The Devil Went Down to Georgia

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
Single by Charlie Daniels Band
from the album Million Mile Reflections
B-side"Rainbow Ride"
ReleasedMay 21, 1979
StudioWoodland (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre
Length3:34
LabelEpic
Songwriters
  • Charlie Daniels
  • Tom Crain
  • "Taz" DiGregorio
  • Fred Edwards
  • Charles Hayward
  • James W. Marshall
ProducerJohn Boylan
Charlie Daniels Band singles chronology
"Trudy"
(1978)
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
(1979)
"Mississippi"
(1979)
Music video
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" on YouTube

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is a song written and recorded by American music group Charlie Daniels Band and released on their 1979 album Million Mile Reflections.

The song is written in the key of D minor. The song's verses are closer to being spoken rather than sung (i.e., recitation), and tell the story of a young man named Johnny, in a variant on the classic deal with the Devil. The performances of the Devil and Johnny are played as instrumental bridges. The song was the band's biggest hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, prevented from further chart movement by "After the Love Has Gone" by Earth, Wind and Fire and "My Sharona" by the Knack.

A sequel to the song titled "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia" was recorded by Mark O'Connor in 1993 on his album Heroes. Johnny Cash was the lead singer and narrator, Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt sang as Johnny and the Devil, respectively, Charlie Daniels played the Devil's solo on the fiddle and O'Connor played Johnny's solo on the violin.