Gordon, Jack T

Prof. Ecchols
ENG 1201.503
Feb. 9, 2022
The Devil’s in the house of the rising sun
Many folk songs are quickly forgotten about or unpopular outside of their own niche

genre. “The Devil went down to Georgia”, however, is a truly notable exception due to it’s sheer

popularity, concise storytelling, enduring message, and most importantly, fiddle solos. Primus's

version of tells the story of, and appeals to, skilled people who use their talents for the innate

value of being the best. This is told through the story of a talented youngster that wins a contest

with the devil yet will not accept rewards. Nickelback's cover, however, preaches that the most

skilled people should be rewarded. It tells a similar story but it ends with the man getting the

devil's car and driving off into the sunset, thus appealing to people who are rewarded for their

talents or use them as a career.

The original song, written by Charlie Daniels, quickly became popular with audiences far

larger than that of a typical folk song, and in 2010 inspired an animated music video and cover

by the band Primus, who tried to keep as much of the original as possible. Their music video

uses stop motion animation, where clay figures are posed and photographed for each frame. This

style takes an incredible amount of effort and creativity to do right, and as such is often

associated with creative and artistic films with a dark themes but happy endings like “The

nightmare before Christmas” (1993) and “Coraline.” (2009) This stylistic choice was no mistake,

as the video opens with the Devil himself biking across state lines to steal a soul yet finishes with

an upbeat child dancing.

 The story begins with the Devil meeting a young fiddle player named Johnny, who he

promptly challenges to a contest. If Johnny wins, he gets a golden fiddle, but if he loses, the

Devil gets his soul. Johnny accepts, knowing it may be a sin, but loudly exclaims that he’ll win

because he’s the best that’s ever been. His sheer enthusiasm, combined with the fact that he’s in

this contest to prove his skill instead of for the rewards, makes any viewer want to root for him.

As you already know, he wins, kicking away the fiddle and gloating to the Devil. He clearly

enjoys the whole thing, showing that he is undeniably the best fiddle player. The fact that he

kicks away the golden fiddle while still exuberant shows that Johnny is happy because he won

the contest, not due to the rewards. This is the main message of the song, that the most skilled

people (Johnny) will win and be happiest when they use their talents for the intrinsic value of

being the best. The video shows a clear use of pathos because listeners cannot help but root for

Johnny – he is fighting the Devil, after all. Because the format of the video is a short, simple

story with a protagonist and villain, it appeals to the emotions of listeners.

Years later, the popular rock band Nickelback released their own cover and music video,

this time with a new message that echoed the rock’n’roll lifestyle. Their video tells a

similar story, updated to a rock audience by having the Devil drive a sports car to a bar in

Georgia, then challenging a local to a guitar battle. This local is a 20ish year old guitar player

named Johnny, who, again, states that he’ll win because he’s the best that’s ever been, though in

this version he seems even more arrogant and less enthusiastic. Due to this being a rock video by

a rock band, fiddles give way to electric guitar as the two contestants go into another battle. Rock

as a genre has long been associated with rebellion and personal freedoms, with the fast and wild

lives of rock stars making for celebrity news. In this vein of personal gain, when Johnny

inevitably wins this contest, he drives away from the bar in the Devil’s own car, with the golden
guitar he won sitting in the back seat. This reflects the very Rock’n’roll ideal that people ought to

make money and be rewarded for living off their talents and doing what they love. Due to this

message coming from an established rock band, it is a use of Ethos (Source credibility). It would

appeal to the rock listeners who follow these ideals. It also uses pathos in the same way as the

Primus version because listeners cannot help but root for Johnny due to his struggle against the

devil.

The two versions cover the same story, with many of the same storytelling methods, but

their ideals and meanings differ. Primus’s version, through its unique animation style, upbeat and

enthusiastic protagonist, and idealistic ending, proves its point through telling its story and

letting the audience see how the message helps its main character. It says that talents should be

used for their intrinsic value. Nickelbacks version, on the other hand, changes the protagonist to

be more realistic to a highly talented and arrogant youngster, much like many rock stars, and

changes the ending to show Johnny getting rewards and happiness for his victory. It’s worth

noting that Nickelback, saying they should be rewarded for their talents, is far richer and more

successful than Primus, who says talents should be used for their own value. Then again, maybe

that’s exactly what Primus wants – to make music, not for money.

Works cited:
“Primus - The Devil went down to Georgia” YouTube, 16 June 2009,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9uk9IcoQ0w. Accessed 12 February 2022.

“Nickelback - The Devil went down to Georgia (Cover)” YouTube, 4 August 2008,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X57qD_LTRgY. Accessed 12 February 2022.