Released: 2015
Colter Wall’s ‘The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie’ is a haunting country ballad that uses vivid imagery to portray the devil as a charismatic, but dangerous figure. The song tells a cautionary tale about the allure of temptation and the high cost of giving in.
The song opens with the narrator confessing to a reverend about an encounter with the devil, described as a well-dressed man driving a Cadillac. The ‘series 10 Cadillac’ and ‘cigar on his lip’ are symbols of wealth and power, painting the devil as a seductive figure.
The devil is said to be ‘white as a cotton field and sharp as a knife’, suggesting an appearance that is both innocent and threatening. The ‘howlin” could symbolize the devil’s call to temptation, which is hard to resist.
The devil recognizes the narrator as a ‘six string picker’, referring to a guitar player. This could imply that the devil is tempting the narrator with promises of fame and success in music.
The phrase ‘I know a few turns to make all the girls dance’ could be the devil offering knowledge and skills that would make the narrator popular, further illustrating the temptation.
However, the narrator realizes that the devil’s lessons come with a ‘sweet price’, a metaphor for the high cost of succumbing to temptation. This could be a loss of innocence, or even the narrator’s soul.
The final lines repeat the description of the devil, emphasizing his deceptive appearance and the danger he poses. The repetition of ‘I heard him howlin’ as he passed me by’ serves as a chilling reminder of the encounter and the lingering temptation.
In conclusion, ‘The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie’ uses traditional country storytelling to explore themes of temptation, deception, and the struggle between good and evil. The song serves as a warning about the dangers of being seduced by false promises and the high cost of giving in to temptation.
