Could there be an alternative timeline, in which the early '90s Bad Seeds covered a song by 16 Horsepower? David Eugene Edwards' fire & brimstone lyrics given a fresh, manic energy by a young Nick Cave, buoyed by Blixa Bargeld's brutalist slide guitar? If you can't imagine it, you might get close with our new single, 'Devil on my Shoulder.'

In contrast to the brooding, dustbowl cinematics of our last release, 'Long Road Home,' this new single whisks you away on a feral two-and-a-half-minute dash through the wildest gothic country-blues. It's a classic underdog tale of fighting for survival, for anyone who's ever had those days when it feels like the whole world is out to get you...and you might have to break a few rules to get through it.

Written, performed and recorded by Ralph Beeby

With Francesca Prattica on drums

Mastered by Tonno d'Amato

Lyric:

The sound of guns awakes me with the rising of the sun,
There is no chance to catch my breath, there's only time to run
For I know the posse's near, and I'm the prey that they seek,
As an empty shotgun cartridge comes drifting down the creek

Jesus will not save me, for I could not keep the faith,
But the devil on my shoulder offers me a day's more grace
For the rules they make to live by are never set in stone,
And the devil on my shoulder might just see me home

Well, freely I confess that I lied and I stole,
But I did not have much choice with my back against the wall
This town don't give no second chance, you barely get the first,
And your only ticket out is in the back seat of a hearse

And backed into a corner, my last chance to survive,
For the bounty on my head is good if I'm dead or alive
And my conscience tells me not to point a gun or wield a knife,
But the devil on my shoulder might just save my life

Devil on my Shoulder (digital single)

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