Poem and song by Jack Foley + Tony Perez; narrative and art by deb Ewing
Jack Foley, recitation; Tony Perez, vocal; Don Caruth, guitar; Jon Dryden, piano and Hammond B-3; Doug Pohorsky, bass; Ron E Beck, drums. Engineered by Doug Pohorsky. Mixed and mastered by Steve Glaze.
AT THE CROSSROADS:
A BALLAD OF A LIE ABOUT ROBERT JOHNSON
There’s a dark man waiting
down by the crossroads
they say he’s older
than a thousand years
holds a knife in one hand
in the other a guitar
they say when you meet him
you flow with tears
I’ll see, I’ll see
He’s got a million names
but one’s Old Nick
seen a million things
go down the stream
he’ll never be blessed
but he’ll never die
I always thought
he was just a dream
I’ll see, I’ll see
my name is Robert
son of John
I want my hands
to learn to play
he says I have
an immortal soul
if I have it’s his
I’m in his sway
I’ll see, I’ll see
Dear Robert, Dear Robert
says my soul to me
Dear Robert, Dear Robert
you still are free
you still can refuse
his foul commands
music comes pouring
from my willing hands
I’ll see, I’ll see
Robert Johnson is a legendary blues guitarist – legend says he sold his soul to the devil at The Crossroads (more or less identified as located an intersection north of Clarksdale, Mississippi.) His style was said to be otherworldly. It spawned inspiration in blues players everywhere and earned him a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
John Wayne Harold “Jack” Foley is an American poet, radio personality, and Arts activist whose life and career spans continents. His journey began on the East Coast, diverted to India, and landed him in Oakland, California, whence he operates today, advocating for expression in sound and print. His latest book, Creative Death, can be found here at Igneus Press.
Tony Perez remembers meeting Jack for the first time: “I made a contribution to KPFA in support of your show and as a prize , you drove down to San Jose to give me an hour of your time ( you stayed for 2 ) – we discussed poetry and got to know each other a little. At the time, I was living in a van. What drew me to your show was your reading of Harold Norse poem with the hook : “you must have been a beautiful baby.”