Written by Bobby David. Released in October 1974 as the debut single from the album "T.G. Sheppard", it reached #1 on country charts in the U.S. and Canada, #54 Pop charts.
Alcoholism is a terrible disease,I dealt with it for years and laid it down after many long years,I thought it brought me joy but it only brought trouble and heartache , I kept a job thought I had a good life until it led to jail and prison and misery and I decided I needed to talk to the Lord as I had often done,he helped me turn my life around and now I have a great life with the Lord and no devil in a bottle to deal with Thank you Jesus
By escaping to the only freedom I’ve ever known. I knew this song and that line for decades. Understood it very well. 40 years of self destruction to self treat anxiety. But now I’m past the 3rd month on the other side. I’ve found freedom and it’s glorious ! Good luck out there
I can so relate to this song. Alcoholism cost me two marriages and a myriad of problems. I can never touch another drop because of liver problems. T.G. Sheppard is speaking to people like me when he sings this beautiful song.
This song reminds me of my husband and I…I lost him in 2016 but this song always gives me chills…we were married 37 1/2 years…many times he had a date with the devil
Y’all may already know this… But back in 1974, record promoter Bill Browder couldn’t get an artist to record the song. So he finally cut the song himself, as TG Sheppard, and the song zoomed to number one on the country charts! It’s a fun story about being so determined and having such conviction for a project that you stop at nothing.
How many lives I have seen destroyed like this? Came close but through the help of the Lord and a loving forgiving wife I was able to beat the devil. Nothing stronger than a lite beer or a small glass of wine now. I can feel it trying to drag me back every time I am stronger now because of what we went through together.
So sorry. My Dad is 84. Lost my Mom to suicide last August. He's drinking himself to death. It's horrible, but after almost 62 years of marriage, he doesn't know how to live without her.
Such a great song on so many levels. The message, lyrics, arrangements, vocals, instruments and soul put into this song definitely hits you deep inside.
It took me 40-something years to finally hear this live. Him and Waylon were my 2 favorite country singers of the 70s and 80s. -Very different from each other and definitely their own brand of country.
There have been a few times in my life that I can relate to this song. When I think about it, how I disappointed my dad and mom. T.G. Sheppard does a great job singing this song. It teaches a lesson on what not to be. And to be like the The Good Sheppard.
First time hearing of him and this song. I just saw him on You TUBE (Mowtown 25: Yesterday Today, Forever and fell in love!! What a beautiful song!! I have listened to it over and over again. I don't know how I missed him!!
I come home late at night with my shoes in my hands Stumble in the back door being quite as I can And I know she there in bed cold and all alone And she's crying cause I'm breaking up our home And she knows (and she knows) the hell I'm going through In this world (in this world) inside my head There's a devil (there's a devil) in a bottle And he wants to see me dead I fall into her arms and she helps me with my clothes Yeah she stays on with me cause she really knows Cause I'm trying lord to find my freedom By escaping to the only freedom I've ever known And she knows (and she knows) the hell I'm going through In this world (in this world) inside my head There's a devil (there's a devil) in a bottle And he wants to see me dead There's a devil (there's a devil) in a bottle (in the bottle) And he wants (and he wants) to see me dead And it's killing her to see me die this way
I hate that I cannot find this original recording on any streaming service. Nothing but re-recordings and it does not even come close to capturing the emotion and overall vibe of this recording.
I feel you pain, I have a lot of recordings on old CD's that never made it to streaming. However, if you have Amazon HD music check out the version of this song that's on "Motown: The Complete #1's". It's the same recording with prominent up front steel guitar and the same backing vocalists, it sounds quite a bit better than this youtube rip also. Happy listening, hope this helps.
@@robwasnj I have noticed that Pandora (and probably all other streaming services, Amazon, etc...) all play the re recorded versions of certain songs. I don't understand why?
@@nickdoneilo1551 It's probably a licensing thing. Many things were re-recorded on updated labels and whoever the streaming service is dealing with likely has the rights to those particular recordings. I still find value on old, often used CD's for this reason.
Or you could start your own program to help fight addiction instead of trying to crash on others who HAVE done so successfully. Anyway, this song wouldn't be good for those seeking recovery because like you, it doesn't offer any hope. Notice that the narrator just sees a problem and no real way out, he then mournfully accepts that it is inevitable that he is going to die from it. He seems more concerned on what it is doing to his wife than himself, but cannot change, even for her.
