Adventure Ideas from Songs

[rbingham2000]

My DM has had me searching for old country songs with the word "devil" or references to the devil for several weeks... apparently, there will be a bar scene in which these songs will be necessary... I'll be excited to see/hear/play it.

I only know one country "devil" song off the top of my head, and that is "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band. The Devil's words are in red, and Johnny's words are in blue. Here ya go:

The Devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for a soul to steal,
And he was in a bind ‘cause 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,
The Devil jumped on a hickory stump and said, “Boy, let me tell you what:
I’ll bet you didn’t know that I’m a fiddle player, too,
And if you care to take a dare, I’ll make a bet with you.
Now, you play a mighty good fiddle, boy, but give the Devil his due.
I’ll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul, ‘cause I think I’m better than you.”
And the boy said, “My name’s Johnny, and it might be a sin,
But I’ll take your bet, and you’re gonna regret, ‘cause I’m the best that’s ever been!”

Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard,
‘Cause hell’s broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards.
Now 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 said, “I’ll start this show,”
And fire blew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow.
He pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss.
A band of demons joined in, and it sounded somethin’ like this.

(Instrumental)

When the Devil finished, Johnny said, “Well you’re pretty good, old son!
But sit back in that chair right there and let me show you how it’s done!”

He played:
Fire on the mountain, run boys, run.
The Devil’s in the house of the rising sun.
Chicken in the breadpan pecking at dough.
Granny does your dog bite? No, child, no.

(Instrumental)

The Devil bowed his head because he knew that he’d been beat.
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny’s feet.
And Johnny said, “Devil, just come on back if you ever want to try again,
‘Cause I told you once, you son of a bitch, I’m the best that’s ever been!”

And he played:
Fire on the mountain, run boys, run.
The Devil’s in the house of the rising sun.
Chicken in the breadpan pecking at dough.
Granny does your dog bite? No, child, no.

(Instrumental)

 

[Krieg]

I only know one country "devil" song off the top of my head, and that is "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band.

While Robert Johnson wasn't exactly country, he did write the "Me and the Devil Blues".

Early this mornin'
when you knocked upon my door
Early this mornin', ooh
when you knocked upon my door
And I said, "Hello, Satan,"
I believe it's time to go."

Me and the Devil
was walkin' side by side
Me and the Devil, ooh
was walkin' side by side
And I'm goin' to beat my woman
until I get satisfied

She say you don't see why
that you will dog me 'round
spoken: Now, babe, you know you ain't doin' me
right, don'cha
She say you don't see why, ooh
that you will dog me 'round
It must-a be that old evil spirit
so deep down in the ground

You may bury my body
down by the highway side
spoken: Baby, I don't care where you bury my
body when I'm dead and gone
You may bury my body, ooh
down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit
can catch a Greyhound bus and ride.

 

[DarkSoldier]

Ha! I am blown away by this thread. I am amazed at some of the bands mentioned by enworlders here. The most surprising is Blue Oyster Cult, which I have been a HUGE fan of for 20+ years (Fire of an Unknown Origin was the very first album I every bought (on 8-track no less) and I have seen them almost 20 times. I have never seen them in a venue larger than a bar with 300 people in it. I had always pegged them as the ultimate esoteric band, and I am just amazed at the number of mentions here. They are the ultimate sci-fi/fantasy band. Some bands do concept albums, but BOC did a concept career. Songs from every album are part of one huge lovecraftian story. Brilliant. Perhaps there is something that resonates between RPGers and BOCers? (You hardcore BOC fans will note my userid and sig file!)

You call yourself a fan of Blue Öyster Cult, yet you don't use the heavy metal umlauts?

Blue Öyster Cult songs have given me ideas for NPC's, but I haven't come up with any adventures from them.

As a Ravenloft fan, BÖC's songs have given me the Dragon Lady (a dread enlightened child), the darklord of the domain of Weisseria, with the towns of Maserati and Serat. Spy in the House of the Night and Harvest Moon have lent thematic elements to the domain. The stuff I've allegedly "finished" (people who know me know I never "finish" any of this kind of stuff) is in the Dungeon.

Queen's songs have lent aid to building the other domain in the cluster, Rhye (as in Seven Seas of Rhye), and its darklord, the Black Queen. Rhye is nowhere near complete; in fact, I've virtually abandoned it, so I've got to get off my duff and do something with it.

 

[scourger]

VETERAN OF THE PSYCHIC WARS[/SIZE]

That's a great song. It's on the Heavy Metal soundtrack.

 

[cdsaint]

I've thought of running a western themed campaign using plots stolen from old country western songs, mainly Johnny Cash. From the silly songs like Boy Named Sue, to Ghost Riders In The Sky, The Long Black Viel, There are just so many old Cash songs that make up Ideas for adventures.

Actually, since the new Eberron setting has the lightning rail, it might make a good setting for Johnny Cash songs. And the Ghost Riders could be halflings, Herding fiendish ghostly dinosaurs. Holy Crap, I might finally do this!

 

[Krieg]

FWIW "The Long Black Veil" was originally released by Lefty Frizell and was later covered by Cash (among many others over the years), likewise Ghost Riders in the Sky was a cover sung Cash.

 

[Torm]

I only know one country "devil" song off the top of my head, and that is "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band.

A few country devil songs that come to mind -

"If The Devil Danced In Empty Pockets" by Joe Diffie
"Somebody's Knockin'" by Terri Gibb
"Angel Loved The Devil" by Kenny Chesney
"I'm No Stranger To The Rain" by Keith Whitley
"Devil Woman" by Marty Robbins
"Devil Went Back To Georgia" by Charlie Daniels, Johnny Cash, and Mark O'Connor
"The Devil Went Down To Jamaica" by David Allen Coe (lame and has drug content, but there it is)

And it's not country, but it IS a sequel to "The Devil Went Down To Georgia", and a pretty good one, IMO:
"The Devil Came Up To Michigan" by KMC Kru - hilarious, especially if you're a fan of the Charlie Daniels song AND rap.

Speaking of Joe Diffie - it just occurred to me that his song "Third Rock From The Sun" might inspire an interesting set up for a game....

 

[cdsaint]

FWIW "The Long Black Veil" was originally released by Lefty Frizell and was later covered by Cash (among many others over the years), likewise Ghost Riders in the Sky was a cover sung Cash.

I had no idea anyone else ever did Long Black Veil, but many of my favorite Cash songs are covers so I'm not really surprised. As far as Ghost Riders in the Sky, I think everybody and his brother has done a version of that one, but I've not heard one I like better than Johnny Cash's.

The odd thing to me now that I think about it is that I really don't listen to country music often, I'm really more of a rock guy, but I get far more Ideas from old country (Marty Robbins, Johnny Horton, and Johnny Cash) than any other genre.

Chris

 

[Krieg]

I had no idea anyone else ever did Long Black Veil, but many of my favorite Cash songs are covers so I'm not really surprised.

The only reason I know is because I like The Chieftans who did a version of it with Mic Jagger. I did some research on the song to find out it's background and was a bit surprised to find it was written in 1949! lol

 

[ConnorSB]

How about Sting?

His "The Soul Cages" album has a few good ones, especially the title track.

The boychild is locked in the fisherman's yard
A bloodless moon where the oceans die
Shoals of nightstars hang fire in the nets
in the chaos of cages, where the crayfish lie.

Where is the fisherman, where is the goat?
Where is the keeper in his carrion coat?
Eclipse on the moon when the dark bird flies
where is the child with his father's eyes?

... a few verses later....

I have a wager, the brave child spoke.
The fisherman laughed, though disturbed at the joke.
"You will drink what I drink, but you must equal me.
If the drink leaves me standing, a soul shall go free" (The boy said that, and the soul he speaks of is his fathers)

"I have hear a cask of most magical wine.
A vintange thats blessed every ship in the line.
It was wrung from the blood of the sailors who died
Young white bodies adrift in the tide."

(now the fisherman/keeper speaks)
"Whats in it for me, my pretty young thing?
Why should I whisper when the caged bird sings.
If you lose a wager with the king of the sea (thats the fisherman/keeper)
You'll spend the rest of forever in the cage with me."

Right there, I can imagine a watery demiplane containing a half-fiend/ half keeper (with a big evil coat artifact thing), a twisted monster known as the goat, and row after row of souls trapped in cages in the form of screaming crayfish. A boy must bet against the evil devil thing to free his father, and the PCs must help him get there, and perhaps rescue some of thier own.

A Thousand Years (from Brand New Day) reminds me of the Arcane Sanctuary from Diablo II.

Inside (From Sacred Love) is like some sort of evil air-based tower monestary thing.

The Hounds of Winter = winterwolves...