Stiffin' the Devil Copyright 2003 Stan Lyness   blues, male voice	broadband listen
	MIDI only
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12-BAR BLUES IN D EXCEPT AS NOTED

                 LEAD-IN:  A   G   D   A
       I went down to the crossroads of Lexington and Comm Ave.
  Yes, I went down to the crossroads of Lexington and Comm Ave.
  I found the devil there at midnight, said "We each got what each other's gotta have."

 I said "Make me like Robert Johnson, the guitar-slidin' man,
   yeah, make me like you made Johnson, the finest singin' writin' playin' man",
  He said "Mr Johnson paid with black man's soul and yours, well, you're just Stan."

  So I said, "Tell me then:  what price will this soul bring?
    If you're gonna drive your bargain tell me what I can get for this thing?"
He said "I'll teach you three chords, and I'll throw in a spare set of strings."

              D                                    D
       Well I () grabbed those strings, I mastered () my three chords,
            ( D      G )     A       A          A
     I played I, and IV, and V, 'til even I got bored,

  then I went down to the crossroads to buy my soul back there,
   yes I went down to the crossroads to meet the devil there,
      but the first thing that I met was the 505 from Watertown Square.

      But the devil found me soon enough, he came collectin' what was due,
        and I said as I lay dyin' an' the devil came for his due,
              A
 I said "When () brain function ceases,
              G
              () the soul does too,
            ( F          Dm )
   so all you devils and angels,
            ( A7        D )
          the joke's on you."
    

Hearing "Right On Time", Stan Swiniarski said I had a Robert Johnson thing going on.  I was initially surprised and flattered of course.  But now that I've thought it over, I am struck by the extraordinary similarity.

Robert Johnson		Stan Lyness
Sold soul to devil at crossroads of routes 61 and 49		Never sold anything.