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 And I
Kris Kristofferson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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...
In Silver Tongued Devil And I, Kris Kristofferson tells the story of a narrator who goes to a bar and meets a young woman with whom he strikes up a conversation. He has no chance with the girl, however, because a silver-tongued devil appears, charming her out of the singer's grasp. The singer tries to warn the girl about the devil, telling her that he is everything that he is not, that he hides evil intentions behind the smile of a saint, and that he is good for nothing but getting into trouble and escaping responsibility. The girl doesn't listen, though, and falls for the devil's sweet talk.
As the story progresses, Kristofferson highlights the devil's manipulativeness, his lack of morals, and his willingness to do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it means hurting others. The devil is portrayed as a temptation to be resisted, an evil force that is impossible to beat but that is nevertheless worth fighting against. The lyrics suggest that the choice is between living life on one's own terms, making one's own mistakes, and facing the consequences of one's actions, or following the devil and allowing him to dictate one's decisions, leading to ruin and despair.
Through the use of a simple narrative structure, Kristofferson presents a nuanced meditation on the nature of temptation, the human condition, and the choices we make in life. Ultimately, the song is both cautionary and compassionate, urging the listener to resist the allure of the silver-tongued devil while acknowledging the complexity of human desire and the difficulty of making the right choices in a world full of pitfalls.
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 beer.
I sat me down by a tender young maiden whose eyes were as dark as her hair
I sat next to a young woman with dark hair and eyes.
And as I was searchin' from bottle to bottle for somethin' unfoolish to say
I was searching for something clever to say while looking through the bottles.
That silver tongued devil just slipped from the shadows and smilingly stole her away
A smooth-talking man appeared from nowhere and seduced the woman.
I said hey little girl don't you know he's the devil he's everything that I ain't
I warned the young woman that the man is deceitful and very different from me.
Hidin' intentions of evil under the smile of a saint
He hides his evil intentions underneath a deceptive smile.
All he's good for is gettin' in trouble and shifting his share of the blame
He is only good at getting into trouble and blaming others for his faults.
And some people swear he's my double and some even say we're the same
Some people believe that he and I are very similar or even alike.
But the silver tongued devil's got nothing to lose I'll only live till I die
The smooth-talking man has nothing to lose, but I only have a certain amount of time to live.
We take our own chances and pay our own dues the silver tongued devil and I
We both take risks and face the consequences, but we do it differently.
Like all the fair maidens who've laid down beside him
The young woman is not the only one to have been with him.
She knew in her heart that he'd lied
She was aware that he was not truthful with her.
But nothing that I could have said could've saved her
My warnings wouldn't have prevented her from falling for him.
No matter how hard that she tried
Even if she tried to resist him.
Cause she'll offer her soul to the darkness and danger of something that she's never known
She is willing to take the risk of something unknown and potentially dangerous.
And open her arms at the smile of a stranger who'll love her and leave her alone
She welcomes the attention of charming strangers who will ultimately break her heart.
And you know he's the devil...
It is clear that the man is not to be trusted.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KRIS KRISTOFEERSON, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind