1. An American… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists by the name Robert Johnson:
1. An American blues singer, guitarist and songwriter (1911-1938) amongst the most famous of Delta blues musicians; ranked fifth in Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time; considered by some to be the "Grandfather of Rock 'n' Roll"
2. An English lutenist and composer of the late Tudorian and early Jacobean eras (c.1580-c.1634)
3. A 1970s Memphis-based American guitarist
4. A former drummer for KC and the Sunshine Band
1. Robert Johnson (Robert Leroy Johnson, Hazlehurst, Mississippi, May 8, 1911- Greenwood, Mississippi, August 16, 1938) was an American blues singer, guitarist and songwriter, among the most famous of Delta blues musicians.
His landmark recordings from 1936–1937 display a remarkable combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that have influenced generations of musicians. Johnson's shadowy, poorly documented life and death at age 27 have given rise to much legend.
The first songs to appear were Terraplane Blues and Last Fair Deal Gone Down, Terraplane Blues became a moderate regional hit, selling 5,000 copies.
Other songs Johnson recorded were Come On In My Kitchen, Kind Hearted Woman Blues, I Believe I'll Dust My Broom, and Cross Road Blues.
Come on in My Kitchen included the lines:
"The woman I love took from my best friend / Some joker got lucky, stole her back again / You better come on in my kitchen, it's going to be rainin' outdoors."
In Crossroad Blues, another of his songs, he sang:
"I went to the crossroads, fell down on my knees / I went to the crossroads, fell down on my knees / I asked the Lord above, have mercy, save poor Bob if you please / Uumb, standing at the crossroads I tried to flag a ride / Standing at the crossroads I tried to flag a ride / Ain't nobody seem to know me, everybody pass me by."
Stones In My Passway and Me And The Devil are both about betrayal, a recurrent theme in country blues. Hell Hound On My Trail utilises another common theme: fear of the Devil. Other themes in Johnson's music include impotence (Dead Shrimp Blues and Phonograph Blues) and infidelity (Terraplane Blues, If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day and Love in Vain).
The most widely-known legend surrounding Robert Johnson says that he sold his soul to the Devil at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 61 and U.S. Highway 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi in exchange for prowess in playing the guitar. Actually, the location Johnson made reference to is a short distance away from that intersection. The Faustian legend was told mainly by Son House, but finds no corroboration in any of Johnson's work, despite titles like Me and the Devil Blues and Hellhound on My Trail. With this said, the song Cross Road Blues is both widely and loosely interpreted by many as a descriptive encounter of Johnson selling his soul.
The older Tommy Johnson (no relation, although it is speculated that they were cousins), by contrast, also claimed to have sold his soul to the Devil. The story goes that if one would go to the crossroads a little before midnight and begin to play the guitar, a large black man would come up to the aspiring guitarist, retune his guitar and then hand it back. At this point (so the legend goes) the guitarist had sold his soul to become a virtuoso (A similar legend even surrounded virtuoso violinist Niccolò Paganini a century before.
His death remains a matter of controversy. Some accounts state that he was given poisoned whiskey at a dance by the husband of a woman he had been secretly seeing. Others claim that it was just The Devil collecting his debt after the old legend of Robert Johnson dealing with the devil.
However, the latest, and unfortunately less dramatic and more plausible theory (published by David Connell in the British Medical Journal) is that Robert Johnson suffered from Marfan's Syndrome. Marfan's is a genetic disorder characterized by disproportionately long limbs, long thin fingers, a tall stature — all of which can be seen in the two photos that exist of Robert Johnson. Marfan's Syndrome is a cause of heart defects, and a complication such as an aortic dissection could lead to Robert Johnson's excruciatingly painful death.
Eleven 78s were released on the Vocalion label during his lifetime, with a twelfth issued posthumously. All songs are copyrighted to Robert Johnson, and his estate.
The Complete Recordings: A double-disc box set was released on August 28, 1990, containing almost everything Robert Johnson ever recorded, with all 29 recordings, and 12 alternate takes. (There is one further alternate, of
Traveling Riverside Blues which was released on Sony's King of the Delta Blues Singers CD and also as an extra in early printings of the paperback edition of Elijah Wald's "Escaping the Delta."
Grammy Awards:
1990 — Best Historical Album The Complete Recordings (Sony/Columbia) Legacy Winner
Grammy Hall of Fame:
1998 — Cross Road Blues (Single) (1936, Vocalion)
National Recording Registry:
The Complete Recordings of Robert Johnson (1936-1937) was included by the National Recording Preservation Board in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2003.
The board selects songs in an annual basis that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included four songs by Robert Johnson in the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll:
Sweet Home Chicago (1936),
Cross Road Blues (1936),
Hellhound on My Trail (1937),
Love in Vain (1937)
The Blues Foundation Awards:
Robert Johnson: Blues Music Awards
1991 Vintage or Reissue Album The Complete Recordings Winner
Honors and inductions
On September 17, 1994 the U.S. Post Office issues a Robert Johnson 29-cent commemorative postage stamp.
2006 — Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winner accepted by son Claud Johnson
2000 — Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame Inducted
1986 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inducted Early Influences
1980 — Blues Hall of Fame Inducted
He was also ranked fifth in Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Considered by some to be the "Grandfather of Rock 'n' Roll", his vocal phrasing, original songs, and guitar style have influenced a broad range of musicians, including Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Winter, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton.
2. Robert Johnson (c.1580-c.1634) was an English lutenist and composer of the late Tudorian and early Jacobean eras. He was the son of John Johnson.
3. Memphis-based Robert Johnson has been recording since the early '70s. Some early appearances were on recordings by the Hot Dogs, a band that featured Jack Holder and Greg Reding, later to cross the Mississippi River and become members of the raunchy hard-rocking Black Oak Arkansas.
By the late '70s, Johnson had recorded a single with the Bell Heirs and had established a somewhat regular playing relationship with a rhythm section featuring bassist Dave Cochran and drummer Blair Cunningham. The Infinity label released the premier Johnson effort as a leader, an album entitled Close Personal Friend, yet a collection entitled The Memphis Demos, which came out the following year, is considered to be a much better representation of his work, not the first time a musician's more casual performances beat out a supposedly more serious album project.
4) Robert Johnson was a former drummer for KC and the Sunshine Band
From Four 'Til Late
Robert Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From four till late, I was wringin' my hands and cryin'
I believe to my soul, that your daddy's Gulfport-bound
From Memphis to Norfolk, is a thirty-six hours ride
From Memphis to Norfolk, is a thirty-six hours ride
A man is like a prisoner and he's never satisfied
A woman is like a dresser, some man always ramblin' through its drawers
It cause so many men, wear an apron overall
From four till late, she get with a no-good bunch and clown
From four till late, she get with a no-good bunch and clown
Now, she won't do nothin', but tear a good man' reputation down
When I leave this town, I'm gon' bid you fare, farewell
And when I leave this town, I'm gon' bid you fare, farewell
And when I return again, you'll have a great long story to tell
Robert Johnson's song "From Four Till Late" is a poignant blues tune that speaks of heartbreak, longing, and suspicion. The repeated chorus of "From four till late, I was wringin' my hands and cryin' / I believe to my soul, that your daddy's Gulfport-bound" sets the melancholic tone of the song. The singer is plagued by doubts and fears about his lover's faithfulness, thinking that she might be with a "no-good bunch and clown" during his absence. The lyrics juxtapose the immovable nature of a man ("A man is like a prisoner and he's never satisfied") with the transience of a woman's affections ("A woman is like a dresser, some man always ramblin' through its drawers / It cause so many men, wear an apron overall"). The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the singer bidding farewell to the town and the lover, but also mindful of the fact that his love affair might have taken a turn for the worse in his absence ("And when I return again, you'll have a great long story to tell").
The song reflects Johnson's signature style of subtle storytelling, evocative imagery, and haunting vocals. The lyrics reveal the inner turmoil of a man who knows that his lover might be unfaithful but still hopes that she will remain true to him. The allusions to prison and transience create a mood of intense longing and sadness, deepening the emotional resonance of the song. Johnson's guitar playing, with its intricate fingerpicking and fluid phrasing, adds to the mournful beauty of the song, creating a sense of echoing loneliness and heartache.
Line by Line Meaning
From four till late, I was wringin' my hands and cryin'
I spent the hours from four until late at night worrying and feeling sad.
I believe to my soul, that your daddy's Gulfport-bound
I'm sure that your father is headed to Gulfport.
From Memphis to Norfolk, is a thirty-six hours ride
It takes thirty-six hours to travel from Memphis to Norfolk.
A man is like a prisoner and he's never satisfied
Men often feel trapped and are never truly content.
A woman is like a dresser, some man always ramblin' through its drawers
Women are often objectified by men, treated as something to be explored or taken from.
It cause so many men, wear an apron overall
This behavior causes many men to take on more feminine tasks and roles.
From four till late, she get with a no-good bunch and clown
Late at night, she hangs out with a group of bad and foolish people.
Now, she won't do nothin', but tear a good man' reputation down
As a result of her actions, a good man's reputation has been damaged.
And when I leave this town, I'm gon' bid you fare, farewell
When I leave this place, I will say goodbye to you.
And when I return again, you'll have a great long story to tell
When I come back, you'll have lots of things to tell me about what's happened since I've been gone.
Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: ROBERT JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
なみ
From four until late I was wringin' my hands and cryin'
From four until late I was wringin' my hands and cryin'
I believe to my soul that your daddy's Gulfport bound
From Memphis to Norfolk is a thirty-six hours' ride
From Memphis to Norfolk is a thirty-six hours' ride
A man is like a prisoner and he's never satisfied
A woman is like a dresser some man always ramblin' th'ough its drawers
A woman is like a dresser some man's always ramblin' th'ough its drawers
It cause so many men wear an apron overhall
From four until late she get with a no-good bunch and clown
From four until late she get with a no-good bunch and clown
Now, she won't do nothin' but tear a good man' reputation down
When I leave this town I'm 'on' bid you fare...farewell
And when I leave this town I'm gon' bid you fare...farewell
And when I return again you'll have a great long story to tell
Paul Carpenter
Though not one of his most celebrated recordings, this shows Johnson was every ounce a seasoned, professional and gifted musician. The guitar arrangement alone is fantastic and intricate, and could not have been done better by a Tin Pan Alley arranger.
Thelonious Funk
His songwriting is incredible all the verses are connected and each one gives a little more perspective to the story
なみ
From four until late I was wringin' my hands and cryin'
From four until late I was wringin' my hands and cryin'
I believe to my soul that your daddy's Gulfport bound
From Memphis to Norfolk is a thirty-six hours' ride
From Memphis to Norfolk is a thirty-six hours' ride
A man is like a prisoner and he's never satisfied
A woman is like a dresser some man always ramblin' th'ough its drawers
A woman is like a dresser some man's always ramblin' th'ough its drawers
It cause so many men wear an apron overhall
From four until late she get with a no-good bunch and clown
From four until late she get with a no-good bunch and clown
Now, she won't do nothin' but tear a good man' reputation down
When I leave this town I'm 'on' bid you fare...farewell
And when I leave this town I'm gon' bid you fare...farewell
And when I return again you'll have a great long story to tell
massammas1
My dad is a blues musician and he was playing this today
guitarpicker
This man was certainly un-worldly. We are so fortunate to have experienced his musical beauty. I put him at number one of all blues creationist. He is the epitome of it all.
SucSynched
your opinion but there are too many to mention who could sit at the top... son house, willie johnson, blind lemon jefferson, skip james just what I'm conjuring up now.
Tony II
Agreed. The Crown Jewel of Blues
The More You Know
"Now she won't do nothing but tear a good man's reputation down" that is some of the truest lines
Leone de thebes
Classic blues masterpiece
John Wright
A had always wondered if Johnson deserved all the accolades. After checking out his recordings I have to say yes definitely. I don't know what took me so long to listen to them. His guitar playing is amazing.