Charlie Daniels Objects to Devil in Guitar Hero III

Pointing out that he lost the publishing rights to the song years ago (such that the use of the song in Guitar Hero III was beyond his control), Daniels noted that "I would never grant permission for some company to create a video game version of a song I wrote in which the devil wins a contest and I'm sorely disappointed with the company... As it is, they have allowed these people to violate the very essence of the song."

His concern is that "The song, 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia,' which I wrote, is supposed to be a lighthearted novelty about a fiddling contest between a country boy and the devil and the devil always loses. That is not the case with the Guitar Hero version which comes complete with a horned, guitar-playing devil who battles the player and very often wins."

While you might disagree with Daniels' conclusion, his advice to parents is actually quite sensible: "This game looks innocent enough, but if you have a child who is playing it, take the time to sit with him or her while they're playing along and take a serious look at the images on the screen. You may be surprised at the world they're being exposed to."