Robert Johnson's Lyrics



I BELIEVE I'LL DUST MY BROOM

I'm gon' get up in the mornin'
  I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gon' get up in the mornin'
  I believe I'll dust my broom
Girl friend, the black man you been lovin'
  girlfriend, can get my room
I'm gon' write a letter
  telephone every town I know
I'm gon' write a letter
  telephone every town I know
If I can't find her in West Helena
  she must be in East Monroe, I know
I don't want no woman
  wants every downtown man she meet
I don't want no woman
  wants every downtown man she meet
She's a no good doney
  they shouldn't low her on the street
I believe
  I believe I'll go back home
I believe
  I believe I'll go back home
You can mistreat me here, babe
  but you can't when I go home
And I'm gettin' up in the mornin'
  I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gettin' up in the momin'
  I believe I'll dust my broom
Girl friend, the black man you been lovin'
  girlfriend, can get my room
I'm 'on' call up Chiney
  see is my good girl over there
I'm gon' call up China
  see is my good girl over there
'f I can't find her on Phillipine's Island
  she must be in Ethiopia somewhere


SWEET HOME CHICAGO

Oh
  baby, don't you want to go
Oh
  baby, don't you want to go
Back to the land of California
  to my sweet home Chicago
Oh
  baby, don't you want to go
Oh
  baby, don't you want to go
Back to the land of California
  to my sweet home Chicago
Now one and one is two
  two and two is four
I'm heavy loaded baby
  I'm booked, I gotta go
Cryin', baby
  honey, don't you want to go
Back to the land of California
  to my sweet home Chicago
Now two and two is four
  four and two is six
You gon' keep on monkeyin' 'round here friend-boy,
  you gon' get your
  business all in a trick
But I'm cryin', baby
  honey, don't you want to go
Back to the land of California
  to my sweet home Chicago
Now fix and two is eight
  eight and two is ten
Friend-boy, she trick you one time
  she sure gon' do it again
But I'm cryin', hey, hey
  baby, don't you want to go
To the land of California
  to my sweet home Chicago
I'm goin' to California
  from there to Des Moines, Iowa
Somebody will tell me that you
  need my help someday, cryin'
Hey hey
  baby, don't you want to go
Back to the land of California
  to my sweet home Chicago



RAMBLING ON MY MIND (take 1)

I got ramblin'
  I got ramblin' on my mind
I got ramblin'
  I got ramblin' all on my mind
Hate to leave my baby
  but you treats me so unkind
I got mean things
  I got mean things all on my mind
Little girl, little girl
  I got mean things all on my mind
Hate to leave you here, babe
  but you treats me so unkind
Runnin' down to the station
  catch the first mail train I see
  spoken: I think I hear her comin' now
Runnin' down to the station
  catch that old first mail train I see
I got the blues 'bout Miss So-and-So
  and the child got the blues about me
And I'm leavin' this mornin'
  with my arm' fold' up and cryin'
And I'm leavin' this mornin'
  with my arm' fold' upped and cryin'
I hate to leave my baby
  but she treats me so unkind
I got mean things
  I've got mean things on my mind
I got mean things
  I got mean things all on my mind
I got to leave my baby
  well, she treats me so unkind


TERRAPLANE BLUES

And I feel so lonesome
  you hear me when I moan
When I feel so lonesome
  you hear me when I moan
Who been drivin' my Terraplane
  for you since I been gone
I'd said I flash your lights, mama
  your horn won't even blow
  spoken: Somebody's been runnin' my batteries
  down on this machine
I even flash my lights, mama
  this horn won't even blow
Got a short in this connection
  hoo-well, babe, it's way down below
I'm 'on' h'ist your hood, mama
  I'm bound to check your oil
I'm gon' h'ist your hood, mama-mmm
  I'm bound to check your oil
I got a woman that I'm lovin'
  way down in Arkansas
Now, you know the coils ain't even buzzin'
  little generator won't get the spark
Motor's in a bad condition, you gotta have
  these batteries charged
But I'm cryin', please
  plea-hease don't do me wrong
Who been drivin' my Terraplane now for
  you-hoo since I been gone
Mr. Highwayman
  plea-hease don't block the road
Puh hee hee
  plea-hease don't block the road '
Cause she's re'ist'rin' a cold one hundred
  and I'm booked and I got to go
Mmm mmm
  mmm mmm mmm
You ooo ooo ooo
  you hear me weep and moan
Who been drivin' my Terraplane now for
  you-hoo since I been gone
I'm 'on' get deep down in this connection
  keep on tanglin' with your wires
I'm 'on' get deep down in this connection
  hoo-well, keep on tanglin' with these wires
And when I mash down on your little starter
   then your spark plug will give me fire

Notes: 1. The Terraplane was a low-priced, conservatively modern sedan
       offered by the Hudson Motor Co. from 1933 to 1938 It was the
       successor to their Essex and sported a remarkably efficient
       6-cylinder, 70 horse-power engine. It was designed by Britisher
       Reid Railton and had a top speed of 88 mites per hour!

PHONOGRAPH BLUES 

Beatrice, she got a phonograph
  and it won't say a lonesome word
Beatrice, she got a phonograph
  but it won't say a lonesome word
What evil have I done
  what evil has the poor girl heard
Beatrice, I love my phonograph
  but you have broke my windin' chain
Beatrice, I love my phonogra'-ooo
  honey, you have broke my windin' chain
And you've taken my lovin'
  and give it to your other man
Now, we played it on the sofa, now
  we played it 'side the wall
My needles have got rusty, baby
  they will not play at all
We played it on the sofa
  and we played it 'side the wall
But my needles have got rusty
  and it will not play at all
Beatrice, I go crazy
  baby, I will lose my mind
And I go cra'-eee
  honey, I will lose my mind
Why'n't you bring your clothes back home
  and try me one more time
She got a phonograph
  and it won't say a lonesome word
She got a phonograph
  ooo-won't say a lonesome word
What evil have I done
  or what evil have the poor girl heard



CROSS ROAD BLUES 

I went to the crossroad
  fell down on my knees
I went to the crossroad
  fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above "Have mercy, now
  save poor Bob, if you please"
Yeeoo, standin' at the crossroad
  tried to flag a ride oooo ooee eeee
  I 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
Standin' at the crossroad, baby
  eee eee eee, 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
You can run, you can run
  tell my friend Willie Brown
'at I got the crossroad blues this mornin', Lord
  babe, I'm sinkin' down
And I went to the crossroad, mama
  I looked east and west
I went to the crossroad, baby
  I looked east and west
Lord, I didn't have no sweet woman
  ooh-well, babe, in my distress



PREACHING BLUES (UP JUMPED THE DEVIL)

Mmmmm mmmmm
I's up this mornin'
  ah, blues walkin' like a man
I's up this mornin'
  ah, blues walkin' like a man
Worried blues
  give me your right hand
And the blues fell mama's child
  tore me all upside down
Blues fell mama's child
  and it tore me all upside down
Travel on, poor Bob
  just cain't turn you' round
The blu-u-u-u-ues
  is a low-down shakin' chill
  spoken: Yes, preach 'em now.
Mmmmm mmmmm
  is a low-down shakin' chill
You ain't never had 'em, I
  hope you never will
Well, the blues
  is a achin' old heart disease
  spoken: Do it now.
  You gon' do it?
  Tell me all about it.
Let the blues
  is a low-down achin' heart disease
Like consumption
  killing me by degrees
I can study rain
  oh, oh, drive, oh, oh, drive my blues
I been studyin' the rain and
  I'm 'on' drive my blues away
Goin' to the 'stil'ry
  stay out there all day



HELLHOUND ON MY TRAIL

I got to keep movin'
  I've got to keep movin'
  blues fallin' down like hail
  blues fallin' down iike hail
Umm mmm mmm mmm
  blues fallin' down like hail
  blues fallin' down like hail
And the days keeps on worryin' me
  there's 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
  spoken: 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
  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,
  hmm hmm hmm mmm
All I need's my little sweet woman
  and to keep my company,  hey hey hey hey
  my company



DRUNKEN HEARTED MAN 

I'm a drunken hearted man
  my life seem so misery
I'm the drunken hearted man
  my life seem so misery
And if I could change my way of livin'
  It t'would mean so much to me
I been dogged and I been driven
  eve' since I left my mother's home
I been dogged and I been driven
  eve' since I left my mother's home
And I can't see the reason why
  that I can't leave these no-good womens alone
My father died and left me
  my poor mother done the best that she could
My father died and left me
  my poor mother done the best she could
Every man likes that game you call love
  but it don't mean no man no good
Now, I'm the drunken hearted man
  and sin was the cause of it all
  spoken: Oh, play 'em, now
I'm a drunken hearted man
  and sin was the cause of it all
And the day that you get weak for no-good women
  that's the day that you bound to fall



ME AND THE DEVIL BLUES 

Early this mornin'
  when you knocked upon my door
Early this mornin', ooh
  when you knocked upon my door
And I said, "Hello, Satan,
  I believe it's time to go."
Me and the Devil
  was walkin' side by side
Me and the Devil, ooh
  was walkin' side by side
And I'm goin' to beat my woman
  until I get satisfied
She say you don't see why
  that you will dog me 'round
  spoken: Now, babe, you know you ain't doin' me
  right, don'cha
She say you don't see why, ooh
  that you will dog me 'round
It must-a be that old evil spirit
  so deep down in the ground
You may bury my body
  down by the highway side
  spoken: Baby, I don't care where you bury my
  body when I'm dead and gone
You may bury my body, ooh
  down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit
  can catch a Greyhound bus and ride



LOVE IN VAIN 

SPOKEN: "I wanna go with our next one myself"

And I followed her to the station
  with a suitcase in my hand
And I followed her to the station
  with a suitcase in my hand
Well, it's hard to tell, it's hard to tell
  when all your love's in vain
All my love's in vain
When the train rolled up to the station
  I looked her in the eye
When the train rolled up to the station
  and I looked her in the eye
Well, I was lonesome, I felt so lonesome
  and I could not help but cry
All my love's in vain
When the train, it left the station
  with two lights on behind
When the train, it left the station
  with two lights on behind
Well, the blue light was my blues
  and the red light was my mind
All my love's in vain
Ou hou ou ou ou
  hoo, Willie Mae
Oh oh oh oh oh hey
  hoo, Willie Mae
Ou ou ou ou ou ou
  hee vee oh woe
All my love's in vain


All songs: (c) 1990 King Of Spades Music