The path to this song was pretty windy. I'm reading The Power of Regret by Daniel Pink (I heard his interview on Fresh Air/NPR). Of course, I am thinking about my own regrets. I decided write a song about regretting marrying the wrong guy (like I had to run away kind of wrong), and the lyrics took many turns. I decided to focus on the woman who used to hang around little Italy (where my ex worked), and also my own "vision" which shocked me, and I, unfortunately, ignored.
The Devil’s Wife by Jessica Graae 2/12/22
The red-haired witch is the devil’s wife.
She cast her spell on a young girl’s life.
The boy was golden-as an artist drawn.
There was no artist, just the devil’s pawn.
An angel came to say her part.
But boy had gotten the young girl’s heart.
The devil’s touch was in his hands,
The girl too young to understand.
Oh, little darlin’ it’s time to run.
Do you know you’re dancing with the devil’s son?
Oh, little darlin’ it’s time to leave.
The devil’s work is hard to see.
The red-haired witch is the devil’s wife.
She cast her spell on a young girl’s life.
The wedding day is a joyous time.
Now the devil must commit his crime.
Oh, little darlin’ it’s time to run.
Do you know you’re dancing with the devil’s son?
Oh, little darlin’ it’s time to leave.
The devil’s work is hard to see.
@timfatchen Feb 2022
Innocence caught and trapped. That comes through so clearly. I like the spare presentation and pacing. Very much a traditional feel.
@standup Feb 2022
Great moody piece. The story sounds timeless, the allegory an ancient one. Dancing with the devil's son. Mythical.
And this pace seems perfect, very sparse, leaves me focused on the story. Beautifully sung too.
@metalfoot Feb 2022
Definitely a classic folk song feel to this song. Powerful storytelling.
@tseaver Feb 2022
Wow, great write! You've turned your own regret into a powerful folktale. Definitely a candidate for the "Traditional Ballad" challenge: https://fawm.org/forums/topic/12223/
@cubizm Feb 2022
Interesting that you wrote this song in the 2nd person. Like you are a guiding voice, talking to yourself. It creates a layer of separation in the story.
@hoppiern Feb 2022
Ooo, I like this! It’s powerful, and simple, beautiful and haunting. And when you repeat that last line it’s like a dagger through the heart. Voice and guitar sound beautiful too
@lyricslinger Feb 2022
This is excellent. Has a timeless quality. Think it would be easy to think that it was an old folk song from several centuries ago