Cross Road Blues is one of the most important songs in the history of American blues and guitar music in general. It was recorded in San Antonio, Texas, in late 1936 and released in 1937 (Gates, n.d.; Johnson, 1937). The recording is of only Robert Johnson and his acoustic guitar, but because of his percussive and rhythmic style of playing, it gives a unique texture to the songs that stands out (Simon, 2022). The song falls within the subgenre of blues known as Delta blues. Delta blues is a style of blues originating in Mississippi from slaves on plantations who would gather in cotton fields to share their musical ideas. But the song wouldn’t be fully appreciated until the 1960’s when rock stars started taking a liking to the song and Johnson as an artist (Schroeder, 2004). The song led to much speculation and mythology about Robert Johnson and his life (Schroeder, 2004). An urban legend claimed that Johnson sold his soul to the Devil at the Mississippi crossroads for his incredible guitar-playing ability (Gussow, 2017). But not only does the song not even mention the devil; it depicts Johnson begging God for mercy (Johnson, 1937). The song was later interpreted by Eric Clapton and his band Cream in 1968, in which Eric Clapton transformed Johnson’s acoustic blues into an electric British blues-rock performance (Cream, 1968). This version of the song was later covered by John Mayer in 2009 as well (Mayer, 2009).
Robert Johnson was born in Mississippi in 1911 and is one of the most important and influential blues artists; he also largely influenced rock music (Gates, n.d.; National Park Service, 2017). He spent a lot of his career travelling around the South and performing informally (National Park Service, 2017). Johnson learned from and was friends with other blues artists like Willie Brown and Son House (National Park Service, 2017). His recording career wasn’t very long, with Johnson only recording a small number of his songs before his death in 1938 at the age of 27 (Gates, n.d.). Johnson’s death at the age of 27 marked the start of what is known as the 27 Club for musicians, with music legends like Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Janice Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Amy Winehouse sadly joining. Despite his young death, Johnson’s recordings were still largely influential to blues and rock musicians (National Park Service, 2017).
Johnson’s quick development as a guitar player contributed to the mythology surrounding him (Schroeder, 2004). Willie Brown, who was an important teacher and musician in Johnson’s life, and Son House recall being shocked by the improvement in Johnson’s playing when Johnson had been away from the Delta. These stories created the impression that Johnson had some kind of supernatural musical ability (Schroeder, 2004). Stories about Johnson’s sudden improvement and the songs Cross Road Blues, Me and the Devil Blues, and Hell Hound on My Trail helped reinforce the theory that he made some kind of deal with the devil (Gussow, 2017; Schroeder, 2004).
The folk tale about Johnson selling his soul, however, did not originate with Johnson (Gussow, 2017). The crossroads legend was part of blues folklore before Johnson became famous. It was originally connected to Tommy Johnson, who was another Delta blues musician known for his guitar playing (Gussow, 2017). Adam Gussow’s research shows that the idea of selling one’s soul was already part of larger blues traditions before Robert Johnson ever started his recording career (Gussow, 2017). Robert Johnson’s association with the legend was a result of several stories and interpretations being combined (Gussow, 2017). Patricia Schroeder says that the tales surrounding Johnson became a part of his identity as a cultural figure and that later generations had a different perspective about his life and music (Schroeder, 2004). Johnson’s musical development is important when separating his life from the mythology surrounding it. He learned from other musicians and spent years traveling and performing throughout the South (National Park Service, 2017).
One factor that makes Cross Road Blues really stand out is how Johnson is able to accomplish so much with only one acoustic guitar. He uses a technique with his thumb to hit bass notes while using his other fingers to play chords and melody lines on the G, B, and high E strings of his guitar (Johnson, 1937; Simon, 2022). This allows him to play a lead line and keep playing the rhythm while also singing. Johnson also kind of uses his guitar to call and respond with his voice. In the song, he finishes singing a line or phrase and responds with a riff/figure (Johnson, 1937). Because he is playing everything on the record, it feels more cohesive and authentic. He also emphasizes certain notes, which helps create a sense of movement that combines with his percussive/rhythmic playing to leave you questioning the number of guitars you hear (Simon, 2022). Charles Ford describes Johnson’s playing as having unusual rhythmic characteristics, including syncopation and irregular rhythmic accents (Ford, 1998). The vocal performance adds to this, with Johnson’s voice sounding strained and desperate (Johnson, 1937). It fits the lyrics about begging for forgiveness and asking for help. His guitar and vocals work together to create a tension rather than a relaxed twelve-bar blues performance. The recording shows how much emotion and musical complexity can be created through rhythm, phrasing, and dynamics without more complex instrumentation or modern production methods. Johnson’s ability to combine lead and rhythm guitars is part of the reason he became so influential to later guitar players. The idea of making one guitar sound like three became more common later.
The lyrics of Cross Road Blues describe Johnson standing at a crossroads and begging the lord for mercy (Johnson, 1937). He tries to find someone who will give him a ride, but nobody stops for him. As the song continues, the sun begins to set, and the narrator becomes desperate. Eventually, he asks someone to tell Willie Brown about his situation. The religious language is important to look at here because it debunks so much of the devil mythology. Johnson does not literally sing about selling his soul to the devil; he instead asks God for help. Johnson’s connection to the devil comes from older folklore and some of the imagery and lyrics of his other songs (Gussow, 2017). Gussow states that the mythology surrounding Johnson combined existing blues traditions with later interpretations of his life (Gussow, 2017).
I interpret the crossroads symbolically. With Johnson being stuck at a place where the roads meet, it can also represent uncertainty and having to change direction. The section about approaching darkness immediately became real when I read the lyrics. When I read the lyrics, I interpreted this as a statement on the segregation and racism that Black Americans faced in the South during Johnson’s lifetime. I assumed Johnson was referring to what are known as “sundown towns which historian James W. Loewen states are communities where Black people were excluded after dark (Loewen, 2005). There is no historical proof that this is what Johnson meant, but to me it’s obvious what he meant. This would explain the urgency it seems the narrator has, because punishments for being in town after dark included lynching, beatings, and mob intimidation (Loewen, 2005).
The song also shows the community of Delta blues musicians. Willie Brown was a blues musician who was connected to Robert Johnson, as well as his travels bringing him to other musicians throughout the South (National Park Service, 2017). Delta blues developed from African American music traditions, including field hollers and many other early blues traditions. Johnson’s contribution was his guitar techniques, songwriting, and how he mixed these with the already practiced traditions.
To preface this section, I picked this song because of my familiarity with Robert Johnson, his playing, and his impact on guitar music. And this impact can’t be overstated. The impact of Cross Road Blues can be understood through some of my favorite guitar players, like Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Frusciante, Jimmy Page, and John Mayer. Even indirectly, artists from more alternative or rock backgrounds, like Muse Johnson, can be traced as an early influence. Eric Clapton and Cream are the clearest link to Johnson. With their 1968 version of the song, Crossroads, it transformed Johnson’s solo acoustic recording into electric blues-rock (Cream, 1968). Clapton’s guitar became the lead instrument while Jack Bruce’s bass and Ginger Baker’s drums created a full rhythm section (Cream, 1968). This demonstrated how Johnson’s blues could be adapted to the louder and more improvisational style of late-1960s rock.
Jimi Hendrix, who is one of my absolute favorite artists ever, is another link to Johnson. While their music might sound very sonically different, they both are able to treat their guitar not as an instrument but more like an extension of their thoughts and body. Johnson’s percussive and rhythmic playing is very similar to Hendrix, with his unorthodox techniques to mute strings and play bass notes with his thumb. Hendrix also shows his ability to make his one guitar sound like a full guitar section. To quote an interview with John Frusciante, he said, “It sounds like two or or three guitars. That’s why ‘Little Wing’ had me so confused: I thought, How could that be one guitar?” (Frusciante, 2006, 5:10). Hendrix added his own elements of distortion, effects, and his use of amplifier feedback. So in a way, Johnson represents an early version of an idea that Hendrix pushed further. This is not to say Hendrix was a student of Johnson, but rather two creatives who approach the instrument similarly. We know Hendrix was a fan of Johnson, so there is obviously some inspiration taken there (Hendrix, 1967).
My absolute favorite guitarist and one of my personal heroes, John Frusciante, also takes inspiration from Robert Johnson. Frusciante takes parts of his style from Jimi Hendrix and combines them with more rhythmic, percussive, and funky styles to create his sounds. Frusciante also had a direct connection to Robert Johnson’s music. In a 2000 interview, he explained that he was listening to “a lot of Robert Johnson” while recording Blood Sugar Sex Magik (Frusciante, 2000). He was particularly interested in the acoustic, one-man blues of Johnson and Lead Belly, and this interest contributed to the band’s decision to record Johnson’s “They’re Red Hot” (Frusciante, 2000; Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1991). Again, Frusciante and Johnson are very sonically different artists, but his interest in stripped-down blues and emphasis on rhythm and expression in his playing show how Johnson’s style can be applied to alternative rock.
Matt Bellamy is a more unexpected example of Robert Johnson’s influence. In a 2008 interview with NME, Bellamy said that Cross Road Blues was the first proper guitar riff he learned (Bellamy, 2008). He then learned Cream’s version, Crossroads, followed by riffs from Jimi Hendrix (Bellamy, 2008). While Bellamy’s modern guitar sound is probably the furthest sound from Robert Johnson, his early guitar education began with the blues. Looking at these artists shows that Robert Johnson and Cross Road Blues is not only an important song in the history of music, but specifically to me as a musician. Johnson’s music is very different from what I usually listen to, even within his broader genre of blues, but it represents the foundations of the guitar techniques that eventually led to my favorite artists. From Clapton’s electric blues to Hendrix legendary licks, Fruscainte’s funky alternative rock, and Bellamy’s combination of guitar and electronics, the basic influence of blues developed greatly into many different sounds. That would make Cross Road Blues not just an important song from the 1930’s but one of the most important songs ever. It is the perfect example of how a simple musical idea can continue developing through different musicians, technologies, and genres, to something completely different.
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