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 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. He escaped from Reno, Nevada and ended up in a cave in the wildlands of Utah. His crime is never explicitly stated, but may have to do with one of several failed love affairs mentioned. 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 the legendary hellhounds. However, the Grateful Dead never have included Satanic overtones to their music before, and most deadheads agree that the song is merely about a man on the run.
The song is acoustic, like most of American Beauty. It is known for the riff lead guitarist Jerry Garcia plays, which is a descending G major scale (G F# E D C B A G). The song is the most covered song written by the Grateful Dead; Hunter later stated, "that was the closest we've come to what may be a classic song."
The song was introduced in concert on February 28, 1970 at the Family Dog in San Francisco. Later in the band's history, the song slowed down significantly in performances, a change inspired by, according to Jerry Garcia, Kenny Loggins' version of the song.
Bob Dylan and Tom Petty also both cover the song frequently in concert. In 2003, Counting Crows included a slower-tempo cover of the song on their compilation album Films About Ghosts. While reproducing the acoustic riff, the Counting Crows version also adds electric keyboard and guitar instrumentation at about midway through the song.
During the 1960s, 70s and 80s, many American Christian groups railed against rock bands with perceived Satanic influences. This song was frequently cited as an example, due to its apparent sympathy to an outlaw who makes a deal, literal or not, with the Devil.
Chords used: G C D Am
