Well I laid down last night,
And I was trying to take my rest;
Yes I laid down, last night,
I was trying to take a little rest.
Well my mind starts rambling
Like a wild geese in the -
Well my mind starts rambling
Like a wild geese in the -
Well my mind starts rambling
Like a wild geese in the west.

Yes the woman that I love,
Well she's evil all the time;
Yeah, the woman that I love,
She's evil all the time.
She did so much evil,
Just to have it on -
So much evil,
Just to have it on -
So much evil,
Just to have it on and on.

And the woman that I love,
Stole her from my best friend;
The woman I love,
I stole her from my best friend.
But I know he'll get lucky,
Steal her back -
I know he'll get lucky
Trying to steal her back -
I know he'll get lucky,
Steal her back again.

(echoplex outrol)

Martyn used to play I'd Rather Be The Devil in his earlier acoustic sets; this version grew out of his first experiments with Echoplex. The song by Nehimiah 'Skip' James was originally titled Devil Got My Woman. John switched the original 'change my baby's mind' for 'knows my baby's mind'.
(From Big Funn: Homepage of the John Martyn  Appreciation Society)