Mr. Luke Edney's version:
I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees
Went down to the crossroads, I fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above, 'Have mercy, save me, if you please'
I went to the crossroads, I tried to flag a ride
Went down to the crossroads, I tried to flag a ride
Nobody seem to know me, everybody pass me by
I'm standing at the crossroads, risin' sun goin' down
Standin' at the crossroads, risin' sun' goin' down
Save me, I'm sinkin' down
(solo - 1:45 - 2:15m)
You can run, you can run, tell my friend boy Willie Brown
You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown
Tell him that his friend boy, hmmm, oh, that I'm sinkin' down
I went to the crossroads, I fell down on my knees,
Went down to the crossroads, I fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above, 'Have mercy, save me if you please'
notes:
`1. drops the last verse
2. lyric changes 'the plural, 'crossroads', throughout,
and 'friend-boy' in the 4th verse, from Take 2 of the original recording by Mr. Johnson
3. features changes in timing (starting with the 3rd verse, when he repeats the 1st line 'standin' at the crossroads, risin' sun goin' down'
4. no slide (but he usually plays with slide)
5. technically correct, with his own variations (bright beat strut) & no mistakes!
'Cross Road Blues'
original lyrics by Mr. Robert Johnson
(Take 1)
recorded: San Antonio Texas, 27 Nov 1936
I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above, 'Have mercy, now, save poor Bob, if you please'
Standin' at the crossroad, 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
I believe to my soul, now, po' Bob is sinkin' down
You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown
'At I got the crossroad blues this mornin', babe, I'm sinkin' down
and I went to the crossroad, mama, I looked east and west
I didn't have no sweet woman, to help in my distress'
(both are my transcriptions - Mr. Johnson's has no repetitions.)
note to non-English speakers:
In the Southern United States, the 'g' is usually dropped completely, for example;
'Risin' sun goin' down':
'Rising sun, going down' is grammatically correct.