Friend of the Devil

Grateful Dead

I lit up from Reno
I was trailed by twenty hounds
Didn't get to sleep that night
Till the morning came around

Set out running but I'll take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
Just might get some sleep tonight

Ran into the devil, babe
He loaned me twenty bills
I spent the night in Utah
In a cave up in the hills

Set out running but I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
Just might get some sleep tonight

I ran down to the levee
But the devil caught me there
He took my twenty dollar bill
And it vanished in the air

I set out running but I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
Just might get some sleep tonight

Got two reasons why I cry
Away each lonely night
The first one's named sweet Anne Marie
And she's my heart's delight
Second one is prison, baby
The sheriff's on my trail
And if he catches up with me
I'll spend my life in jail

Got a wife in Chino, babe
And one in Cherokee
First one says she's got my child
But it don't look like me

Set out running but I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
Just might get some sleep tonight

Got two reasons why I cry
Away each lonely night
The first one's named sweet Anne Marie
And she's my heart's delight
Second one is prison, baby
The sheriff's on my trail
And if he catches up with me
I'll spend my life in jail

Got a wife in Chino, babe
And one in Cherokee
The first one says she's got my child
But it don't look like me

I set out running but I took my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
Just might get some sleep tonight


Lyrics submitted by capitol76

Friend of the Devil Lyrics as written by John C. Dawson Jerome J. Garcia

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Friend of the Devil song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment

    For the record there is a final verse that Garcia decided to ommit:

    You can borrow from the Devil You can borrow from a Friend The Devil will give you Twenty When a friend's got only Ten

    Set out running .....

    Hedgeson June 08, 2004   Link

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