Cross Road Blues - Phonograph Blues - Hellhound On My Trail (Robert Johnson)

 In un brevissimo torno di tempo (ventisette anni di vita, 1911-1938, qualche mese di registrazioni discografiche dal novembre 1936), Robert Johnson ha compendiato il blues a lui precedente e ha contenuto praticamente ogni aspetto di quello a venire, fino a oggi, tanto come cantante e lyricist quanto come chitarrista.

 Cross Road Blues (Johnson), da «The Complete Collection», Not Now NOT2CD270. Robert Johnson, canto e chitarra. Registrato il 27 novembre 1936.



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Went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees
I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above «Have mercy, now save poor Bob, if you please».

Yeoo, standin’ at the crossroad, tried to flag a ride
Ooo eeee, I tried to flag a ride
Didn’t nobody seem to know me, babe, everybody pass me by.

Standin’ at the crossroad, baby, risin‘ sun goin‘ down
Standin‘ at the crossroad, baby, eee, eee, risin’ sun goin’ down
I believe to my soul, now, poor Bob is sinkin’ down.

You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown
You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown
That I got the crossroad blues this mornin’, Lord, babe, I'm sinkin’ down.

And I went to the crossroad, mama, I looked east and west
I went to the crossroad, baby, I looked east and west
Lord, I didn’t have no sweet woman, ooh well, babe, in my distress.

Phonograph Blues, Take 2 (Johnson), id. Registrato il 23 novembre 1936.



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Beatrice, she got a phonograph
and it won’t say a lonesome word
Beatrice, she got a phonograph
and it won’t say a lonesome word
What evil have I done
what evil has the poor girl heard.

Beatrice I love my phonograph
but you have broke my windin’ chain
Beatrice I love my phonogra-ooo
honey you have broke my windin’ chain
And you’ve taken my lovin’
and give it to your other man.

Now we played it on the sofa now
we played it side the wall
My needles have got rusty babe
they will not play at all
Now we played it on the sofa
we played it side the wall
My needles have got rusty
and it will not play at all.

Beatrice I go crazy
baby I will lose my mind
And I go crazeeeee
honey I will lose my mind
Why dont-ya bring your clothes back home
and try me one more time
She got a phonograph
and it won’t say a lonesome word
She got a phonograph
ooo-won’t say a lonesome word
What evil have I done
or what evil have the poor girl heard.

Hellhound On My Trail (Johnson), id. Registrato nel settembre 1937.



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I got to keep moving, I got to keep moving
Blues falling down like hail, blues falling down like hail
Mmm, blues falling down like hail, blues falling down like hail
And the day keeps on remindin’ me, there's a hellhound on my trail
Hellhound on my trail, hellhound on my trail
If today was Christmas eve, if today was Christmas eve
And tomorrow was Christmas day
If today was Christmas eve and tomorrow was Christmas day
All I would need is my little sweet rider
Just to pass the time away, to pass the time away.

You sprinkled hot foot powder, mmm, around my door
All around my door
You sprinkled hot foot powder, all around your daddy’s door
It keeps me with ramblin’ mind rider
Every old place I go, every old place I go
I can tell the wind is risin’, the leaves tremblin’ on the tree
Tremblin’ on the tree
I can tell the wind is risin’, leaves tremblin’ on the tree
All I need is my little sweet woman
And to keep my company, hey, hey, hey, hey, my company.