Jon Spear “You Always Know the Devil By His Smell”
Americana Highways is hosting this premiere of Jon Spear ‘s song “You Always Know the Devil By His Smell” from his forthcoming album. “You Always Know the Devil By His Smell” was produced, mixed and mastered by Andrew Fritz Waldeck of Union Hill Recording.
“You Always Know the Devil By His Smell” is Jon Spear on vocals, Jasper Oliver on fiddle, and backing vocals by Spear and Andrew Waldeck.
As Jon tells us, “‘The devil’ is a catch-all term for human faults like greed, narcissism and lust for power, and it’s surprising to me that many folks don’t recognize him when he’s staring them right in the face. This song combines old-time religion with a mother’s folksy wisdom and a bit of political satire to let folks know the smell is always the dead giveaway. The chorus ties it all together with the literal, almost comical imagery of the devil’s stench. Bluegrass is the perfect vehicle for a song like this combining tradition, humor, energy and a memorable chorus. Once I got the idea for the song, I picked up my guitar and got it 80% written in less than an hour, much of it spent with a smile on my face.”
Jon hits on what out to be a truism in life: “You know a good man by his deeds and an angel by her touch / and you always know the devil by his smell.” With humor overlaying an observation that too often we don’t recognize the devil, Jon Spear has treated us to another folk style winner of a song. The crystal clear production quality amps up the listenability factor.
Find more details here on his website: https://jonspearmusic.com/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Song Premiere: J Spear “Flowers”