I’ve told you all the story of the barber who corrected me when I mentioned that legend that Robert Johnson met the Devil at the crossroads and sold his soul to the devil for his musical skills. I thought today, I would go over very briefly why it is that the story is more associated with Robert Johnson, even though maybe it was first told about Tommy Johnson.
Really, it comes down to two songs. The first is “Cross Road Blues,” which really doesn’t have anything to do with the Devil. The second is “Me and the Devil Blues.” Now at least it has to do with the Devil. But it is just about the Devil who has come to take him away. Anyway, I’ve put the two songs together as a playlist. Like all Robert Johnson songs, they are short. They are worth listening to if only as a nice introduction to the very peak of Mississippi Delta Blues.