This whole album is a concept album exploring what would have happened if enslaved African-Americans had embraced Satanism instead of Christianity. There are a couple of plays on words in these lyrics.
The scene is a family of slaves standing in a field, probably cotton, but it could be tobacco. The "devil" mentioned is their master (white devil), who is inside his house (not in the field) with his family, and the house has been set on fire by the slaves in an act of revolt/retribution. The narrator is also stating that his family members in the field are not devils (evil), even though they have killed several people, since the murders are seen as justified.
"Papa's many seeds" are the narrator's family members, but also references the crop seeds sown by the slaves.
He is saying "come on down" because he knows that "they'll take me away" for the murders and execute him, then he will go down to Hell.
This whole album is a concept album exploring what would have happened if enslaved African-Americans had embraced Satanism instead of Christianity. There are a couple of plays on words in these lyrics.
The scene is a family of slaves standing in a field, probably cotton, but it could be tobacco. The "devil" mentioned is their master (white devil), who is inside his house (not in the field) with his family, and the house has been set on fire by the slaves in an act of revolt/retribution. The narrator is also stating that his family members in the field are not devils (evil), even though they have killed several people, since the murders are seen as justified.
"Papa's many seeds" are the narrator's family members, but also references the crop seeds sown by the slaves.
He is saying "come on down" because he knows that "they'll take me away" for the murders and execute him, then he will go down to Hell.