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Grateful Dead
Friend Of The Devil
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“Friend of the Devil” is a song recorded by the Grateful Dead. The music was written by Jerry Garcia and John Dawson and the lyrics are by Robert Hunter. It is the second track of the Dead’s 1970 album American Beauty.
“Friend of the Devil” is about an outlaw, on the run from the police. His crime is never explicitly stated. The Devil helps him escape, but winds up chasing him just as the law does; several lines of the song are 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.
The song is acoustic, like most of American Beauty. It is known for the riff lead guitarist Jerry Garcia plays in the bass register, which is a...
Read on...Song lines: ♪ If I get home before daylight, I just might get some sleep tonight ... Set out runnin but I take my time ... A friend of the devil is a friend of mine ♫
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