Story Behind The Song
R. J. in this song is Robert Johnson. There are too many adjectives for me to put here how his story has moved me. This song explores the overwhelming sadness that must have been there for a musical genius, who in a different time and a different color would have been spoken of like Beethoven or Bach. Instead, he couldn't look the lowest, redneck in the eye for fear of being lynched.
Song Description
a song based on how it must have been for Robert Johnson interacting with whites in the 1930s
| Song Length |
3:09 |
Genre |
Blues - Delta, Blues - Rural |
| Tempo |
Slow (71 - 90) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
| Subject |
Worry |
Similar Artists |
Blind Willie Johnson, Tracy Chapman |
| Language |
English |
Era |
1930 - 1939 |
Lyrics
The hurt's too deep inside, to look you in the eye
I know you'd catch what's deep inside my soul
So you and I both know, you've won another round
I must keep my eyes lookin' at the ground
But in the smallest corner my lip curls up a bit
But not enough that you could ever see
How I know that I can take it, submission once again
Because I'm depending on eternity
CHORUS
You can call it what you like, its sure been called the blues
It's a joint I know you've hit a time or two
And if tomorrow had a name that was different than today
You know I think I just might want to stay
Lord, you know forevers, a long, long time to stand
It makes me wonder how it got to be the plan
It's a hard way to go, with justice not in sight
When the livin' goes to them that got the might
CHORUS