The 30 or so Greatest Southern Songs (cont.)

10. The Devil Went Down To Georgia

To this date, the Charlie Daniels Band has only had one No.1 song; but that song was a huge hit. “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” was written by Charlie Daniels and five other band-mates. The song is almost spoken, rather than sung, and features a plot line of a fiddle player in Georgia that has an encounter with the Devil. The Devil is way behind in the stealing of souls and makes a deal with the song’s main character, Johnny. The two face-off in a fiddling competition. If Johnny wins, he gets to keep the Devil’s golden fiddle. If the Devil wins, he gets Johnny’s soul.

To the best of Daniels’ recollection, the “deal with the Devil” theme was inspired by a poem, “The Mountain Whippoorwill,” that Daniels had read in school. The song won the band a Grammy in 1979,

as well as the CMA single of the year. The Recording Industry of Association of America (RIAA) has stated that the single is the top selling song of all time that features a name of one of the 50 U.S. states in the title…an amazing accomplishment when considering some of the other hits that would qualify for such designation (“Sweet Home Alabama” and “Georgia On My Mind”).

Following the song’s radio success in 1979, it was prominently featured in the 1980 motion picture Urban Cowboy, where the CDB performed it on stage during a scene in the movie. The song has enjoyed almost 30 years of success and was introduced to a whole new generation of fans in the movie Coyote Ugly, which revived and sexed-up a few traditional dance moves that are heavily associated with Appalachian music.

Other versions of the song, including sequels, have been recorded. But it’s the original recording of “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” that continues to be a defining song of the Southern music experience.

9. Jambalaya (On The Bayou)

The impact of Hank Williams Sr. on modern country music can never be exaggerated. His first No.1 hit, released in 1949, was the most successful single of his career. “The Lovesick Blues” spent 16 weeks at the top of the chart. Although Williams’ career is dotted with multiple No. 1 hits, it was the Cajun stylings of his 1952 release, “Jambalaya (On The Bayou)” that would prove to be one of his most critically acclaimed (and certainly most unique) songs.

Spending 14 weeks as the top song on the charts, “Jambalaya (On The Bayou)” introduced all of America to Cajun culture and cuisine via the lyrics and arrangement of the song. The melody is based on the Cajun song “Grand Texas,” but the lyrics and theme of the song changed. Perhaps the Cajun-French phrases that appear in the song, along with Williams’ references to traditional Louisiana dishes like “jambalaya, crawfish pie and file´ gumbo,” were inspired from Williams’ early performances on the television program Louisiana Hayride, even though the program was based in Shreveport, La., which is far north from traditional Cajun country.

Williams is credited as the song’s writer, but a writer named Moon Mullican is sometimes credited as a co-writer. Williams may have purchased the rights to the song from Mullican. A researcher from within the Mullican family claims the song was written about the good times that were had while visiting a bar owned by Yvonne Little in South Louisiana. A character named “Yvonne” being affectionately mentioned in the song supports this.