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Table of Contents
Hellhound on my Trail
Background on Writer
Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 - August 1, 1938) was an American musician and songwriter, specifically known for the Blues genre that was emerging in the early twentieth century and gaining traction. He was so good at what he did that some refer to his as the “first ever rock star”.
Most of his life story was undocumented as he didn’t become popular until after his death, and his career as a recorded musician was rather brief, spanning about seven months. But the most famous story researchers have found is that he sold his soul to the devil. It's said that this story went on to inspire writers, and even got a Supernatural episode based off of it during the series' first season on the CW.
No one knows how he died. There is no cause of death on the official record and there was never an autopsy done on his body. There is speculation that it could’ve been syphilis, but it's never been proven. The seemingly hidden nature of his death adds to the mysterious life he lived and serves as fuel for the rumors that he predicted his death.
Poem's Meaning
This poem is actually a song, although one could make the argument that all songs are poems, but not all poems are songs. Two of his biggest hits, “Crossroads” and “Hellhound on my Trail” go hand in hand with each other if the legends are true. To better understand the poem, you have to understand the folklore behind it.
Folktale
It is said that Johnson traveled to the crossroads of Highways 49 and 61 in Clarksdale, Mississippi with his guitar and walked away with a god-like instrument and no rights to his soul. Some say he saw the Devil there, others will theorize it was a lower level demon.
Either way, when the time came for him to make his payment, he ran, hellhounds chasing him down until they caught him and took his soul to its rightful owner.
If the folktale is to be believed; this poem is about his time running from literal hellhounds, trying to save his own life.
More than likely, it is about a man who has a choice to make and people that are pressuring him and he is trying to run from it and keep putting it off. All he wants is to go home to his “little sweet woman” and to leave everything else behind.
It is worth noting that most of his songs' lyrics add fuel to the supernatural story of his life and death. Which could be a coincidence, but that’s a big coincidence.
Crossroads
- Believed to be a place one could go to make a deal with the Devil.
- There are different demons at each crossroad that serve to try to tempt and pressure people into making deals.
- Greek Goddess Hecate is associated with crossroads as when you come to them you face a difficult decision to make. (Made more popularized again by Percy Jackson diving into this facet of myth.)
From Song to Poem
In 1975, Eric Sackheim published The Blues Line: Blues Lyrics from Leadbelly to Muddy Waters, an anthology of blues lyrics which features nearly three hundred songs from over one hundred singers across the United States. This collection traces the origins of blues from the rural South to its eventual migration to more urban areas such as Memphis, St. Louis and Chicago. Within this anthology, Robert Johnson's “Hellhound on my Trail” is lineated into poetic form.
Form
This poem's form is rather unique because rather than follow a traditional lyric structure, Eric Sackheim's lineation draws out each blues verse. To be more precise, each line becomes indented until the guitar riff interrupts the singer, pulling the reader into the downward motion of Johnson's lyrics and pitch until it rises again in the next verse. Sackheim's lineation is therefore attempting to mimic the motion and inflection particular to both the song and the genre.
Original Recording
Follow this link to listen to Johnson's original recording alongside the poem: Hellhound on my Trail
