The Devil's Tune

I sought the Devil's playing once --
It was a scorching night.
I thought he'd like an audience
Who wouldn't want a fight.

I found him in the Farmer's field
Beneath a lidded moon,
And so I crossed the field as
The Devil played his tune.

The tell you that his skin is red,
And he'll have hooves instead of feet;
But I'll tell you now, within that field
It was a man that I did meet.

At first he kept on sawing at
That sweet old fiddle's strings
With a tune that didn't quite sound right
But told me many things.

And when his song was finished
His lips in speech did part,
And I could hear the troubles
That weighed upon his heart.

"Did you come to talk of morals,
Or all that I do wrong?
That is usually the reason why
You humans stop my song.

Did you come to ask for mercy,
Or for me to save your soul?
For if you are a broken man
I can't make you whole."

Those words he spoke were heavy
Where his song had been so light.
"Well if you don't mind, I'd listen some more."
Was my reply that night.

The Devil gave me one hard look
Then burst into a grin;
He raised that fiddle right back up
Eager to begin.

I listened for a while that night,
Until the break of day.
It was only when the light crept up
That the Devil walked away.

It's a secret, what his tune did say,
But I'll tell you this one thing;
Sometimes when I am all alone
I still hear that fiddle sing.