Cliff Richard’s “Devil Woman” is considerably stranger than many people realise.

The 1976 song tells the story of a man who encounters a mysterious woman connected to supernatural forces.

There’s:

a black cat
a curse
a psychic
occult imagery
and eventually the realisation that the person supposedly helping him may actually be behind the problem.

Fifty years later, the song has been introduced to a completely new audience through Grand Theft Auto VI.

What happens in “Devil Woman”?

The narrator believes he has been cursed.

He visits a mysterious woman who appears capable of helping him.

Instead, things become considerably more sinister.

The song was written by Terry Britten and Christine Authors rather than Cliff Richard himself.

That matters because Richard had some concerns about the occult imagery.

Did Cliff Richard change the lyrics?

Richard has said that he altered parts of the song to make the message more clearly a warning against supernatural temptation.

He was uncomfortable with the possibility that listeners might interpret the song as celebrating the occult.

So the final version includes stronger language encouraging the narrator to escape.

That creates a fairly bizarre combination:

dark supernatural story

sung by one of Britain’s most famously Christian pop stars.

When was “Devil Woman” released?

It became one of Cliff Richard’s biggest international hits.

In America it reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his biggest US chart success.

That’s worth remembering because Americans and British listeners can have very different perceptions of Cliff Richard.

In Britain, he’s an enormous historical pop figure.

In America, “Devil Woman” is often the song people know.

Why is it in GTA VI?

Rockstar Games has always used music incredibly carefully.

The GTA series doesn’t simply use songs as background noise.

Radio stations and soundtrack choices help establish:

location
era
character
humour
atmosphere

Recent GTA VI footage has used “Devil Woman” in connection with Lucia, one of the game’s protagonists.

The title alone fits nicely with a character involved in criminal chaos.

But the song’s dramatic 1970s sound also works brilliantly against Rockstar’s modern visual style.

Has GTA made the song popular again?

Yes.

MusicRadar reported that Spotify listening for “Devil Woman” rose sharply after its GTA VI exposure, including a reported 325% jump following promotional use.

That’s the Rockstar effect.

Previous GTA games have introduced millions of younger listeners to older:

rock
funk
soul
hip-hop
electronic
country

records.

Was “Devil Woman” already used in movies?

Yes.

The song also appeared memorably in I, Tonya, where it was associated with Allison Janney’s character LaVona Golden.

That gave the song an earlier catalogue revival.

Some tracks simply work extremely well when paired with memorable characters.

What genre is “Devil Woman”?

Broadly:

pop rock
glam rock

But it has a darker feel than much of Richard’s most famous British material.

The guitar riff gives it more weight.

The production has a slightly theatrical atmosphere.

That is probably another reason it works so well in films and games.

Songs to try if you like it

Try:

Fleetwood Mac – Rhiannon
Eagles – Witchy Woman
Electric Light Orchestra – Evil Woman
Blue Öyster Cult – Don’t Fear the Reaper
Santana – Black Magic Woman
The Rolling Stones – Sympathy for the Devil
Donovan – Season of the Witch
Stevie Nicks – Edge of Seventeen

What is the song really about?

On the surface:

a supernatural encounter.

Underneath:

temptation.

Someone appears attractive or helpful.

Eventually you discover they are dangerous.

Which makes it remarkably suitable for Grand Theft Auto.