Lyrics
Drivin' down the fast lane late one night
Driving in the fast lane late at night
I saw somethin' in my mirror comin up on the right
Noticed something approaching from the right in the mirror
A fire red roadster pulled next to my ride
A red roadster pulled up next to the speaker's vehicle
It was too dark to see the driver inside
Too dark to see the driver of the red roadster
I heard a voice though I couldn't see the face
Heard a voice from the red roadster
And it asked me if I wanted to race
The voice invited the speaker to race
Then he lit a cigarette and by the light I could see
The driver lit a cigarette, revealing himself as the Devil
I was talkin' to the Devil, he was talkin' to me
The Devil engaged in conversation with the speaker
Race with the Devil, if you lose
If you race with the Devil and lose, there are consequences
You gotta pay the Devil his dues
Paying the Devil's dues if you lose the race
Race with the Devil, live to tell
Racing with the Devil and surviving to tell the tale
One foot on the gas and the other in Hell!
Metaphorically balancing between speed and danger (Hell)
The Devil looked at me with an evil smile
The Devil expresses a sinister intention with a smile
He said, "We're racin' for your soul this next quarter mile"
The race is for the speaker's soul over a short distance
I said, "Listen Old Nick, I'll take that bet"
The speaker accepts the Devil's challenge
I said, "I take all comers and I haven't lost yet!"
Confident about taking on challenges and not losing
He said, "If you win, you can choose your game
If the speaker wins, they can choose their fate
But if you lose, boy, I've got your name!"
If the speaker loses, the Devil claims their soul
I revved my engine and dropped into gear
The speaker prepares for the race
My rod was runnin' on nitro, I was runnin' on fear
The speaker's vehicle is high-powered and fueled by fear
Race with the Devil, if you lose
Potential consequences of losing the race with the Devil
You gotta pay the Devil his dues
The price to be paid if defeated by the Devil
Race with the Devil, live to tell
Surviving the race with the Devil and sharing the experience
One foot on the gas and the other in Hell!
Balancing between speed and the danger of Hell
I'm racin', racin' with the Devil
Actively participating in the dangerous race with the Devil
I got my pedal to the metal
The speaker accelerates, pushing the pedal to the metal
One slip now could be fatal
Cautionary awareness that a small mistake could be fatal
'Cause I'm racin', racin' with the Devil
Continuing the intense race with the Devil
The smell of burning rubber filled the air
Intense race atmosphere with the smell of burning rubber
I was racin' for my life without a second to spare
The speaker races urgently, with no time to spare
I gripped that stick and my knuckles turned white
Gripping the controls tightly, determined to resist the Devil
He's not takin' my soul, not without a fight
Defiant attitude against the Devil's attempt to take the soul
I got a bad, bad motor sitting under my wheels
A powerful engine symbolizing resistance against the Devil
So to hell with the Devil and his deals
Rejecting the Devil and his tempting offers
I put the pedal to the metal and I blew right by
Accelerating past the Devil with determination
If we meet again, Devil, don't even try
A warning to the Devil not to attempt another challenge
Race with the Devil, if you lose
The consequences of losing a race with the Devil
You gotta pay the Devil his dues
Paying the price for losing to the Devil
Race with the Devil, live to tell
Surviving the race and living to recount the experience
One foot on the gas and the other in Hell!
Balancing between speed and the danger of Hell
Race with the Devil, if you lose
Reiteration of the consequences of losing to the Devil
You gotta pay the Devil his dues
Paying the Devil's dues for the defeat
Race with the Devil, live to tell
Surviving the dangerous race with the Devil
One foot on the gas and the other
Repeating the metaphor of balancing between speed and danger
One foot on the gas and the other
Reiterating the balancing act between speed and Hell
One foot on the gas and the other in Hell!
Continued metaphorical balance between speed and Hell
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