said, “Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again
D A
‘Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I’m the best that’s ever been”
Chorus
G D
And he played Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Practice tip: Master the D to A transitions first, as they form the backbone of the song. For the fiddle solo section, keep your strumming tight and percussive to drive the rhythm forward.
Dmtap to play
Amtap to play
Ctap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Tuning
G-D-A-E
Chords
Dm · Am · C · F · G
Charlie Daniels Band’s classic Southern rock story-song about a fiddle duel with the devil. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Keep a steady, driving rhythm to mimic the fiddle’s intensity.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D A
The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for a soul to steal
D A
He was in a bind ’cause he was way behind, he was willin’ to make a deal
D A
When he came across this young man sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot
D A
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, “Boy, let me tell you what”
Verse 2
D A
I guess you didn’t know it, but I’m a fiddle player too
D A
And if you’d care to take a dare I’ll make a bet with you
D A
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the devil his due
D A
I’ll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul ’cause I think I’m better than you”
Chorus
G D
The boy said, “My name’s Johnny and it might be a sin
G D A
But I’ll take your bet, you’re gonna regret ’cause I’m the best that’s ever been”
Verse 3
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 4
D A
The devil opened up his case and he said, “I’ll start this show”
D A
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow
D A
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss
D A
Then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this
Instrumental Break
*(Fiddle solo represented by chords)*
D A D A
D A D A
G D G D A
Verse 5
D A
When the devil finished, Johnny said, “Well, you’re pretty good, old son
D A
But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it’s done”
Chorus
G D
Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Verse 6
D A
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
D A
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
D A
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
D A
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul
Verse 7
D A
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he’d been beat
D A
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny’s feet
D A
Johnny said, “Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again
D A
‘Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I’m the best that’s ever been”
Chorus
G D
And he played Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run
G D
The devil’s in the house of the rising sun
A
Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough
D A
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no
Practice tip: Master the D to A transitions first, as they form the backbone of the song. For the fiddle solo section, keep your strumming tight and percussive to drive the rhythm forward.