Lecture 4: Devils and Daemons in Blues and Rock Vesa Matteo Piludu Helsinki Department of Comparative Religion University of Helsinki

Robert Johnson, blues and rock folklore The topics of the Robert Johnson’s lyrics and legend (hoodoo, love spells Devils, blues spirits) are extremely popular in blues lyrics Rock music, practically born from blues, herded all this folklore themes, that has been reinterpreted in an original way by several authors The “damned” but sensual and fascinating Robert Johnson became also a kind of “model” for blues and rock stars

Website about blues lyrics and hoodoo

SOLD IT TO THE DEVIL by Merline (The Yas yas Girl) Johnson I sold my soul, sold it to the Devil and my heart has turned to stone I sold my soul, sold it to the Devil, and he won't let me alone I'm hateful and I'm evil, I carries a Gatling gun I drink carbolic acid, be darned if I will run But I sold it, I have sold it Sold it to the Devil, and my heart has turned to stone.

Female Hoodoo HOODOO BLUES by Bessie Brown I'm on the war path now, I'm mean and evil I vow, Some woman stole my man, to get even I've a plan. Gonna sprinkle ding 'em dust all around her door Gonna sprinkle ding 'em dust all around her door Put a spider in her dumplin', make her crawl all over the floor

Mojo Hands for women and men MOJO HAND BLUES by Ida Cox I'm going to Louisiana, to get myself a mojo hand I'm going to Louisiana, to get myself a mojo hand 'Cause these backbiting women are trying to take my man MOJO HAND by Lightnin' Hopkins I'm goin' to Louisiana, and get me a mojo hand I'm goin' to Louisiana, and get me a mojo hand I'm gonna fix my woman so she can't have no other man Cold ground was my bed last night, rocks was my pillow too I woke up this morning, I'm wondering, "What in the world am I gonna do?" I lay down thinking, "Buy me a mojo hand."

HOO DOO BLUES by HARRY CHATMON I'm the old hoodoo, works with white mojo (=white magic hoodoo) I'm the old hoodoo, works with white mojo, I can get a woman a man, anywhere I go. A woman come to me, beggin' and cryin', "Someone have done went and took that man of mine;" "Listen, sweet mama, looked at your hand, Go back home and control your man." (…) I'll tell you one thing, sweet mama, what you'll have to do, Go down town and get you a old horseshoe. Come back home and fix it up over your front door, Bet you five dollars your man'll never leave home no more.

Lightnin’ Hopkins: Black Ghost Blues Black ghost, black ghost, please stay away from my door Black ghost, black ghost, will you please stay away from my door Yeah you know you worry po' Lightnin' so now, I just can't sleep no more Yeah you know I go to dreaming first night, black ghost is all po' Lightnin' can see I go to dreaming first night, black ghost is all po' Lightnin' can see You know that's why I begin to wonder why you keeps on worryin' me Black ghost is a picture, and the black ghost is a shadow too Whoa black ghost is a picture, and the black ghost is a shadow too You just can see him, but you can't hear him talkin' Ain't nothin' else that a black ghost can do Black Ghost Blues!

THE JINX BLUES [No. 1] by Son House Well, I got up this mornin', jinx all 'round jinx all 'round, 'round my bed, Know I thought about you and, honey, and it like to kill me dead (…) You know the blues ain't nothing but a low down shaking, low down shakin', achin' chill (…) Well, blues, blues, is a worried heart, is a worried heart, heart disease (…) Know, 'clare the woman you be lovin', man, is so doggone hard to please (…) Mmm, I rather be outdoors, walkin' up, walkin' up, and down the road (…) I said, look a here, darlin', honey, don't you try to cry no more, Well, when I leave this time, I'm gonna hang crepe on your door

Son House "Death Letter Blues" Cassandra Wilson "Death letter" I got a letter this morning, how do you reckon it read? "Oh, hurry, hurry, gal, you love is dead"

Son House "Death Letter Blues" I grabbed my suitcase, I took off, up the road I got there, she was laying on the cooling board I grabbed my suitcase, I took on up the road I got there, she was laying on the cooling board Well, I walked up close, I looked down in her face Good old gal, you got to lay here till Judgment Day I walked up close, and I looked down in her face Yes, been a good old gal, got to lay here till Judgment Day (…) Oh, some people tell me the worried blues ain't bad It's the worst old feelin' that I ever had Some people tell me the worried blues ain't bad Buddy, the worst old feelin', Lord, I ever had Hmmm, I fold my arms, and I walked away "That's all right, mama, your trouble will come someday"

SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS - I Put A Spell On You Recorded also by Nina Simone, Nick Cave, Natasha Atlas and many more … SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS: mR81PGlBeqE&feature=related mR81PGlBeqE&feature=related 'I Put A Spell On You'. Nina Simone (1968) ORSzfw8FE-o&feature=related ORSzfw8FE-o&feature=related I put a spell on you cause you're mine You better stop the things you do I ain’t lyin’ No I ain’t lyin’ You know I cant stand it You’re runnin’ around You know better daddy I cant stand it cause you put me down I put a spell on you Because you’re mine You’re mine I love ya I love you I love you I love you anyhow And I don’t care If you don't want me I'm yours right now You hear me I put a spell on you Because you're mine

I ain't superstitious – Willie Dixon 1962 recorded also by The Rolling Stones (1978) Well, I ain't superstitious, black cat just cross my trail Well, I ain't superstitious, oh the black cat just cross my trail Don't sweep me with no broom, I might get put in jail When my right hand itches, I gets money for sure When my right hand itches, I gets money for sure But, when my left eye jumps, somebody's got to go (…) Well, the dogs are howlin, all over the neighborhood Whoa, the dogs are howlin, all over the neighborhood That is true sign of death, baby, that ain't no good Willie Dixon (William James Dixon) July 1, Jan. 29, 1992

Skip James - Devil Got My Woman I'd rather be the devil, to be that woman man I'd rather be the devil, to be that woman man Aw, nothin' but the devil, changed my baby's mind Was nothin' but the devil, changed my baby's mind I laid down last night, laid down last night I laid down last night, tried to take my rest My mind got to ramblin', like a wild geese From the west, from the west The woman I love, woman that I loved Woman I loved, took her from my best friend But he got lucky, stoled her back again And he got lucky, stoled her back again

Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil 1968 Beggars Banquet JpNoniDH6IY JpNoniDH6IY Please allow me to introduce myself I’m a man of wealth and taste I’ve been around for a long, long year Stole many a mans soul and faith And I was ‘round when Jesus Christ Had his moment of doubt and pain Made damn sure that Pilate Washed his hands and sealed his fate Pleased to meet you Hope you guess my name But what's puzzling you Is the nature of my game I stuck around St. Petersburg When I saw it was a time for a change Killed the czar and his ministers Anastasia screamed in vain I rode a tank Held a generals rank When the blitzkrieg raged And the bodies stank

Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil Hope you guess my name, oh yeah Ah, what's puzzling you Is the nature of my game, oh yeah I watched with glee While your kings and queens Fought for ten decades For the gods they made I shouted out, Who killed the Kennedys? When after all It was you and me Let me please introduce myself I'm a man of wealth and taste And I laid traps for troubadours Who get killed before they reached Bombay (…) Just as every cop is a criminal And all the sinners saints As heads is tails Just call me Lucifer cause I'm in need of some restraintSo if you meet me Have some courtesy Have some sympathy, and some taste Use all your well-learned politesse Or Ill lay your soul to waste, um yeah

Sympathy, The Master and Margarita Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste These opening lines reflect Jagger's direct inspiration by The Master and Margarita, with the book opening with the similar "'Please excuse me,' he said, speaking correctly, but with a foreign accent, 'for presuming to speak to you without an introduction'" Richards suggested changing the tempo and using additional percussion

Bruce Sprinsteen – Youngtown LP: The Gost of Tom Joad 1995 Here in north east Ohio Back in eighteen-o-three James and Danny Heaton Found the ore that was linin' yellow creek They built a blast furnace Here along the shore And they made the cannon balls That helped the union win the war Here in Youngstown Here in Youngstown My sweet Jenny, I'm sinkin' down Here darlin' in Youngstown Kept 'em hotter than hell I come home from 'Nam worked my way to scarfer A job that'd suit the devil as well Taconite, coke and limestone Fed my children and made my pay Then smokestacks reachin' like the arms of god Into a beautiful sky of soot and clay Well my daddy come on the 0hio works When he come home from world war two Now the yards just scrap and rubble He said, "hem big boys did what Hitler couldn't do" These mills they built the tanks and bombs

Bruce Sprinsteen – Youngtown LP: The Gost of Tom Joad 1995 That won this country's wars We sent our sons to Korea and Vietnam Now we're wondering what they were dyin' for From the Monongaleh valley To the Mesabi iron range To the coal mines of Appalacchia The story's always the same Seven-hundred tons of metal a day Now sir you tell me the world's changed Once I made you rich enough Rich enough to forget my name When I die I don't want no part of heaven I would not do heavens work well I pray the devil comes and takes me To stand in the fiery furnaces of hell The lyrics ego want to be punished as Robert Johnson in Me and the Devil blues

Bruce Springsteen - Devils and Dust 2005 I got my finger on the trigger But I don't know who to trust When I look into your eyes There's just devils and dust We're a long, long way from home, Bobbie Home's a long, long way from us I feel a dirty wind blowing Devils and dust I got God on my side And I'm just trying to survive What if what you do to survive Kills the things you love Fear's a powerful thing, baby It can turn your heart black you can trust It'll take your God filled soul And fill it with devils and dust Well I dreamed of you last night In a field of blood and stone The blood began to dry The smell began to rise Well I dreamed of you last night, Bobbie In a field of mud and bone Your blood began to dry And the smell began to rise (…) Now every woman and every man They wanna take a righteous stand Find the love that God wills And the faith that He commands I've got my finger on the trigger And tonight faith just ain't enough When I look inside my heart There's just devils and dust

Iron Maiden The number of the beast, Woe to You Oh Earth and Sea for the Devil sends the beast with wrath because he knows the time is short Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast for it is a human number its number is six hundred and sixty six I lived alone my mind was blank I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind What did I see? Could I believe? That what I saw that night was real and not just fantasy Just what I saw in my old dreams were they reflections of my warped mind staring back at me?

The number of the beast, 1982 'Cause in my dreams it's always there the evil face that twists my mind and brings me to despair - Yeah! Night was black was no use holding back 'Cause I just had to see was someone watching me In the mist dark figures move and twist was all this for real or just some kind of hell the Number of the Beast Hell and fire was spawned to be released Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised as they start to cry hands held to the sky In the night the fires burning bright the ritual has begun Satan's work is done

The number of the beast, the Number of the Beast Sacrifice is going on tonight This can't go on I must inform the law Can this still be real or some crazy dream but I feel drawn towards the evil chanting hordes they seem to mesmerize me...can't avoid their eyes 666 the Number of the Beast 666 the one for you and me I'm coming back I will return And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn I have the fire I have the force I have the power to make my evil take its course

The number of the beast isn’t satanistic The texts tells about an inner struggle against an evil power The theme is quite similar to the Delta blues’ ones

Metallica: Loverman (Nick Cave) LP: Garage Inc There's a devil waiting outside your door (How much longer) There's a devil waiting outside your door It is bucking and braying and pawing at the floor And he's howling with pain and crawling up the walls There's a devil waiting outside your door He's weak with evil and broken by the world He's shouting your name and he's asking for more There's a devil waiting outside your door Forever, Amen Till end of time Take off that dress I'm coming down I'm your loverman Cause I am what I am what I am what I am L is for LOVE, baby O is for ONLY you that I do V is for loving VIRTUALLY all that you are E is for loving almost EVERYTHING that you do R is for RAPE me M is for MURDER me A is for ANSWERING all of my prayers N is for KNOWING your loverman's going to be the answer to all of yours

Nick Cave: Loverman 1994 I'll be your loverman! I got a masterplan To take off your dress And be your man Seize the throne Seize the mantle Seize the crown Cause I am what I am What I am what I am I'm your loverman! There's a devil lying by your side You might think he's asleep but look at his eyes He wants you, baby, to be his bride There's a devil lying by your side Loverman! Loverman! y1WXVG7h0bM y1WXVG7h0bM T4Tl18T38P4&feature=related T4Tl18T38P4&feature=related

Metallica: Loverman (Nick Cave) LP: Garage Inc Loverman! Till the bitter end While empires burn down Forever and ever and ever and ever Amen I'm your loverman So help me, baby So help me Cause I am what I am what I am what I am I'll be your loverman! There's a devil crawling along your floor There's a devil crawling along your floor With a trembling heart, he's coming through your door With his straining sex in his jumping paw There's a devil crawling along your floor And he's old and he's stupid and he's hungry and he's sore And he's lame and he's blind and he's dirty and he's poor Give him more (…) I'll say it again L is for LOVE, baby O is for O yes I do V is for VIRTUE, so I ain't gonna hurt you E is for EVEN if you want me to R is for RENDER unto me, baby M is for that which is MINE A is for ANY old how, darling N is for ANY old time