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Hell Hound on My Trail

Robert Johnson
Language: English


Robert Johnson

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Related Songs

Hangman's Blues‎
(Blind Lemon Jefferson)
Black Betty
(Lead Belly)


[1937]
Parole di Robert Leroy Johnson (1911-1938), King of the Delta Blues
Sulla melodia di "Devil Got My Woman", composta nel 1931 da Skip James
Canzone incisa a Dallas, Texas, il 19 giugno del 1937 (78 rpm, etichetta Perfect-Pathé Actuelle)

Robert Johnson

Hell Hound on My Trail


Una canzone che forse s'ispira ad un episodio raccontato a Robert Johnson dal suo patrigno, Charles Dodds, che nel 1909 era stato costretto a fuggire – di notte, travestito da donna – dal paese di Hazlehurst, Mississippi (dove poi Robert sarebbe nato due anni dopo da una relazione tra la madre e tal Noah Johnson), perchè minacciato di linciaggio da una mob organizzata da due bianchi (italiani, i fratelli Marchetti) con cui aveva litigato. Charles Dodds si rifece una vita a Memphis, sotto il falso nome di Charles Spencer. La madre mandò presto Robert a vivere a Memphis col patrigno. Robert si riunì con la madre nel 1919 ma solo più tardi riassunse il cognome del padre naturale, Johnson.

Hell hound on my trail (Tavola da  "Illustrated Edition of the Life and Escape of Wm. Wells Brown from American Slavery", by Wm. Wells Brown, Written by Himself, 1851)
Hell hound on my trail (Tavola da "Illustrated Edition of the Life and Escape of Wm. Wells Brown from American Slavery", by Wm. Wells Brown, Written by Himself, 1851)


Tra il 1882 ed il 1968, negli USA vennero commessi quasi 4.800 linciaggi, e 3500 vittime furono afroamericane. Gli Stati più solerti in questa pratica erano ovviamente al Sud, in primis la Georgia, il Mississippi ed il Texas, seguiti da Louisiana, Florida, Alabama e Arkansas. (en.wikipedia)
I got to keep movin’
I’ve got to keep movin’
Blues fallin’ down like hail
Blues fallin’ down like hail.
Umm mmm mmm mmm
Blues fallin’ down like hail
Blues fallin’ down like hail
And the days keeps on worryin’ me
There’s a hellhound on my trail
Hell hound on my trail
Hell hound on my trail.

If today was Christmas eve
If today was Christmas eve
And tomorrow Christmas day
If today was Christmas eve
And tomorrow Christmas day
(Aw, wouldn’t we have a time, baby?)
All I would need my little sweet rider just
To pass the time away
Huh huh
To pass the time away.

You sprinkled hot foot powder, mmm
Around my door
All around my door
You sprinkled hot foot powder, mmm
All around your daddy’s door
Hmm hmm hmm
It keep me with ramblin’ mind, rider
Every old place I go
Every old place I go.

I can tell, the wind is risin’
The leaves tremblin’ on the tree
Tremblin’ on the tree
I can tell, the wind is risin’
Leaves tremblin’ on the tree
Hmm hmm mmm mmm.
All I need’s my little sweet woman
And to keep my company
Hmmm hmm, hey hey
My company.

Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2020/2/14 - 17:49


Si legga l'interessante ricerca musicale di Karlos K. Hill su Study the South.
Vi si fa riferimento sia a questa "Hell Hound on My Trail" che a Hangman's Blues‎ di Blind Lemon Jefferson.

B.B. - 2020/2/14 - 19:00




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