| Subject: Re: At the Crossroads |
Author:
Sarah Swan
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Date Posted: 20:23:06 10/05/07 Fri
In reply to:
Mr. Moore
's message, "At the Crossroads" on 07:41:26 10/05/07 Fri
1. Yes, he gave up his soul for power. The definition of "faustian" is making a spiritual sacrifice for power or skill. Certainly, selling one's soul is a spiritual sacrifice, for it is, in essence, taking away the spiritual part of you. Also, he offered this to the devil as a means of gaining musical prowess. In every sense of the word, Robert Johnson's deal with the devil was faustian.
2. Hoodoo is an African religious tradition in which magic and multiple gods are featured. It fits quite nicely into Johnson's music and life as something he practiced on his own and wrote lyrics of. When he moved to a new part of the country, as a way to clear his head. At the same time he found the blues and found release there as well. So, as he first began to write songs and continued for the next ten years or so, he wrote lyrics speaking of "mojo" and other Hoodoo related subjects.
3. It is entirely possible that Johnson's story of meeting the Devil at the crossroads is a metaphor for the need for serious sacrifice for all musicians. All successful musicians have a sacrifice story, a tale to tell of some wonderful possession, perhaps physical, perhaps spiritual, that they gave up to achieve their dream of musicianship. Also, when aspiring to be a musician, the one piece of advice that everyone seems to give is to ask what one would be willing to give up for it. Perhaps Johnson's story of telling aspiring musicians that they must be willing to forsake even the most dramatically important things in order to reach their goals.
4. I think I would wait at the crossroads like Johnson for an incredibly high intensity of musical talent.
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