The Tennessee Kid
Steve Earle & The Dukes Lyrics

On Mardi Gras day the Tennessee kid
The song's main character, called the 'Tennessee Kid,' begins his journey on Mardi Gras day.

Awoke in a puddle
The Kid wakes up in a bad state because of his bad dreams.

Of his own worst fears
The Kid's fears stem from his own imagination.

Haunted by the ghost
The Kid is being tormented by a memory of something that he has trouble recalling.

Of vague remembrance
Details of this memory are foggy.

So the kid invoked Lucifer himself
The Kid calls upon the devil himself for help.

With oaths most grievously discourteous
The Kid is extremely rude when he asks for help.

And charged him submit
The Kid orders the devil to obey him.

Forthwith to atone
The Kid wants the devil to fix his problems.

At the crossroads
The Kid is at a crucial point in his life, and his call for help is made at a spiritual crossroad.

Celebrated in song
The crossroads, a cultural symbol, has been celebrated in song because of the spiritual power it holds.

Up jumped the devil
The devil appears to help the Kid out of his predicament.

In the middle of the thoroughfare
The devil appears in a very public space.

"Who dares to utter my most secret name?"
The devil wants to know who is calling out to him.

He roared
The devil lets out a fierce growl.

But the kid yielded not so much as an inch
The Kid is unintimidated by the devil and won't back down.

To uncertainty
The Kid is not uncertain or afraid.

Steadfast he rejoined the enemy in kind
The Kid challenges the devil just like the devil challenges him.

"Old patch then, Satan, Mephistopheles, Beelzebub By any other name you ain't nothin' Like a rose"
The Kid belittles the devil, knowing that he's just a being like any other.

Then he girded his loins for the
The Kid prepares himself for a battle.

Ensuing onslaught
The Kid is ready for whatever the devil will throw at him.

But the devil only shrugged and the kid
The devil doesn't go on the attack, and the Kid feels relieved.

Shuddered when he hissed he said
The Kid trembles in fear at what the devil is about to say.

Hey hey hey hey
The devil is repeating himself.

The balance comes due someday
The devil warns the Kid that there will be a price to pay eventually.

Wait just one goddamn minute cried the kid From the cumberland
The Kid stops the devil and points out an issue from their agreement.

You never mention nothin'
The Kid points out that the devil left out important details of their deal.

'Bout no kinda note
This refers to the devil not mentioning anything about the Kid being responsible for a debt.

Just said, sign here, it's just a soul
The Kid recalls how he signed a deal to trade his soul for something in return.

You'll never miss it
The devil convinced the Kid that he didn't need his soul.

I ain't set foot in a church since I was just
The Kid is not religious and has no qualms about making a deal with the devil.

A little ol' thang
The Kid has been making these deals for a long time.

Reckoned I was headed straight to hell
The Kid knows he's going to Hell anyway, so he has nothing to lose.

By the highway
The Kid believes that he will find success on his journey.

No matter how long and how hard That I prayed
The Kid has already tried his best to avoid his start towards the path of Hell, but he keeps coming back to it.

So I might as well learn how to make This guitar talk
The Kid decides to focus on making music instead of worrying about his soul.

Somebody said ol' Bob Johnson
The Kid heard of someone named Bob Johnson who was able to make a trade with the devil.

Came down this way
It is rumoured that Bob Johnson visited the same crossroads as the Kid.

And Devil say
The devil speaks to the Kid again.

When the balance comes due someday
The devil once again reminds the Kid of the price he has to pay.

And the monster raised himself up To the fullness of his stature
The devil grows larger and more powerful, intimidating the Kid.

Black wings eclipsing a sanguine Mississippi moon
The devil covers the full moon with his giant wings.

Behold behemoth the trampler Of infidels
The devil is a fearsome creature who tramples all those who don't believe in him.

He who sweeps away nations With a flick of his tail
The devil is powerful enough to destroy entire nations.

Theopolis, Agrrippa, Faustus, Paganini
These names are associated with deals for knowledge and power with the devil.

Lurid and long is the tale of my prey
The devil has been making deals with people for a long time, and their stories are often sordid.

Question not the ironclad bond Of my surety Set down here in blood
The deal with the devil is unbreakable and sealed with blood.

In your very own hand
The Kid willingly signed away his soul.

And the Tennessee kid cast an eye On the list where his mark Was indeed clearly inscribed
The Kid remembers the deal he made with the devil.

And he fell to his knees
The Kid realizes the gravity of his deal and feels defeated.

But it was too late to pray
The Kid can't pray for forgiveness or help after making a deal with the devil.

And with his very last breath he did say
The Kid is facing death and has accepted his fate.

Hey hey hey hey
The devil repeats himself again.

The balance comes due someday
The devil once again reminds the Kid of the price he has to pay.