To Beat the Devil lyrics

A couple of years back I come across a great and wasted friend of mine in the hallway of a recording studio. And while he was reciting some poetry to me that he had written, I saw that he was about a step away from dying, and I couldn't help but wonder why. And the lines of this song occurred to me. I'm happy to say he's no longer wasted, and he's got him a good woman. And I'd like to dedicate this to John and June, who helped showed me how to beat the devil.

It was wintertime in Nashville

Down on Music City Row

And I was looking for a place

And to get myself out of the cold

To warm the frozen feeling that was eating at my soul

Keep the chilly wind off my guitar

My thirsty wanted whiskey

But my hunger needed beans

But it had been a month of paydays

Since I'd heard that eagle scream

So with a stomach full of empty

And a pocket full of dreams

I left my pride and stepped inside a bar

Actually I'd guess you'd call it a tavern

Cigarette smoke to the ceiling

And sawdust on the floor

Friendly shadows

I saw that there was just one old man sitting at the bar

And in the mirror I could see him checking me and my guitar

And he turned and said,

Come up here, boy, and show us what you are

I said I'm dry, and he bought me a beer

He nodded at my guitar and said,

It's a tough life, ain't it?

I just looked at him

He said, you ain't making any money, are you?

I said, you been reading my mail

He just smiled and said, let me see that guitar

I got something you ought to hear

And then he laid it on me

If you waste your time a talking

To the people who don't listen

To the things that you are saying

Who do you thinks gonna hear?

And if you should die explaining how

The things that they complain about

Are things they could be changing

Who do you thinks gonna care?

There were other lonely singers

In a world turned deaf and blind

Who were crucified for what they tried to show

And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time

‘Cause the truth remains that no one wants to know

Well the old man was a stranger

But I'd heard his song before

Back when failure had me locked out

On the wrong side of the door

When no one stood behind me

But my shadow on the floor

And lonesome was more than a state of mind

You see, the devil haunts a hungry man

If you don't want to join him

You gotta beat him

I ain't saying I beat the devil

But I drank his beer for nothing

Then I stole his song

And you still can hear me singing

To the people who don't listen

To the things that I am saying

Praying someone's gonna hear

And I guess I'll die explaining how

The things that they complain about

Are things they could be changing

Hoping someone's gonna care

I was born a lonely singer

And I'm bound to die the same

But I've gotta feed the hunger in my soul

And if I never have a nickel

I won't ever die ashamed

‘Cause I don't believe that no one wants to know