Did Robert Johnson really sell his soul at the crossroads so he could play the b!
Question:
Did Robert Johnson really sell his soul at the crossroads so he could play the blues?
Answers: such genius it's scary.
who am i to interfere with a legend such as this,i've been listening to those records for 25 years and i still find something new in them.
i wish i could play the blues like that but the devil 'aint getting my soul !. No one can answer that, but it is unlikely. Tommy Johnson, not Robert Johnson, is the one who supposedly sold his soul to the devil. See answer to your other question. No. Listen to the song's lyrics and you'll hear he's begging for salvation. He's at a crossroads in life.
The myth came later. The reality is, Johnson tried to play in public before he was ready. He then went away for two years and practiced very hard. When he returned, people were impressed at his improvement. Then, add in the time factor to the song, the story and that gives birth to myth. Maybe he thought so. He was young, had he lived longer may have seen it in a different way. He was living in a community where people where illiterate and bound by religion.Being a travelling singer was a special thing. Maybe he was looking for some outside help.