Robert Johnson – Hellhound On My Trail

When I hear Robert Johnson…I think of all the myths built around him. Not all are myths though…to hear his guitar on those songs is incredible. He was a man ahead of his time. He is so mysterious…we still only know so much about him. If one song captures the mystery of this legendary bluesman, it is this song… a haunting tale of a man pursued by the devil. Only three confirmed photos of the man are known to exist.

Robert Johnson

Was Robert Johnson the most influential guitarist in the history of blues and rock? That very possibly could be true. It wasn’t until the 80s that I started to read and hear more about him. Reading interviews with Clapton, Jimmy Page, and others…they all owed a huge debt to Johnson.

My introduction to Robert Johnson came from Eric Clapton while playing with Cream. Johnson was a great blues guitarist who supposedly sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads to be able to play the blues. Some of the songs he wrote played into this myth. He only cut 29 songs that he recorded in a two-year period between 1936 and 1937.

Movies such as the 1980s film Crossroads brought Johnson more fans. Many people have searched for Johnson after listening to artists that were influenced by him. His voice will haunt you after you listen to his recordings. They are pure and timeless.

Son House and Willie Brown

The great bluesman Son House talked about when he and Willie Brown played in different juke joints that Johnson would want to play with them. He said Johnson made a racket with the guitar and everyone wanted him to stop playing. Then one day Johnson left town and came back between 6-8 months later and he had mastered the guitar. That boosted the “selling of his soul to the devil” rumors.

Hellhound On My Trail

I got to keep movin’, I’ve got to keep movin’
Blues fallin’ down like hail, blues fallin’ down like hail
Mm mm mm, blues fallin’ down like hail, blues fallin’ down like hail
And the days keeps on worryin’ me of a hellhound on my trail
Hellhound on my trail, hellhound on my trail

If today was Christmas eve, if today was Christmas eve
And tomorrow was Christmas day
If today was Christmas eve and tomorrow was Christmas day
(Aow, wouldn’t we have a time, baby?)
All I would need, my little sweet rider, just
To pass the time away, huh huh, to pass the time away

You sprinkled hot foot powder, mmm
Mmm, around my door, all around my door
You sprinkled hot foot powder, mmm
All around your daddy’s door, hmm hmm hmm
It keep me with ramblin’ mind, rider
Every old place I go, every old place I go

I can tell, the wind is risin’, the leaves tremblin’ on the tree
Tremblin’ on the tree
I can tell, the wind is risin’, leaves tremblin’ on the tree
All I need’s my little sweet woman
And to keep my company, hmm hmm, hey hey
My company

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

32 thoughts on “Robert Johnson – Hellhound On My Trail”

  4. Everybody owes a debt to Robert Johnson. My older brother introduced me to him when “King of the Delta Blues Singers” was released. We think of “Dust my Broom” as an Elmore James song, but it came from Johnson. “Sweet Home Chicago”? Robert Johnson. (But still, listen to the great Magic Sam doing it – the Blues Brothers dedicated their version to him.) The Rolling Stones’ “Love in Vain”? Another Robert Johnson song. (And who plays the guitar parts of the great Robert Johnson in the film “Crossroads”? Ry Cooder.)

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    1. My introduction to him came in the 80s with Cream…not the movie but the song Crossroads. After I heard it I wanted to know who wrote that song.
      Cooker’s playing in that movie was great. I’ll take a listen to Magic Same doing it today.

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  8. Can be no question how influential he was on later guitarists! Interesting song story, reminded me a wee bit of the much later ‘Devil Went Down To Georgia’. Wonder what the real story was on how he got so accomplished so quickly – endless practise I suppose?

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  12. It doesn’t matter if the devil bought Johnson’s soul or not, it is whether or not he *believed* the devil bought his soul. It’s tragic because he was singing celestial songs but his belief led to an early grave 😦 (Yes, I know I sound like I’m b*tsh*t crazy right now.)

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    1. No the power of suggestion…is strong! Not crazy at all. If you believe something like that you will start acting like that and it’s like a chain reaction!

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  13. We’ve been to Clarksdale, Mississippi and seen the crossroads and the Delta Blues Museum. Johnson’s spirit is pretty much all over there. It was quite an experience… Johnson was a minor genius on the guitar….

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