Cross Road Blues

In David Brackett’s article Preaching Blues, he explains that blues was about the “cross roads” that evokes both the sin/ salvation dualism between early 20^th century African American South and religious practices. This is best seen in Robert Johnson’s song “Cross Road Blues”.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsB_cGdgPTo)  The song is about the perseverance of beliefs related to neo-African “cult” religions in the Mississippi Delta area.  Blues in this area tapped into the myths portrayed in this culture and gives us some insight into the decompartmentalized view of religion held by those in these communities.

When I listen to the song I hear the story of a man who's society does not see him.  This is because of his race and ethic back round.  He says that the dark is going to catch him and this can be seen as the shadow that is cast on African Americans in the US.  It has also been argued that he is speaking of the road in which young African American men traveled at night between places of work that was especially dangerous and perilous because of their race.