If I Had Possesion Over Judgment Day
Robert Johnson Lyrics


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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
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 someday"

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

In Robert Johnson's song "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day," he asserts his power and control over his fate and the fate of those around him. The opening lines, "If I had possession, over judgment day / Lord, the little woman I'm lovin' wouldn't, have no right to pray," suggest that if he had this power, he would use it to prevent his lover from praying, indicating that he may have been wronged or betrayed by her.


The second verse sees Johnson searching for his woman, and realizing that "Some other man got my woman, and these lonesome blues got me." He expresses his pain and heartache, using language that suggests a physical struggle: "And I rolled and I tumbled and I, cried the whole night long / Boy, I woke up this mornin', my biscuit roller gone."


The final verse sees Johnson walking away from his troubles, but not without warning: "I said in my mind, 'Yo' trouble gon' come some day.'"


Overall, the song can be seen as a reflection of the struggles of African Americans in the early 20th century, who faced discrimination, poverty, and violence. Johnson's lyrics express a desire for power and control in an environment where they had little to none, and his use of imagery and metaphor conveys the intensity of his emotions.


Line by Line Meaning

If I had possession, over judgment day
If only I had control over my destiny and fate.


Lord, the little woman I'm lovin' wouldn't, have no right to pray
Then my lover would not be able to pray for her own salvation.


And I went to the mountain, lookin' as far as my eyes could see
I searched far and wide on the mountain, hoping to find an answer.


Some other man got my woman, and these lonesome blues got me
My woman has left me for someone else, and I am feeling the pain of heartbreak.


And I rolled and I tumbled and I, cried the whole night long
I was restless and overwhelmed with emotions all throughout the night.


Boy, I woke up this mornin', my biscuit roller gone
This morning, I realized that my world has been turned upside down, and things will never be the same again.


Had to fold my arms and I, slowly walked away
Despite the temptation to stay and fight, I had to accept defeat and move on with my life.


I said in my mind, "Yo' trouble gon' come some day1"
I knew deep down that I would face consequences for my past actions.


Now run here, baby, set down on my knee
Come and sit by my side, my love.


I want to tell you all about the way they treated me
I need to share with you my struggles and heartache so that we can move forward together.




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: ROBERT JOHNSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@undertaker9336

If I had possession over Judgement 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' far as my eyes could see
And I went to the mountain lookin' far as my eyes could see
Some other man got my woman and the 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
I didn't like the way she'd run
Had to fold my arms and I slowly walked away
I said in my mind, "You're trouble gone come someday"
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



All comments from YouTube:

@tyezillaOG

I love my culture and all the contributions that helped shape this great country.... which still stands today

@undertaker9336

If I had possession over Judgement 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' far as my eyes could see
And I went to the mountain lookin' far as my eyes could see
Some other man got my woman and the 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
I didn't like the way she'd run
Had to fold my arms and I slowly walked away
I said in my mind, "You're trouble gone come someday"
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

@shagadelic4210

Hahaha I love how he mentions the biscuit roller just because nobody really rolls their biscuits anymore ya just pop em in the oven if they're those ready to go store ones😅really captures differences in our times just in less than a hundred years, crazy.

@kaecake9575

"My biscuit roller gone"

I felt that

@vigadotibrand1677

​@@shagadelic4210he's talking about his woman lol

@shagadelic4210

Obviously lmao, The comment was about the specific antique item used for the metaphor😂

@musfutmuj

This song hits me dude...really hits me.

@Streetwalker216

Likewise!!! It's even more powerful slowed down.

@shagadelic4210

Great taste bro🤘his guitar work is ALWAYS just so sexy!! and the vocals are so surprisingly amazing too when ya first catch it but it makes ya wish he lived longer so that audio recording technology could do his work justice huh🤔😌

@rojkoffs

The only possession is Love

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