Sagol 59 & Ami Yares - Friend of the Devil

There's always been something quite magical about The Grateful Dead and this tribute album shows just how universal their magic is. The album features songs by Dead carefully translated by Chen Rotem, a.k.a Sagol 59, one of Israel's leading hip-hop artists. Sagol collaborated on the album with folk singer Ami Yares for a truly heartwarming result. I love how Rotem decided to localize the lyrics, thus turning Reno into Eilat, Chino into Ramle, Anne Marie into Hannaleh and much more. More info about the translation process can be found here. The two year project was authorized by the band's publishing company and completed just in time to celebrate The Grateful Dead's 50th anniversary. A perfect soundtrack to car trips, preferably on dreamy weekends across the country.

Original lyrics:

I lit up from Reno
I was trailed by twenty hounds
Didn't get to sleep that night
Till the morning came around

I set out running but I'll take my time
A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

I ran into the Devil, babe
He loaned me twenty bills
I spent that night in Utah
In a cave up in the hills

I set out running but I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

I ran down to the levee
But the Devil caught me there
He took my twenty dollar bill
And he vanished in the air

I set out running but I take my time
A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Got two reasons why I cry
Away each lonely night
The first one's named sweet Anne Marie
And she's my heart's delight
Second one is prison, baby
The sheriff's on my trail
And if he catches up with me
I'll spend my life in jail

Got a wife in Chino, babe
And one in Cherokee
First one says she's got my child
But it don't look like me

I set out running but I take my time
A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Got two reasons why I cry
Away each lonely night
The first one's named sweet Anne Marie
And she's my heart's delight
Second one is prison, baby
The sheriff's on my trail
And if he catches up with me
I'll spend my life in jail

Got a wife in Chino, babe
The one in Cherokee
The first one says she's got my child
But it don't look like me

I set out running but I take my time
A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight