| Subject: Re: At the Crossroads |
Author:
Victoria Vance
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Date Posted: 12:50:34 10/07/07 Sun
In reply to:
Mr. Moore
's message, "At the Crossroads" on 07:41:26 10/05/07 Fri
1. Robert Johnson's deal with the devil, if true, was faustian, for there was "short term gain (e.g. fame, fortune, knowledge) for long term pain (i.e. the person's soul)" (wikipedia). Johnson was only able to gain fame for eight years, but his sense of escape and running from the devil tortured him. This made him able to write soul-filled songs, but none the less, was a sense of hell.
2. Hoodoo is traditional folk spiritualism and magic. Johnson had a knowledge of hoodoo, as did all African Americans around New Orleans, and it played a major role in his music. He often discusses the devil and other hoodoo key words, like "mojo," "crossroads," and "stones in his passway." Also, Johnson probably studied from a Hoodoo root doctor. Everything that a musician goes through, each experience they have comes together and influences them. Just the knowledge of Hoodoo in that time would have been manifest in his music in some way, whether he consciously put them in there or not.
3. Robert Johnson's story of dealing with the devil in exchange for talent and fame is a metaphor. Fame is only achievable with sin in some form- giving up the past, betraying people to "climb the ladder," even publicity ploys like a sex tape, drugs, and other questionable acts. All through history, musicians were looked down upon. They were trading all dignity, standing, and respect for the chance to play music or create art. They were essentially "sinning" for their creativity. They were trading their lives, their "souls", for the music. All musicians have to sacrifice something for success. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
4. I would wait at the crossroads to know every part of the world, including languages.
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