If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day
Eric Clapton 2004 / Me & Mr. Johnson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I had possession, over judgment day
If I had possession, over judgment day
Lord, the little woman I'm lovin' wouldn't, have no right to pray

And I went to the mountain, lookin' as far as my eyes could see
And I went to the mountain, lookin' as far as my eyes would see
Some other man got my woman, and these lonesome blues got me
And I rolled and I tumbled and I, cried the whole night long
And I rolled and I tumbled and I, cried the whole night long
Boy, I woke up this mornin', my biscuit roller gone

Had to fold my arms and I, slowly walked away
(spoken: I didn't like the way she done)
Had to fold my arms and I, slowly walked away
I said in my mind, "Yo' trouble gon' come some day one"

Now run here, baby, set down on my knee




Now run here, baby, set down on my knee
I wanna tell you all about the way they treated me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "If I Had a Possession Over Judgement Day" by Eric Clapton are a cover of a song by blues legend, Robert Johnson. The song speaks of a man who wishes he had power over God's judgement, so he could punish the woman who has left him for another man. The man is heartbroken and feels alone and deserted with his "lonesome blues." He has lost his loved one, and even his "biscuit roller," which could be interpreted as a metaphor for his sexual partner.


The singer is angry and hurt, feeling that the woman he loves has wronged him. He is so bitter that he believes she wouldn't have the right to pray if he had the power of judgement. However, despite his desire for vengeance, he resigns himself to simply walking away and anticipating that she will face consequences for her actions someday. It is a raw and emotional song that captures the complexities of heartbreak and the desire for retribution.


Line by Line Meaning

If I had possession, over judgment day
If only I had control over the day of reckoning


Lord, the little woman I'm lovin' wouldn't, have no right to pray
Then, the woman I love so dearly wouldn't have the privilege to intercede on her behalf


And I went to the mountain, lookin' as far as my eyes could see
I went up the mountain and searched for miles and miles


Some other man got my woman, and these lonesome blues got me
To my dismay, another man took my woman while these melancholic feelings consumed me


And I rolled and I tumbled and I, cried the whole night long
I rolled and tossed in bed and cried all through the night


Boy, I woke up this mornin', my biscuit roller gone
Alarmingly, when I woke this morning, my lover had vanished


Had to fold my arms and I, slowly walked away
I had no choice but to resign myself and retreat slowly


I said in my mind, "Yo' trouble gon' come some day one"
I told myself that the consequences of her actions will catch up with her


Now run here, baby, set down on my knee
Come over here, my dear, sit on my lap


I wanna tell you all about the way they treated me
I have a story to share about their mistreatment towards me




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: ROBERT JOHNSON, WOODY PAYNE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions