In 1985, Kristofferson joined fellow country artists Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash in forming the country music supergroup The Highwaymen, and formed a key creative force in the outlaw country music movement that eschewed the Nashville music machine in favor of independent songwriting and producing. In 2004, Kristofferson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. As an actor, he is known for his roles in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973), Blume in Love (1973), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), A Star Is Born (1976) (which earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor), Convoy (1978), Heaven's Gate (1980) and Blade (1998).
Kristofferson has said that he would like the first three lines of Leonard Cohen's "Bird on the Wire" on his tombstone:
Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Silver Tongued Devil
Kris Kristofferson Lyrics
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I sat me down by a tender young maiden whose eyes were as dark as her hair
And as I was searchin' from bottle to bottle for somethin' unfoolish to say
That silver tongued devil just slipped from the shadows and smilingly stole her away
I said hey little girl don't you know he's the devil he's everything that I ain't
Hidin' intentions of evil under the smile of a saint
All he's good for is gettin' in trouble and shifting his share of the blame
And some people swear he's my double and some even say we're the same
We take our own chances and pay our own dues the silver tongued devil and I
Like all the fair maidens who've laid down beside him
She knew in her heart that he'd lied
But nothing that I could have said could've saved her
No matter how hard that she tried
Cause she'll offer her soul to the darkness and danger
Of something that she's never known
And open her arms at the smile of a stranger who'll love her and leave her alone
And you know he's the devil...
The Silver Tongued Devil and I is a ballad by Kris Kristofferson about a man obsessed with a woman he meets at a bar, despite her being taken away by a "silver-tongued devil." The scenario painted in the song is that of a man losing a woman to a more charming and witty swindler. As the singer sits in a bar trying to come up with the right words to impress a woman, a silver tongued devil takes her away with a smile. The singer protests, warning her of the danger she's getting into and revealing the devil's true character. But in the end, he is powerless to stop her from falling for the devil's charms.
The song is not so much about the silver-tongued devil but about the singer's jealousy and anger towards him. The singer sees himself as the opposite of the devil, a good person who would never deceive someone, yet he is constantly defeated by his charm. He is filled with bitterness and jealousy towards the women who fall for the devil's tricks.
Overall, The Silver Tongued Devil and I portrays the dangers of trusting someone who seems too good to be true. The devil's charm is a facade that can lead to heartbreak and betrayal.
Line by Line Meaning
I took myself down to the Tally-Ho Tavern to buy me a bottle of beer
I went to the Tally-Ho Tavern to buy a bottle of beer for myself.
I sat me down by a tender young maiden whose eyes were as dark as her hair
I sat down next to a young and beautiful woman with dark hair and eyes.
And as I was searchin' from bottle to bottle for somethin' unfoolish to say
As I was searching for something intelligent to say while drinking beer.
That silver tongued devil just slipped from the shadows and smilingly stole her away
The charming and cunning man took her away from me, with his smooth talking ways.
I said hey little girl don't you know he's the devil he's everything that I ain't
I warned the girl that he was a devil, and that I'm not like him at all.
Hidin' intentions of evil under the smile of a saint
He acts like a good person, but has hidden intentions of evil behind his smile.
All he's good for is gettin' in trouble and shifting his share of the blame
He's only useful for getting into trouble and passing the blame to others.
And some people swear he's my double and some even say we're the same
Some people think we're alike, even though we're not really the same.
But the silver tongued devil's got nothing to lose I'll only live till I die
The charming man has nothing to lose, while I'm living only to die.
We take our own chances and pay our own dues the silver tongued devil and I
Both of us take risks and face the consequences, for better or worse.
Like all the fair maidens who've laid down beside him
Just like all the women who have slept with him.
She knew in her heart that he'd lied
She knew he was lying, deep down in her heart.
But nothing that I could have said could've saved her
There's nothing I could have said to save her from his charms.
No matter how hard that she tried
Even if she tried her hardest.
Cause she'll offer her soul to the darkness and danger
Because she's willing to risk herself for darkness and danger.
Of something that she's never known
For something she's never experienced before.
And open her arms at the smile of a stranger who'll love her and leave her alone
She'll be willingly open to a stranger's smile, who will only use her and abandon her.
And you know he's the devil...
And it's true that he's the devil, just as I warned her.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KRIS KRISTOFEERSON, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind