Charlie Daniels Isn’t Happy About His Song’s Appearance in Guitar Hero III
By Jonathan on Monday, April 7th, 2008 at 1:13 PM PST In Activision, Computer, Game Companies, Game Consoles, Game Platforms, Gamer Life, Games, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony
If you don’t know who Charlie Daniels is, you must at least know his most famous song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”: a light-hearted tune about a man who enters a fiddling contest with the devil. And if you’ve played Guitar Hero III, then you’ve definitely the hard rock version of the song that literally play against the devil. Personally, I thought it was one of the most welcome surprises of the whole game, but the original writer of the song would disagree. The 81-year old Daniels recently posted a blog on on his website detailing his experiences upon recently discovering how his song was portrayed in the game:
Actually the game really has a dark side complete with grotesque monsters on stage with the band, strange, eerie lighting effects and all manner of weird things popping up on the stage. To tell you the truth the whole thing bothered me and struck me as something that is not the healthiest thing in the world for young, impressionable minds to be exposed to, but the thing that really got me was what they had done with my song. The song, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia,” which I wrote, is supposed to be a lighthearted novelty about a fiddling contest between a country boy and the devil and the devil always loses. That is not the case with the Guitar Hero version which comes complete with a horned, guitar-playing devil who battles the player and very often wins.
I want any of you parents out there whose children have this game to know that I did not grant these people my permission to pervert my song and am disgusted with the result. Unfortunately I lost the publishing rights on the song many years ago in a settlement with a former partner and the license to Guitar Hero was granted by the company who now owns the publishing. I would never grant permission for some company to create a video game version of a song I wrote in which the devil wins a contest and I’m sorely disappointed with the company who owns the copyright for not policing the situation. As it is they have allowed these people to violate the very essence of the song.
You know, at about this time, I’d probably be ranting against Mr. Daniels. I’d be saying how he should get with the times, recognize that the object of the whole guitar battle in the game is to actually beat the devil (just like the story his song tells), and that he sounds like a confused old man railing against kids for wearing baggy pants or something. But I won’t. Why? Because he freakin’ Charlie Daniels, that’s why! And if composing a timeless song like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” doesn’t earn you the right to grow into a crotchety old-timer, then nothing will.
“You know, at about this time, I’d probably be ranting against Mr. Daniels. I’d be saying how he should get with the times, recognize that the object of the whole guitar battle in the game is to actually beat the devil (just like the story his song tells), and that he sounds like a confused old man railing against kids for wearing baggy pants or something. But I won’t. Why? Because he freakin’ Charlie Daniels, that’s why! And if composing a timeless song like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” doesn’t earn you the right to grow into a crotchety old-timer, then nothing will.”
I agree with you on both fronts
He obviously hasn’t played the game.
I love Charlie, and I fully support his beliefs – that’s his right. However, I’m trying to figure out how he says the Devil usually wins.
I am absolutely horrible at the game, but I beat “the Devil” the first time I played a Guitar Hero game. Granted, it was on easy, but as I said, it was my first time playing the game.
So, while I support him in saying what he did, I’m not really sure about that part.
Petty old man looking for more relevance now that his time has been done for many a year.
“Petty old man”… over 50 friggin’ years on the road and more achievements than you’ll ever see, and he’s a petty old man? What have you done?
“looking for more relevance”… funny, the crap most people listen to is irrelevant from the beginning and its popularity lasts 6 months or a year or two, tops. Mr. Daniels has been selling out theaters, stadiums and arenas for 40 years. Again… and you are…?
“Now that his time has been done for many a year”… you’re insane. There are multi-platinum country and rock artists out there right now selling MILLIONS of CDs and thousands of tickets every night. They think it’s an HONOR to share a stage with a man that is as talented and as gentlemanly as Charlie Daniels. All the “new country” guys like Brad Paisley and rock guys like Kid Rock and so on are huge fans of his. Your attitude sucks. The man stands for things that are rare these days, like decency and family values, and you call him names. When you’re in two (at least) halls of fame and can play several instruments as well as he can, come see us again.
“I’d be saying how he should get with the times”
That’s like saying Mona Lisa should get with the times and have her hairstyle redone. This song is like a work of art. It was created to convey the message or meaning of the author. Having the devil ever win the contest in the song as the game allows (no matter how infrequent it may occur) is a polution and a bastardization of the author’s message and meaning of the song. As Charlie Daniels said the essence and moral of the song is that the devil always loses, and Guitar Hero doesn’t honor and preserve that because it allows the devil to win.
I’m like the other guy,Maybe they should have made it to were the devil always losses. Even if you suck at guitar hero. Just make it so that when you do actually beat that stage theres of a bit more celebration. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of the artists not agreeing with how the game portrays the meaning of their songs. We shall see.