"The Devil's Right Hand" (1986)
Written by Steve Earle and performed by Waylon Jennings
...an upbeat yet sad Country song I first heard in one of my favorite movies, "Betrayed" (1988), with Debra Winger and Tom Beringer.
Waylon Jennings "The Devil's Right Hand" - YouTube
I love how this song is used at the end of the movie when it is paired with a final scene of hope: a little girl refuses to take her grandma's hand and, instead of doing so, waves her free right hand back at Kathy (Debra) because of their bond of love, a love that hopefully will save the little girl from following the path her devilish family members took.
The song's use at the end of the movie is cleverly ironic, because the little girl's right hand is the opposite of the devil's right hand. It's also a very good anti-gun song, so I bet gun supporters would hate it...yet another reason I like it.
As for the song itself, I love the rhythm guitar, the full sound, and the clever way the lyrics tell the story of a man's demise due to his trigger-happy affection for guns:
Quote:
The Devil's Right Hand - Lyrics by Steve Earle
About the time my Daddy left to fight the big war,
I saw my first pistol in the general store,
In the general store, when I was thirteen,
I thought it was the finest thing I ever had seen
So l asked if I could have one someday when I grew up.
Mama dropped a dozen eggs, she really blew up,
yeah, she really blew up, she didn't understand.
Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand,
Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand.
My very first pistol was a cap and ball Colt.
Shoot as fast as lightnin' but it loads a mite slow
It loads a mite slow, and soon I found out
It'll get you into trouble but it can't get you out.
About a year later got a Colt 45,
Called a peacemaker but I never knew why,
I never knew why, I didn't understand
Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand,
Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand.
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand.
Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand.
Got into a card game in a company (?) town,
Caught a miner cheating, so I shot the dog down,
Shot the dog down, I watched a man fall,
Never touched his holster, never had a chance to draw
The trial was in the morning and they drug me out of bed,
Asked me how I pleaded, not guilty I said,
Not guilty I said, you've got the wrong man:
Nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand
Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand
Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
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