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Me and the Devil Blues (Take 1) Lyrics
Early this mornin', when you knocked upon my door
Early this mornin', ooh, when you knocked upon my door
And I said, "Hello, Satan, I believe it's time to go"
Me and the devil, was walkin' side by side
Me and the devil, ooh, was walkin' side by side
And I'm goin' to beat my woman, until I get satisfied
She say you don't see why, that you will dog me 'round
(spoken: Now, babe, you know you ain't doin' me right, don'cha)
She say you don't see why, ooh, that you will dog me 'round
It must-a be that old evil spirit, so deep down in the ground
You may bury my body, down by the highway side
(spoken: Baby, I don't care where you bury my body when I'm dead and gone)
You may bury my body, ooh, down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit, can catch a Greyhound bus and ride
Early this mornin', ooh, when you knocked upon my door
And I said, "Hello, Satan, I believe it's time to go"
Me and the devil, ooh, was walkin' side by side
And I'm goin' to beat my woman, until I get satisfied
(spoken: Now, babe, you know you ain't doin' me right, don'cha)
She say you don't see why, ooh, that you will dog me 'round
It must-a be that old evil spirit, so deep down in the ground
(spoken: Baby, I don't care where you bury my body when I'm dead and gone)
You may bury my body, ooh, down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit, can catch a Greyhound bus and ride
Song Info
Submitted by
fackinghell On Jul 15, 2006
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The last line may just be the greatest lyric in the history of music.
this song is about Robert J selling his soul to the devil and nw the devil has come to pick up his debt.
I don't know when or how the legend began, but I think part of Johnson's successful legacy has been due to the story that he met the devil at the crossroads and sold his soul for great musical talent and worldly fame. If there's any truth to it, the devil sure came early enough to collect his due. But I think people will still talk about the legend of Robert Johnson for ages to come. It's men like Johnson that are truly immortal.
Thats the kind of Image I dont like people to have of Robert Johnson ^
He wasen't even very successful atall until years after his death, while he was alive the only things he did to promote him self was to do one radio broadcast and recorded once.
The legend of Robert Johnson "Selling his soul to the devil" is actually wrong, it was said that Tommy Johnson a slightly different delta blues musician much along the lines of Ishman Bracey than RJ sold his soul (and he boasted of this)
Some credit this muddle to Son House who said that Robert Johnson must have sold his soul to get such music tallent in reference to the speed in which he learned how to play guitar, not literally that he went out to a crossroads.
Robert Johnson was in no way the Musical prodigy he is made out to be, though he was good I can list a whole bunch of others with equal or more tallent than RJ: Bo Carter, Sam Collins, Ishman Bracey, King Solomon Hill, Sylvester Weaver etc. And there is the fact that alot of RJ's songs are covers/adaptions. (32-20 blues and Come on in my kitchen to name a few)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETELORdwmJA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETELORdwmJA
Watch this and tell me Robert Johnson isn't a musical prodigy. Because if you do, you obviously know more about guitar than Eric Clapton. X_X
Watch this and tell me Robert Johnson isn't a musical prodigy. Because if you do, you obviously know more about guitar than Eric Clapton. X_X
@FackingHell (Wikipedia) Eric Clapton has called Robert Johnson "the most important blues singer that ever lived" and musicians such as Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, and Robert Plant have cited both Johnson's lyrics and musicianship as key influences on their own work.
@FackingHell (Wikipedia) Eric Clapton has called Robert Johnson "the most important blues singer that ever lived" and musicians such as Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, and Robert Plant have cited both Johnson's lyrics and musicianship as key influences on their own work.
@FackingHell the art of the deal my friend. If Johnson did make a deal with the devil, it played out as such. Ol' Scratch kept to his word, Robert Johnson got the success he was promised, after he passed of course. He who sups with the devil better have a long spoon.
@FackingHell the art of the deal my friend. If Johnson did make a deal with the devil, it played out as such. Ol' Scratch kept to his word, Robert Johnson got the success he was promised, after he passed of course. He who sups with the devil better have a long spoon.
Apparently he couldn't play guitar at all then he left for 3 months and when he came back he was one of the greatest blues players ever. That's how the urban legend that he sold his soul to the devil for guitar playing abilities came from... that and of course songs like this
To me this lyric is all about depression...Robert is so down, that he can not feel unless he hurts the woman he loves. If your soul is so numb and empty, that you need that...than it's time to end your life and join Satan down stairs!
I have been a fan of this song for some time and alway thought the lyric "I'm going to beat my woman til I get satisfied" was possibly the heaviest lyric ever written but had always gotten caught up in the selling his soul mythology and assumed they were related. However, I am pretty sure Son House started all of that after Johnson was long dead (white upper class college kids will believe ANYTHING) which leaves me still wondering about this song and I think I just had an moment of clarity, his women the devil and had just shown up after being out all night or something like that.....how did the hell did I miss that all of these years. Sadly it took a girl that might be the devil for me to get it. Man, I wish it hadn't taken all of that to get it, but maybe that is the only path.