The Devil Walks at Cedar Creek (Ghost Story Ballad)

Lyrics: [Intro – Low, clean guitar picking with distant slide guitar wail. Sparse kick drum like a heartbeat. Optional wind ambience.] Verse 1 There’s a bridge just past the rusted rail, Where the mist runs cold and the moon turns pale. They say no birds sing, no dogs will bark, When the Devil walks there after dark. Verse 2 An old man told me on a whiskey night, ‘Bout the black-eyed rider with a lantern light. If you see his face, don’t dare to speak, Or you’ll follow him down to Cedar Creek. Chorus Oh, the shadows breathe and the ground won’t keep, The Devil walks at Cedar Creek. Every soul that’s gone, he’ll claim in time, You can hear their cries in the cypress pines. [Instrumental Break – Minor key slide guitar with banjo accents, eerie delay on snare hits.] Verse 3 Found a woman’s shoe in the muddy grass, No tracks ahead and no way past. Sheriff said, “Son, best turn around,” But I kept on down that haunted ground. Verse 4 Saw a light swing slow through the twisted trees, Felt my breath freeze deep inside of me. And the voice I heard was cold and weak: “You’ll never leave from Cedar Creek…” Chorus Oh, the shadows breathe and the ground won’t keep, The Devil walks at Cedar Creek. Every soul that’s gone, he’ll claim in time, You can hear their cries in the cypress pines. [Bridge – Music drops to soft acoustic. Wind sound swells. Slide guitar mimics distant thunder.] If you go, don’t go alone, That road’s no place to call your home. Some stories end before they’re told, And some get written in the cold. Final Chorus Oh, the shadows breathe and the ground won’t keep, The Devil walks at Cedar Creek. Every soul that’s gone, he’ll claim in time, You can hear their cries in the cypress pines. [Outro – Instrumental fade with ghostly slide guitar, soft snare hits, and wind-like guitar swells. Optional distant whispered backing vocals repeating: “Cedar Creek… Cedar Creek…”]