[Spoken Intro] Now the Devil got stuck in Phoenix On a hundred-and-eighteen-degree day, With a blacked-out bike full of hellfire And a soul he meant to take away. [Verse 1] He rolled off I-10 at midnight, But the pavement still burned red, With smoke rolling off his shoulders And two horns upon his head. He stopped beside a biker At a light on Seventy-Fifth, Said, “Boy, I hear you ride real fast, But I don’t believe the myth.” The rider raised his visor, Said, “You picked a hellish night.” The Devil grinned, “I brought my own,” And his engine sparked to life. “I’ll wager you this golden Gixxer, Shining brighter than the sun, Against your everlasting soul That I beat you when we run.” [Chorus 1] The Devil got stuck in Phoenix, Where the concrete cooks your bones, Where the cactus begs for mercy And the buzzards stay at home. He said, “Boy, I come from fire, This heat don’t scare me none.” But Phoenix had a lesson Waiting farther down the run. [Verse 2] The rider said, “My name is Johnny, And I know that name’s been used, But my mama liked the classics, So I guess you’ll be confused. I don’t gamble with salvation, But that golden bike looks fine, And I’ve outrun worse than Satan On the westbound county line.” They lined up near the foothills Where the city lights still glowed, The Devil’s bike spit brimstone And the rider’s pipes sang low. The red light held above them, Both engines snarled and whined, Then green flashed through the desert, And they left the town behind. [Instrumental Break] [Fast banjo, mandolin, and fiddle imitate two motorcycles accelerating] [Verse 3] The Devil launched like thunder, Left a fire trail behind, He was shifting gears like lightning, Pulling farther all the time. He tore ahead through Glendale, And he laughed into the night, While the rider held the throttle And kept that tail lamp in his sight. They flew past sleeping strip malls, Past the exits painted green, The Devil’s wheels were glowing, And his engine wailed and screamed. He shouted, “Boy, start praying! Your mortal race is through!” Then his temperature light flickered, And his engine coughed up blue. [Chorus 2] The Devil got stuck in Phoenix, Where the concrete cooks your bones, Where the cactus begs for mercy And the buzzards stay at home. He said, “Boy, I come from fire, This heat don’t scare me none.” But the desert kept a secret ’Neath that unforgiving sun. [Verse 4] The Devil kicked the gearbox, He cursed the desert sky, Said, “This engine runs through lava! How can Phoenix cook it dry?” But a motor forged in Hellfire Had never breathed desert air, And Phoenix burned so hot that night, It left the Devil stranded there. There was sulfur on the shoulder, There was coolant on the road, Little demons fought the engine As the rider onward rode. He crossed the line near sunrise With the whole town raising Cain, Then the Devil came in dragging Half his tailpipe and his chain. [Bridge] The Devil said, “That ain’t fair, boy, This heat exceeds design.” Johnny said, “You named the wager. That gold machine is mine.” Then he pointed toward the valley As the morning sun climbed higher: “You might rule a lake of brimstone, But you ain’t built for desert fire.” [Final Chorus] The Devil got stuck in Phoenix, On a road too hot for sin, He came riding out of Hellfire, But the desert did him in. He said, “Boy, this heat is nothing, Hell has forged me hard as stone.” Then Phoenix cooked his engine dead And left him walking home. [Spoken Outro] Now the golden Gixxer still runs clean, Glowing when the city's fried. And somewhere down in Tempe, The Devil’s working on his ride
