Song 2 Week 3 - Cross Road Blues Robert Johnson

Song 2

Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson

Here's a lesson in rhythm if there ever was one! Robert Johnson was an amazing guitar player, playing both slide and without a slide, and he was able to create intricate rhythms on his guitar. Here's one that you can try.

CROSSROADS 

  0                              5       0
  I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees
  5                                                  0
  I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees
  7                               5                   0
  Ask the lord up above for mercy, take me if you please.


  I went down to the crossroads, tried to flag a ride
  I went down to the crossroads, tried to flag a ride
  Nobody seemed to know me, everybody passed me by.


  Well I'm going down to Rosedale, take my rider by my side
  Well I'm going down to Rosedale, take my rider by my side
  You can still barrel-house baby, on the riverside.


  You can run, you can run, tell my friend poor Willie Brown
  Run, you can run, tell my friend poor Willie Brown
  Well I'm standing at the crossroads, believe I'm sinking down.

Here's Eric Clapton talking about Robert Johnson, and doing another Johnson song, 

"Stones in my Pathway."

Here's Johnson doing Crossroad Blues:

And of course here is the version everyone knows by Cream:

 I hope at this point you're getting the idea that just about any song can be arranged 

many different ways. Play it the way you feel it, and enjoy!