MODERN BALLAD LYRICS

“The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by Charlie Daniels’ Band The devil went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal. He was in a bind 'cos he was way behind and he was willin' to make a deal. When he came across this young man sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot. And the devil jumped upon a hickory stump and said: "Boy let me tell you what: "I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player too. "And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you. "Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the devil his due: "I bet a fiddle of gold against your soul, 'cos I think I'm better than you." The boy said: "My name's Johnny and it might be a sin, "But I'll take your bet, your gonna regret, 'cos I'm the best that's ever been."

Johnny you rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard. 'Cos hells broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards. And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold. But if you lose, the devil gets your soul.

The devil opened up his case and he said: "I'll start this show." And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow. And he pulled the bow across his strings and it made an evil hiss. Then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this. When the devil finished, Johnny said: "Well you're pretty good ol' son. "But sit down in that chair, right there, and let me show you how its done."

Fire on the mountain, run boys, run. The devil's in the house of the risin' sun. Chicken in the bread pan, pickin' out dough. "Granny, does your dog bite?" "No, child, no."

The devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat. He laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet. Johnny said: "Devil just come on back if you ever want to try again. "cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I'm the best there's ever been."

And he played fire on the mountain, run boys, run. The devil's in the house of the risin' sun. Chicken in the bread pan, now they're pickin' out dough. "Granny, will your dog bite?" "No, child, no."

“Ballad of Birmingham” By Dudley Randall

(On the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963)

“Mother dear, may I go downtown

Instead of out to play,

And march the streets of Birmingham

In a Freedom March today?”

“No, baby, no, you may not go,

For the dogs are fierce and wild,

And clubs and hoses, guns and jails

Aren’t good for a little child.”

“But, mother, I won’t be alone.

Other children will go with me,

And march the streets of Birmingham

To make our country free.”

“No, baby, no, you may not go,

For I fear those guns will fire.

But you may go to church instead

And sing in the children’s choir.”

She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair,

And bathed rose petal sweet,

And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands,

And white shoes on her feet.

The mother smiled to know her child

Was in the sacred place,

But that smile was the last smile

To come upon her face.

For when she heard the explosion,

Her eyes grew wet and wild.

She raced through the streets of Birmingham

Calling for her child.

She clawed through bits of glass and brick,

Then lifted out a shoe.

“O, here’s the shoe my baby wore,

But, baby, where are you?”

Adele “Someone Like You”I heard that you're settled downThat you found a girl and you're married nowI heard that your dreams came trueGuess she gave you things I didn't give to you

Old friend, why are you so shy?Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light

I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvitedBut I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight itI had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be remindedThat for me, it isn't over

Never mind, I'll find someone like youI wish nothing but the best for you, tooDon't forget me, I beg, I remember you saidSometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts insteadSometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead

You know how the time fliesOnly yesterday was the time of our livesWe were born and raised in a summer hazeBound by the surprise of our glory days

I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvitedBut I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight itI had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be remindedThat for me, it isn't over

Never mind, I'll find someone like youI wish nothing but the best for you, tooDon't forget me, I beg, I remember you saidSometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead, yeah

Nothing compares, no worries or caresRegrets and mistakes, they're memories madeWho would have known how bittersweet this would taste?

Never mind, I'll find someone like youI wish nothing but the best for youDon't forget me, I beg, I remember you saidSometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead

Never mind, I'll find someone like youI wish nothing but the best for you, tooDon't forget me, I beg, I remember you said

Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts insteadSometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead

“Whiskey Lullaby” by Brad Paisley and Allison KraussShe put him out like the burnin' end of a midnight cigaretteShe broke his heart, he spent his whole life tryin' to forgetWe watched him drink his pain away a little at a timeBut he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mindUntil the night

He put that bottle to his head and pulled the triggerAnd finally drank away her memoryLife is short, but this time it was biggerThan the strength he had to get up off his kneesWe found him with his face down in the pillowWith a note that said, 'I'll love her till I die.'And when we buried him beneath the willowThe angels sang a whiskey lullaby

The rumors flew but nobody knew how much she blamed herselfFor years and years she tried to hide the whiskey on her breathShe finally drank her pain away a little at a timeBut she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mindUntil the night

She put that bottle to her head and pulled the triggerAnd finally drank away his memoryLife is short, but this time it was biggerThan the strength she had to get up off her kneesWe found her with her face down in the pillowClinging to his picture for dear lifeWe laid her next to him beneath the willowWhile the angels sang a whiskey lullaby