"Crossroads (song)" redirects here. For other songs of that title, see
Crossroads.
"Cross Road Blues" is a song by delta blues singer Robert Johnson; released on a 78 rpm record in 1936 by Vocalion Records, catalogue 3519. The original version remained out of print after its initial release until the appearance of The Complete Recordings in 1990. In 1961, producer Frank Driggs substituted the previously unreleased alternative take on the first reissue of Johnson's work, the long-playing album King of the Delta Blues Singers.[3] Because of the historical significance of "Cross Road Blues", it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.[1]
Lyrics and interpretation[edit]
The lyrics tell of the narrator's failed attempts to hitch a ride from an intersection as night approaches. The song had frequently been linked to stories of Johnson selling his soul to the devil for the ability to play music, although nothing in the actual lyrics speaks of these events.[4] Historian Leon Litwack and others state that the song refers to the common fear felt by blacks who were discovered out alone after dark; that Johnson was likely singing about the desperation of finding his way home from an unfamiliar place as quickly as possible because of a fear of lynching.[4][5] In addition, the lyrics could be allusion to the curfews that were then imposed on blacks in the South. The imagery of the singer falling to his knees and the mention of his failure to find a "sweet woman" suggests that the song is also about a deeper and more personal loneliness.[6]
On March 10, 1968, Cream recorded a live version "Crossroads" from their performance at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The version was arranged by guitarist Eric Clapton, and included two lines borrowed from Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues." The song features an eight-note guitar riff and has both major and minor scale centers.[7] Cream's cover of the song was placed at #409 on the 2004 List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and #3 on the 2008 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. The song also ranks #10 on Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.[8]
The Doors covered the song as "Crossroads Blues" on their live album, Live At Pittsburgh 1970.
In popular culture[edit]
The song was the inspiration and namesake for the episode "Crossroad Blues" from the second season of American fantasy/horror TV series Supernatural, written by Sera Gamble. The story postulates that the urban legend regarding Johnson's deal with the devil was true, and that his death was a result of hell hounds coming to claim his soul. The episode also sets up one of the major arcs of the series, as deals with demons made at crossroads become a recurring event in later episodes.
Linsey Alexander's song "Saving Robert Johnson" brings the myth around "Cross Roads Blues" into the present day with the lyrics, "I want you to e-mail the devil, I want you to poke him on Facebook."[9] Alexander's critically acclaimed "Saving Robert Johnson"[10] was included in the Mississippi Blues Project, an extensive review of Mississippi blues produced by WXPN in Philadelphia.[11]
See also[edit]
- ^ a b Grammy Hall of Fame
- ^ a b Strong, Martin Charles (2002). The great rock discography. The National Academies. p. 323. ISBN 978-1-84195-312-0.
- ^ Sony Music Soundtrack for A Century: Folk, Gospel & Blues. Legacy Records J2K 65804, 1999. Liner notes, p. 35
- ^ a b Cross Robert Johnson, mythmaking, and contemporary American culture By Patricia R. Schroeder p. 37 [1]
- ^ Litwack, Leon F (1998). Trouble in Mind: Black Southerners in the Age of Jim Crow. New York: Vintage Books. pp. 410–411.
- ^ Charlton, Katherine (2008). Rock Music Styles: A History. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-07-312162-8.
- ^ Howard Mandel, ed. (2005). "The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues". Billboard Books. p. 217. ISBN 0-8230-8266-0.
- ^ http://www.guitarworld.com/article/100_greatest_guitar_solos_10_quotcrossroadquot_eric_clapton
- ^ Szalony, Greg. "Linsey Alexander - Been There Done That". Blues Blast Magazine. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
- ^ Whiteis, David. "CD Reviews October 2012 - Linsey Alexander". Living Blues. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
- ^ Meister, Jonny. "The Mix: The Mississippi Blues Project". NPR Music. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
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