Red Diamond - "Devil's Bend"

I have no particular affinity for fast cars. But I've always enjoyed songs that celebrate them such as "Maybellene", "Hot Rod Lincoln", and "Dead Man's Curve". They capture the volatility of America's freedom-loving youth in moments of danger and fun.

Another great theme in American songwriting is that of Man vs. Devil. Songs like Kris Kristofferson's "To Beat The Devil" and Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" define this genre whose roots in traditional storytelling are ancient. The Devil appears as an existential threat to body and soul. He is cunning, persuasive and powerful. He challenges and taunts. But perhaps his most frightful aspect is that he really represents the demons we struggle with within ourselves. As moral beings, we expect that Man will prevail in this contest. But it's never easy and the conflict is always fraught with mortal peril.

"Devil's Bend" sits at the junction of these two themes. The Chevy-driving protagonist accepts a challenge from the Devil as personified by the driver of the GTO. It's a similar competition to that in "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", but where the fiddle-playing Johnny beats the Devil outright, the Chevy driver discovers that his best strategy is to simply not play the Devil's game. He wisely yields to his greater sensibilities and allows the Devil to defeat himself and descend back into Hell.

The lesson to the listener is that there's no generic strategy for beating the Devil. As in all things in life, you just get behind the wheel and figure it out for yourself.