Composed by

Release Year

1936

(incorrect year?)

Song Genres

All Genres
Blues (8)

Add Genre

Song Styles

All Styles
Delta Blues (8) Pre-War Blues (8) Regional Blues (8) Slide Guitar Blues (8) Country Blues (7) Pre-War Country Blues (6)

Add Styles

Song Moods

All Moods
Eerie (9) Intense (8) Bleak (7) Ominous (7) Plaintive (6) Visceral (6) Gloomy (5) Gritty (5)

Add Moods

Song Themes

All Themes
Feeling Blue (8) Late Night (8) Reminiscing (6)

Add Themes

Robert Johnson

Cross Road Blues

Song Review by

One of Robert Johnson’s masterpieces, and one of his most popular songs with other performers, “Cross Road Blues” is a staggering display of poetry with quite masterly guitar playing; indeed, it is the song that contributed to much of the myth of Robert Johnson. The song’s lyrics are amazing – it opens with the definitive “I went down to the crossroad, fell down on my knees/I went down to the crossroad, fell down on my knees/Asked the Lord above “Have mercy now save poor Bob if you please””, sung in a haunting, otherworldly voice that almost defies adequate description. The guitar playing too, is complex, yet delicate and immensely tuneful – indeed, it’s been compared to Bach, and you can understand the comparison. “Cross Road Blues” is one of Johnson’s finest songs, it’s lyric is myth-making, and the subject matter has influenced hundreds of blues songs since.

Appears On

Year Artist/Album Label Time AllMusic Rating
King of the Delta Blues Singers 1961
Robert Johnson
King of the Delta Blues Singers
Columbia / Legacy 2:32
The Complete Recordings 1990
Robert Johnson
The Complete Recordings
Legacy / Sony Music Distribution 2:40
Blues Masters, Vol. 8: Mississippi Delta Blues 1993
Various Artists
Blues Masters, Vol. 8: Mississippi Delta Blues
Rhino 2:40
The Blues: A Smithsonian Collection of Classic Blues Singers 1993
Various Artists
The Blues: A Smithsonian Collection of Classic Blues Singers
Smithsonian Records 2:28
The Story of the Blues [Friedman/Fairfax] 1994
Various Artists
The Story of the Blues [Friedman/Fairfax]
Friedman Fairgfax 2:41
Born Under a Bad Sign [Alex] 1995
Various Artists
Born Under a Bad Sign [Alex]
2:33
All Time Blues Classics 1996
Robert Johnson
All Time Blues Classics
Music Memoria 2:40
Southern Country Blues, Vol. 1 1997
Various Artists
Southern Country Blues, Vol. 1
Star Sounds
Mojo Workin': Blues for the Next Generation 1997
Various Artists
Mojo Workin': Blues for the Next Generation
Sony Music Distribution 2:27
Masters 1998
Robert Johnson
Masters
Cleopatra 2:42
No Image 1998
Various Artists
Beg, Borrow or Steal: The Origins, Music and Influence of Robert Johnson
Catfish 2:41
Complete Collection 1998
Robert Johnson
Complete Collection
Prism Entertainment / Prism Leisure 2:43
Delta Blues Legend: Masterworks, Vol. 13 1999
Robert Johnson
Delta Blues Legend: Masterworks, Vol. 13
Charly Records 2:41
Steady Rollin' Man 1999
Robert Johnson
Steady Rollin' Man
Recall (UK) 2:42
Folk, Gospel & Blues: Will the Circle Be Unbroken 1999
Various Artists
Folk, Gospel & Blues: Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Columbia / Legacy 2:40
Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century 1999
Various Artists
Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century
Sony Music Distribution 2:40
Every Day I Have the Blues [Goldies Box] 2000
Various Artists
Every Day I Have the Blues [Goldies Box]
Goldies 2:40
Genius of the Blues 2000
Robert Johnson
Genius of the Blues
Definitive 2:40
As Good As It Gets: Country Blues 2000
Various Artists
As Good As It Gets: Country Blues
EMI Music Distribution 2:40
The Country Blues Roots of Eric Clapton 2000
Various Artists
The Country Blues Roots of Eric Clapton
Catfish 2:40
Nothing But the Blues [Import] 2000
Various Artists
Nothing But the Blues [Import]
Import 2:37
Classic Blues, Vol. 2 [Digimode] 2000
Various Artists
Classic Blues, Vol. 2 [Digimode]
Digimode Entertainment 2:38
Crossrads Blues [Past Perfect] 2000
Robert Johnson
Crossrads Blues [Past Perfect]
Past Perfect 2:31
Say It Loud! A Celebration of Black Music in America [Box Set] 2001
Various Artists
Say It Loud! A Celebration of Black Music in America [Box Set]
Rhino 2:40
American Roots Music [Box Set] 2001
Various Artists
American Roots Music [Box Set]
Palm 2:39
American Roots Music [Highlights] 2001
Various Artists
American Roots Music [Highlights]
Palm 2:40
Robert Johnson [Dressed to Kill] 2001
Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson [Dressed to Kill]
Dressed To Kill 2:40
The Blues [Recording Arts] 2001
Various Artists
The Blues [Recording Arts]
Recording Arts 2:40
Roots of Ry Cooder 2002
Various Artists
Roots of Ry Cooder
Catfish 2:40
Blues Twinpack 2002
John Lee Hooker
Blues Twinpack
Dressed To Kill 2:40
Black & Proud 2002
Various Artists
Black & Proud
Golden Stars 2:41
The Last of the Great Blues Singers 2002
Robert Johnson
The Last of the Great Blues Singers
Fabulous 2:40
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: The Best of the Blues 2003
Various Artists
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: The Best of the Blues
UTV 2:39
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: A Musical Journey 2003
Original Soundtrack
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: A Musical Journey
Hip-O 2:40
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Robert Johnson 2003
Robert Johnson
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Robert Johnson
Columbia / Sony Music Distribution 2:39
Simply the Blues 2003
Various Artists
Simply the Blues
Liberty 2:28
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues 2003
Various Artists
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues
Sony Music Distribution
From Four Till Late 2004
Robert Johnson
From Four Till Late
Snapper 2:40
A Proper Introduction to Robert Johnson: Cross Road Blues 2004
Robert Johnson
A Proper Introduction to Robert Johnson: Cross Road Blues
Proper Sales & Dist. 2:34
Good Mornin' Blues 2004
Various Artists
Good Mornin' Blues
ASV / Living Era 2:30
The Best of Robert Johnson: Traveling Riverside Blues 2004
Robert Johnson
The Best of Robert Johnson: Traveling Riverside Blues
Blues Forever 2:43
Guitar & Bass 2004
Robert Johnson
Guitar & Bass
Sony Music Distribution 2:39
Hellhounds on Their Trail: A History of Blues Guitar 1924-2001 [Box Set] 2004
Various Artists
Hellhounds on Their Trail: A History of Blues Guitar 1924-2001 [Box Set]
Indigo 2:38
Beginner's Guide to the Blues 2005
Various Artists
Beginner's Guide to the Blues
Demon Records / Nascente 2:40
Up Jumped the Devil 2005
Robert Johnson
Up Jumped the Devil
Pazzazz 2:40
Crossroad Blues [Pazzazz] 2005
Robert Johnson
Crossroad Blues [Pazzazz]
Pazzazz 2:40
Standin' at the Crossroads 2006
Robert Johnson
Standin' at the Crossroads
BMG Special Products / Sony Music Distribution 2:32
The High Price of Soul 2007
Robert Johnson
The High Price of Soul
Primo Records 2:43
Rough Guide to the Blues 2007
Various Artists
Rough Guide to the Blues
World Music Network 2:37
Blues: Definitive Collection 2009
Various Artists
Blues: Definitive Collection
Music Brokers 2:39
Bob Dylan Cover to Cover: The Originals 2010
Various Artists
Bob Dylan Cover to Cover: The Originals
Mischief / Music Melon 2:40
The Complete Recordings: The Centennial Collection 2011
Robert Johnson
The Complete Recordings: The Centennial Collection
Columbia / Legacy / Sony Legacy 2:43
Pure... Blues 2011
Various Artists
Pure... Blues
Sony Music 2:40
American Epic: The Collection 2017
Various Artists
American Epic: The Collection
Columbia / Sony Legacy / Sony Music 2:32
Blues Gold
Various Artists
Blues Gold
Columbia / Sony Music 2:40
No Image
Robert Johnson
Delta Blues Goin' North, Mississippi Country Blues, Vol. 1
Document
Nothing But the Blues: Cross Road Blues
Robert Johnson
Nothing But the Blues: Cross Road Blues
History 2:37