About the song
Kris Kristofferson’s Shake Hands with the Devil. Now that’s a song that takes you down a dusty road and into the heart of a man wrestling with his demons. Kristofferson, a legend in the country music world, has always had a knack for weaving tales of outlaws and flawed characters, and Shake Hands with the Devil is no exception.
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Released in 1979, this track came at a time when Kristofferson’s film career was blossoming. But beneath the Hollywood persona, the gravel in his voice on this song reminds us that his roots lie in portraying the complexities of the human condition.
Shake Hands with the Devil isn’t your typical country ballad about heartbreak or lost love. It delves into something far darker. The title itself sets an unsettling tone, hinting at a Faustian bargain, a pact with a malevolent force.
As the song opens, we hear Kristofferson wrestling with his own image. “I know some people say I’m the devil in disguise,” he sings, his voice a low rumble. He doesn’t deny the darkness within, but there’s a flicker of defiance too. He seems to be saying, “Maybe I appear that way, but it’s not that simple.”
This introspective quality is what makes Shake Hands with the Devil so captivating. It’s a song that forces us to confront the darkness that lurks within us all. Kristofferson doesn’t shy away from the shadows; instead, he shines a light on them, inviting us to examine the depths of our own souls.
Is the narrator of the song truly the devil? Or is he simply a man who has made mistakes, who has walked a path lined with moral ambiguity? That’s the beauty of Kristofferson’s storytelling. He leaves room for interpretation, allowing the listener to grapple with these questions and draw their own conclusions.
So, as the opening chords of Shake Hands with the Devil ring out, prepare to be transported into a world of moral ambiguity and self-reflection. It’s a song that will stay with you long after the last note fades, prompting you to question the lines between good and evil, and the darkness that resides within us all.