5 ms·

BS. Satan would never write a contract without a forced arbitration clause. I dunno, you are talking about someone who lost a golden fiddle to some hick kid fr

BS. Satan would never write a contract without a forced arbitration clause. I dunno, you are talking about someone who lost a golden fiddle to some hick kid from Georgia[1]. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh7BZf7D5Bw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh7BZf7D5Bw

mLuby 5y ago
"The boy said my name's Johnny and it might be a sin but I'll take your bet and you're gonna regret 'cause I'm the best there's ever been." The kid knowingly commits a deadly sin (pride) and the Devil rewards him for it to reinforce the behavior. Certainly on the path to an eternal musical gig in Hell.
causi 5y ago
What makes the kid a hick?
- noduerme 5y ago
  It's implied. Otherwise he'd be playing violin.
revolvingocelot 5y ago
This sounds like solid evidence that the Devil is scrupulously fair! He could have just said that his performance was better; his demon backup band would surely have taken his side. I suspect he enjoys the challenge of outdoing mortals, and thus allows them a sporting chance of escape. Note the impressive loophole in this contract! [0] [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29127547 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29127547
- R0b0t1 5y ago
  An alternative interpretation is that by losing, the devil offers the fiction that a human can succeed without faith in God, damning them.
  - revolvingocelot 5y ago
    Do we ever see proof of Johnny's lack of faith in God, though? I suppose he's fairly prideful, by way of his assertion about being the best there ever was, but I don't think it's as clear as that. He does beat the Devil in a fiddle contest; is it prideful if it's a justified statement? The Devil clearly can't just take souls without their owner's consent, so he needs to project an air of trustworthiness. There's a serious power asymmetry between mortals and the Devil, and the only higher authority one could think of is God himself. One suspects that God wouldn't easily take the Devil's side, so it behooves (heh) the Devil to be seen as honourable as possible, to ensure smooth and continued soul acquisition.
    - R0b0t1 5y ago
      Johnny's lack of faith is that he doesn't invoke the name of God. The devil has God's absolute power when applied to testing humanity. The devil lost because they wanted to. By losing he has planted the seeds in Johnny that he can live without God's help. It is possible the author intended something else, but this interpretation is the closest to Catholic doctrine I have seen. IIRC I am remembering it from a priest's comments on the song. "Those who study demonology quickly realize that any power lies with the demons." - Some DND manual.

mLuby 5y ago

"The boy said my name's Johnny and it might be a sin but I'll take your bet and you're gonna regret 'cause I'm the best there's ever been." The kid knowingly commits a deadly sin (pride) and the Devil rewards him for it to reinforce the behavior. Certainly on the path to an eternal musical gig in Hell.

causi 5y ago

What makes the kid a hick?

noduerme 5y ago
It's implied. Otherwise he'd be playing violin.

revolvingocelot 5y ago

This sounds like solid evidence that the Devil is scrupulously fair! He could have just said that his performance was better; his demon backup band would surely have taken his side. I suspect he enjoys the challenge of outdoing mortals, and thus allows them a sporting chance of escape. Note the impressive loophole in this contract! [0] [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29127547 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29127547

R0b0t1 5y ago
An alternative interpretation is that by losing, the devil offers the fiction that a human can succeed without faith in God, damning them.
- revolvingocelot 5y ago
  Do we ever see proof of Johnny's lack of faith in God, though? I suppose he's fairly prideful, by way of his assertion about being the best there ever was, but I don't think it's as clear as that. He does beat the Devil in a fiddle contest; is it prideful if it's a justified statement? The Devil clearly can't just take souls without their owner's consent, so he needs to project an air of trustworthiness. There's a serious power asymmetry between mortals and the Devil, and the only higher authority one could think of is God himself. One suspects that God wouldn't easily take the Devil's side, so it behooves (heh) the Devil to be seen as honourable as possible, to ensure smooth and continued soul acquisition.
  - R0b0t1 5y ago
    Johnny's lack of faith is that he doesn't invoke the name of God. The devil has God's absolute power when applied to testing humanity. The devil lost because they wanted to. By losing he has planted the seeds in Johnny that he can live without God's help. It is possible the author intended something else, but this interpretation is the closest to Catholic doctrine I have seen. IIRC I am remembering it from a priest's comments on the song. "Those who study demonology quickly realize that any power lies with the demons." - Some DND manual.