Chris Stapleton Perfectly Mashes Up “The Devil Named Music” With Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird”

Chris Stapleton country music
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On this edition of “My God, Chris Stapleton Can Sing Anything,” we have a Lynyrd Skynyrd classic.

it might be a bit cliché, but “Freebird” is simply one of the best southern rock songs of all time in my opinion. I mean, people obnoxiously scream it out at concerts for a reason…

It plays on the much loved theme in country music of being drawn to the road, the allure of music, and the unwillingness to just settle down and live happily ever after.

A song for the wandering spirit if I ever heard one:

“If I leave here tomorrowWould you still remember me?For I must be traveling on now‘Cause there’s too many places I’ve got to see”

That’s why the fact that this performance is a mash-up of this classic and Stapleton’s underrated “The Devil Named Music” is freaking perfect.

The two songs when paired show the dichotomy of someone needing to leave, but once they’re gone, the need to come back home even if they’re not able to.

They sold their soul to music, and now, it won’t let them go back to their loved ones, no matter how much they want to:

“And yes, I get tired of being alone
I miss my son
I miss my wife
But the devil named music is taking my life”

Chris Stapleton obviously kills both songs and does a very seamless job at transitioning from “Freebird” to “The Devil Named Music.”

The video itself is that shaky, out-of-focus quality that means its probably going to show a great performance. It’s also pretty wild to see Stapleton performing at a relatively small bar since most of the concert videos from the past few years show him at big venues or festivals.

But there is something more intimate about hearing specifically “The Devil Named Music” is a smaller setting where you can hear people talking and moving around. The song is Stapleton pouring out his soul, and the setting and video quality make it feel more personal.

And just to finish off, Stapleton sounds incredible.

His voice is strong and raspy and is perfect for a song about longing. Whether it’s longing to go back on the road or longing to be back home, the man does is as well as anybody… maybe better.

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