The Deal with the Devil that Created Rock & Roll - Demonic Tales & Robert Johnson
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- Опубліковано 30 кві 2023
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when we getting the bible story about the talking donkey tho?
I love you
Where’s your merch dad?
You look nice, all dressed up in your Sunday best
Don’t work yourself to hard
Being accused of making a pact with the devil must have been the precursor to being called a hacker in a video game.
Facts tho!
wait i think ur onto something
Dudes who speak Latin be like.
😂😂
It was an allegory meant to teach people to not sign a contract. Specifically for loans.
There was no such thing as "bankruptcy" prior to the early 18th century. If you missed one loan payment then the bank took everything you own, your family as slaves/indentured servants, and then either executed you (if you were a noble) or sent you to debtors prison (were you starved to death over 3 weeks). The cherry on top is that other family members would then "inherit" the debt, and be expected to pay it or suffer the same fate.
So the allegory of "sell your soul and live large for one year. Then the devil comes for his due" was born.
This man once said “the devil doesn’t come to you with a red face and horns, he comes disguised as everything you ever wanted” and I swear I’ve never heard anything more true before
👀 🍵
Oshit where do I wait then?
He's the world's greatest deceiver duhh
@@ironpulcinella3586 First mistake is talking to the beast
My apologies everyone I’m full of bs Robert never said this lol he did say “You may bury my body down by the highway side. So my old evil spirit can catch a Greyhound bus and ride." which is still pretty neat :)
An exorcist said the devil came up to him as a handsome man in a fitted suit offering to buy him drinks at the bar, the exorcist was a struggling alcoholic, he later said he saw the same man at a party he attended with two women from his job. The devil said to him “what are you doing here priest? these are my people this is my domain.” The exorcist said it freaked out the women he was with and they all left the party.
To be fair, being a accused of dealing with the devil because you achieved something impossible is low key such a great compliment
Except people did that exactly because they would prefer to believe you're satanic instead of complimenting you and treating you well, also considering he probably received a lot of racist comments. It's not a comfortable situation at all, and shouldn't be romanticized.
@PVMAS07 As long as you actually believe in God, you shall be forgiven. To be honest with God, what else would you need?
@@CalciumEcho1000I don’t think this works for acts of racism
it's creeping me out that this has 666 likes
@@whoopzdayz44 bro hasn't read the story about the adulterer and Jesus, and how Jesus literally says he does not condemn the adulterer and stops the people from stoning her
Him singing about dealing with the devil is like metal bands that were accused of satanism saying screw it and using pentagrams in their cover art. He really was the father of rock 😂
Sister Rosetta Tharpe invented rock. Maybe examine your unintentional misogyny
@@detectivewigglesthe dude who did it first didn't invent it and I'm misogynist? You have revealed so much to me. If a woman did it second, she created it!
@@detectivewigglesher music is so mid
@@detectivewigglesis that what misogyny is??
Also similar to rappers like lil uzi vert and playboi carti, they aren’t actually satanists but use it to push an image and get people talking.
I like the idea that Robert just really didn't know how to tune a guitar and the "devil" is just some dude who was willing to sit down and show him how to actually tune the thing 😂😂😂
Unbelievable when you put it that way 😆
I'm just imagining this totally normal dude, who just happens to look really fucking intense and kinda maybe the devil.
This is so much more funnier
You know, I had a guitar when I was a teenager but didn't really end up playing it till almost 30 years later and I often think the only thing that kept me from being truly great was not knowing how to tune it. I've always been unusually musical. And most of the "self taught" greats did have a relative who showed them a few chords and how to tune it. Sometimes that's all you need.
@@Abyssaracnis and likely
As iconic as the legend is, I think the story of a man who got laughed off the stage said "alright, I'll show you" and became a guitar god after years of hard work and practice, is a lot more inspirational.
The whole deal with the devil thing just reeks of racism to me. I imagine alot of people couldn't handle a black man being the best guitarist in the country at the time.
@@Specialistkay that’s exactly what I was thinking
it’s very 🤨🤨🤨
@@Specialistkay They’d rather compliment the devil than give Robert his due credit, it’s quite sad really
@@Specialistkay It was snobbery, musicians can be dicks. Blues at the time was almost entirely black and had limited appeal beyond the juke joints and roadhouses it was played in. Robert Johnson was hardly known until long after he passed. Son House was one of the artists who perpetuated the deal with the devil myth.
@@Specialistkay racism really?
28:37 a music theory teacher in college told our class that paganini also probably had unnaturally big hands. So some of the music he wrote and performed was literally impossible for others to replicate, also fueling the rumors of him selling his soul to the devil
I have unnaturally small hands - I mean, six-year-old relatives having the same size hands as adult me - which made trying to learn musical instruments a challenge. Plus my pinky fingers don't like to move separately from my ring fingers...and that is why I sing. Much less involvement from my hands.
@@riaclericaout of curiosity is it painful or just uncomfortable
@@riaclericauncle Jack?
@@willkp50bird law specialist
They say something similar about Johnson having long dexterous fingers that could wrap around the fret completely
I was actually in Mississippi once and I went to find one of his graves. While driving around in search of it, I got pulled over by an older police officer and when I told him that I was there looking for the grave, and I needed help in finding it, he showed me his badge & his name was Robert Johnson. Then he proceeded to point me up the road to where a memorial was for Robert Johnson. I drove up the road and there was just a giant billboard that said "Robert Johnson played and died on this street corner."
This has nearly the same mythical quality as the original legend, and I mean that in the best way 😅
The devil himself visited you to help you on your way lol :p
You must have been in Clarksdale.
Why were you pulled over?
@@crisptomato9495out of state plates.
Wonder what Robert would have said if someone told him that millions people would listen his songs almost eighty years after his passing.
A deal is a deal, even with a dirty dealer. 😈
@@taylororourke2525 Very well,
Then I'll take what I want from Leela. Leela has promised me her hand.
@@precesionnoreaster1507 …Destiny has cheated me BY forcing me to decide upon 🎶
"PAY ME!!!"
"it worked!"
That whole “dying at crossroads” is made a lot scarier by the fact that the majority of car wrecks happen at intersections
Duh
@@ruffusgoodman4137 the way that the point flew over your head so effortlessly is incredible
@@ruffusgoodman4137the speed the point flew over your head was magnificent
@@ronwhite3021 the magnitude by which said point gained increased velocity whilst but grazing your scalp was inconceivable
It’s like intersections have a higher chance of cars crossing each other’s paths or something. Bone chilling.
Can I just state how cool Wendigoon’s audience is? So many of you guys have cool information you share in the comments and have really interesting analyses of the information given and how we can expand it. It’s just so fun and refreshing to read the comments and see all the cool things people have to share.
Yes this is by far the best comment section community ever
And I've never seen a spam comment on a wendigoon video.
his birth was one of tragedy. he was born in mississippi
@@jimmyshmiddles787 Now you've done it! LOL! We're gonna be inundated with spam!
@@philgallagher12 weeks, why you trying to jinx it
here in Chile we have a story called "el roto que engaño al diablo" or The broke/poor (guy) that tricked the devil, it was one of my favorite folklore characters when i was little:
Bartolo Lara, a broken man who lived in the south of Chile decides, desperate for lack of money decides to invoke the devil.
The devil himself appears to him, and Bartolo asks him for a large amount of money in exchange for his soul, the only thing he possessed. The devil asks him when he wants him to take it away, and Bartolo replies "tomorrow." The devil, surprised because people usually want several years to enjoy what they asked for, accepts the deal, but gives him one day. There Bartolo asks to record the pact in a contract, and the devil writes:
Bartolo Lara, I won't take you today, but I'll take you tomorrow.
The deal done, Bartolo enjoys his money for the rest of the day, and in the morning he leaves to join the devil. He makes an appearance and tells him that the time has come to collect the deal, but Bartolo asks that the devil show the contract signed by both parties. There the devil reads it, and realizes that the end of the term was not for that day, but for the next ("I won't take you today, but I'll take you tomorrow"). For the trouble of having returned to the same place, Bartolo asks the devil for money again, generally it is counted as the same sum as the first time, so that every time the devil returned to look for Bartolo's soul, he asked that he check the contract and then demanded more money. This is how a long time passed until the devil realizes that he had been deceived, and he gives up looking for Bartolo. The end of the story is uncertain, many times it is not mentioned, other times it is said that Bartolo enjoyed the remaining money for the rest of his life.
Bartolo just wanted to do a little trolling
"Hey give me more money now."
The devil: *Ok dude.*
Several years later:
The devil: *Fuck this, keep the money.*
Greetings from your neighbor, Argentina! I have heard this story before from a Chilean friend who lives here. It makes me laugh every time I hear it. It's a prime example of "viveza criolla". Saludos!
One of many stories trying to tell people that they can outsmart the devil.
Fun fact: you can't.
I've never heard that story before and my parents are both from Chile and I've asked several times about weird stories like that. Where in Chile are you from? My dad's from San Bernardo and mom's from Santiago. But I live in Canada. Hope you're having a good night!
@@saymyname2417only way you can is by relying and staying close to the true god.
This man really made a 5 hour analysis on a book about death and instead of taking a little break, he then drops a 45 minute analysis on ANOTHER American history story. Absolutely unreal, thank you for feeding us ♡
The AG1 stuff has him doing 90's lol
+ a 26 minute video on selfmummification
Maybe that AG1 really is worth it haha
This is his little break lol
Put your knee pads on bro it won't hurt as much
Deal with the devil or not, I believe when they tried to push him down, he took that as a sign to better himself, to truly love what he appreciates in life. Like a sage, he understood that it was okay to be alone and so he mastered his craft. dedication, time, emotion and passion. He was truly a magnificent musician.
Also, he’s the second oldest of the “27 Club”, so that adds to his mystique.
Lmao "a sage" trying too hard buddy
Wait but wouldn't the deal make what you all said moot,? I mean it's not like the devil is gonna let him chill out in the afterlife
@@KingSilly hate me or love me, they hated Jesus for speaking the truth.
SAGE 💀💀💀💀💀
I love how the actual story was he went and learned from a local guitar player and practiced in graveyards with him because he said "The dead can't complain."
If the dead heard my guitar, they'd be forced to get up out the grave and relocate to another bone yard.
As an artist myself, I'm happy you included the true story of how Johnson learned his craft instead of just telling the Devil aspect of the story. Learning a skill takes years of work and dedication and to me, talking about that aspect is really important because he didn't just get good one day, he worked for it.
He went from trash to legend in a year so the devil tale is more appropriate than your ego may like.
@@godwarrior3403 3 years actually. A lot can happen in that amount of time if you set your mind to it and have the capability to push forward through the trials and tribulations.
This was also the 30's. He spent three years becoming an advanced guitarist for his time. Emphasis on the time period. I find it believable that a man had a certain knack for songwriting and just happened to be a bit ahead of his time. It's not as if he came out after three years playing like Eddie Van Halen or Brian May.
@@godwarrior3403dude what 😂😂😂
@@godwarrior3403 Do you blame the devil for any skill anyone learns? Kind weird.
The graveyard practice explained at 33:20 is actually kinda brilliant. It's funny but more then that it's a great way to practice in an uncomfortable, populated environment like up on a stage. Practicing on your own doesn't take into account the pressure of being in front of people and a graveyard seems a great 'safe' place to emulate it, the player being conscious of the people (and possibly spirits) around them.
Love visiting my grandma's grave whilst listening to some dude's solo rendition of Free Bird
Ayyyeee I watched a Bob Marley documentary where him and his band mates would practice at the cemetery at midnight haha literally thought it was brilliant too!
Imagine a movie that’s based on his life and it starts with how the legend says it went but it then flips and shows the tragic life of an inspired artist who gave it his all and dedicated three entire years of nothing but playing and being under the wing of a another great artist. That spooky scary scene of him on the cross roads getting his guitar tuned by the devil, then turns to a calm quiet night in a calm cemetery playing some of the best music that hadn’t been heard yet under a Mississippi star lit sky. Instead of being evil and satanic it’s more enlightened and even spiritual since it’s in a cemetery.
I always thought he found someone who taught him the basics and then he worked like hell to create his own technique and style. Some people just have the talent AND the determination to work hard to gain the skill.
He truly was ahead of his time
He did, the guitarist who actually claimed to have made a deal with the devil was Tommy Johnson, who is not related to Robert in any way. People conflated the two and Robert seems to have just gone along with the story people told about him.
@@classlessknave239interesting, will have to look more into this
Wendi mentions the mix up at the end of the video, actually.
And I agree, but I guess people must've been so jealous that they had to blame the devil, cause it's not like sheer hard will, practice, and determination can make you good at something ... Ofcourse not.
Practice makes perfect
That is what most likely happened, this is just the legend. He became so good that people couldn’t believe it and thought he had to have sold his soul.
I definitely don't believe the Devil narrative bc there's a LOT you can learn in 3 years. If he was as dedicated as they say, I absolutely believe he could have found a good teacher, buckled down and got really good at guitar in 3 years.
Also I think a video on the 27 Club would be hella interesting!
If you spent 3 years of your life everyday doing nothing but practicing a guitar, it would be more surprising if you weren't good at it lmao.
Also, the extra string probably helped. I've had friends with long hands and fingers that need to get custom instruments with a custom extra string so it'll be easier to play
A more obvious theory that I think is kinda funny. Any time he mentions in his songs “the devil” or “hellhound on my tail” he’s talking about woman. His ‘side chicks’ if you will. Which makes waaaay more sense and makes the songs go from scary to funny.
uh huh yeah sure
🤡... Pure wishful thinking.
What makes you so sure there's a real difference between them 👹
1930: He can't be that good, he must've sold his soul
2020: He can't be that good, he must be an industry plant
Same thing 😂
@@mjm5899 With the industry execs having learned a few things about writing enforceable contracts over the years...
Ouroboros
It's pretty much all in the same realm 🎬🦻🏾📠 16:34
industry plants arent good just incredibly mediocre
A thing to note: it's widely believed that Robert's recordings were sped up due to bad recording equipment of the era. You can actually find slowed down versions here on UA-cam and they're just as, if not more, haunting as the studio versions.
Just a tribute
@@stardustorchard9316 the greatest and best song in the world...................... tribute
There’s no real evidence of that, it was just a rumor some moron published in the Guardian and people ran with it, as far as I understand.
"The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin for a soul to steal, he was in a bind, he was way behind and was willing to make a deal."
Most people don't know that the devil went back down to Georgia...yeah, as in a second part.
Bro that song is so fire, ngl I might learn the fiddle solo on guitar someday 😆😆
Come to think of it, WHY was the devil in a bind? He’s his own boss. It isn’t like he has a quota to fill.
Love me some CDB
@@KM-hv1jgHis bind was being stuck in the middle of nowhere Georgia and needing directions
The devil putting a description of himself at the very end of the book seems like one of the trolliest things i've ever heard this guy do.
I just imagined him putting a little smily guy with horns and a trident, beneath him says "made by me"
And of course, this gave rise to one of America's most important cultural moments: The episode of Metalocalypse where they attempt to make a deal with the Devil, negotiating with him so long and hard that he gives up and leaves.
Dethklok kicks ass!.
And the one with mashed potato Johnson and they learn that blues is just about trains
“I’m gonna sleep on it and contact a notary”
“I’m a notary”
“I’m going to sleep on it”
I imagine the devil is like Excalibur from Soul Eater who will give you what you want but is annoying to put up with.
As a Mississippi native, the story of Robert Johnson has always been a favorite of mine. His guitar skills are incredible too, it sounds like 2 people playing with how well he can do it. Glad to see him getting some recognition.
My farts are better than Wendigoon’s farts.
@@p-__ hey, settle down over there, m’kay? :)
Most of those old blues guys played In open guitar tunings to sound louder and also didn't use picks.
All that said Robert Johnson was and still is a legend. I wonder what he would've said if you told him some homeless white boy would be playing his music almost 100 years later.
@@p-__ I’d buy that for a dollar!
@@BrookseyJayhow much do a dollar cost Kendrick Lamar
Wendigoon must have sold his soul to the Devil to have become such a phenomenal storyteller.
I was just thinking that and scrolled down and saw your comment!!!!! O wow...
He just ate "cereal" everyday
At the crossroad
"It is reminiscent of rock and roll the way your grandfather is reminiscent of yourself", mate that is beautifully expressed.
The story of Robert Johnson reminds me of the webcomic by Sarah Andersen where people are wondering how she's so good at art and praising her natural talents, but she keeps telling them it's just practice.
Except Johnson eventually got good
@@LunarLocust you ever try enjoying things?
@@papabaddadwell they clearly enjoy comedy… speak for yourself. Writing a ‘web-comic’ about how good at web-comics you are is pretentious, and I’ve never heard of Sarah Anderson. Maybe she’s actually great at it, but it’s still pretentious. it was a funny comment that someone would’ve made at one point or another. Let the dude do as he pleases.
@@ALIVEROSIN “how do you draw” “you practice” “wow that’s so pretentious”
@@ALIVEROSIN ah, the "no fun allowed crowd" assembled
Funny Story, only slighty related:
Here in Venezuela there's a folk tale known as "Florentino and the Devil". The story revolves around The Devil challenging Florentino, a joropo singer, to a contrapunteo, which is basically a joropo-themed rap battle. They sing against each other until Florentino references the Holy Trinity right at dawn, vanquishing The Devil. The funniest part is it's one of the most well-known and historically significant pieces of literature in the country having plenty of voiced and book adaptations.
@Dr. Pennybags interesting how the devil doesn’t just go after the ppl who enslaved and genocide natives and indigenous ppl globally with the Bible in their hand but hey u got a guitar…
sounds really similar to “the devil went down to georgia”, wonder if there’s a story like this in every culture
@@broidk8291 There's something very compelling about beating the Devil in contests, even more so if it's on a musical performance.
@@YouW00t- Florentiner did not win the contest. He called upon the Trinity (meaning Jesus and His Father) and *THAT* is what made the devil flee.
Don't think the musician could have ever outdone satan. Nor that any human can.
@@saymyname2417 Thanks for clarifying, it's easy to assume he won as that's how thing usually go in pop Satan battles.
When bored at work you can count on Wendigoon
“Step back, Devil Man! I AM the blues!” So said Robert Johnson as he left the crossroads.
There’s so much more to Johnson’s story. I’ve written about him extensively and about the deal that cast its long shadow over rock. He is the origin of the “27 Club,” and that’s the Devil’s dues being paid when you see a great talent, like Cobain for instance, die young. The Crossroads Curse has struck many times, and seems to strike worst those who steal Johnson’s music, or who incorporate it into new stuff without crediting him. Elmore James, Mick Jones, Gram Parsons, to name a few. The other aspect of the Curse is heroin addiction; some survived, some didn’t: Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and later Cobain and Winehouse. Why heroin? Street heroin is cut with strychnine - and it was strychnine in the bottom of a whiskey bottle that took Johnson at 27 years old. Of all the great rock musicians no one was more cursed than Eric Clapton who took “Crossroads Blues” and made it his own, then heavily borrowed from Johnson throughout his career. Plagued by misfortune, Clapton fell into heroin addiction, lost Patti, watched people die around him all the time (Duane Allman and Hendrix, to name two), and lost his own child when the boy fell 27 stories to his death. Clapton’s curse was finally lifted when he released “From the Cradle,” which finally credited Johnson and brought him to a new audience, and when he established an addiction treatment center in Antigua for struggling heroin addicts. Page struggled with heroin addiction in the years following the death of John Bonham (though admittedly there were other magickal elements in play). Things finally cleared up when during remastering Page finally credited Johnson appropriately for “Traveling Riverside Blues,” which was in the bones of “Whole Lotta Love,” and re-released a cut the band had made of that song. Shortly thereafter, the great London concert reunion became a reality, and Zep enjoyed a renaissance among die-hards and gained a whole new generation of fans.
We in the South still take the crossroads very seriously; magick and hoodoo are still worked at crossroads all over the place. Of course, as the Devil told Mr. Johnson, “Voodoo oozes from New Orleans like the [Mississippi] river for a reason!” But as you say, the legend of the crossroads is ancient: Hecate Trevia, Queen of Witches, enters this world at a triple crossroads when she rides out with her hounds in November, quaffing her thirst on the blood of the black puppies left there for her, supplication to leave the living alone; suicides and unbaptized infants were often buried at lonely crossroads; viable infants who could not be fed by poor families were left exposed at crossroads to die, creating one of the most powerful ghosts known to supernatural lore; criminals were famously hung at crossroads, where witches would later go to sever a hand to make a Hand of Glory and gather the soil into which the putrefaction had leached, or to pick the deadly herbs that sprung up in the foul gallows soil.
There was a full moon over the crossroads that night when a big black man wearing a natty old yellow suit and a bowler hat, and chewing on a cigar, came up behind Johnson and took that four-stringed guitar - which Johnson found in a trash heap in Hazelhurst - tuned it, made it screech like a dying cat, then handed it back, seven strings and all, into Johnson’s paralyzed arms. “You knows what just happened, boy?” said the Devil man. “Yes,” stammered Johnson. “Good!” said the Devil. Then he pointed north along the road. “That way,” he said. “And if you sees a woman a’walking along wearing shiny red shoes don’t tell her nothin’ about seeing me. Dat’s be my wife, and she been lookin’ for me!” 😈
The devil and curses can't hurt you if you're with Jesus. Don't buy into that "give Robert credit" stuff, it can't protect you from the devil. Only Jesus can.
@@godwarrior3403 I don't believe in any of it, as magic isn't real, so it can't get me at all. But I love the stories and the folklore about it nonetheless.
Dude I’ve researched and practically idolized Clapton all my life yet I never realized that maybe the reason his life was so “cursed” was because he never gave Robert Johnson the credit. Not saying I believe it, but that’s such an interesting connection
@@alexis8500 He definitely believes it. He released “Me and Mr. Johnson” and founded a heroin addiction treatment center to make peace with it. 🙂
this youtube comment was better than the video itself 😂 wow! gave me chills.
Why does Wendigoon seem like the only UA-camr who has unique, interesting, truly terrifying content? Never seen a UA-cam channel touch on self mummification, world’s most radioactive man, Blood Meridian, and all of the other content with such a perfect balance of respect and thoroughness that I can never get tired of. So glad I found this channel
Because the vast majority of UA-camrs pump out low quality garbage to appeal to trend-hopping overstimulated zoomers. If you like Wendigoon, you'll probably like Fredrik Knudson. Fred hasn't uploaded in over a year, but a new video is coming soon. A very big one, apparently.
Totally agree
Emplemon is another youtuber that you might like. His history of nascar video had me super invested despite not caring about nascar at all.
@@RandomPerson964 if you like dark things you might like horrorcow productions ross series. I think hes stopped making videos but his content was pretty good
@@RandomPerson964 unfortunately that is the truth of it. I’ll definitely look into the UA-camr you mentioned, it’s been hard trying to find content that parallels to Wendigoon
My dad has a shirt with Robert Johnson on it. I remember asking about who the man on his shirt was as a kid, and my dad telling me this incredible, unsettling tale of how he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his musical skills. I was captivated. His story is what first sparked my interest in all things unusual. Thanks for this video, it really took me back. Can’t wait to share this with my pops :)
Devil went down to Georgia
@@kevinmahaley4916 he was lookin for a soul to steal
@Pirate Aleks he was in a bind cause he was way behind
@@ivyum6976 he was lookin' to make a deal
This comment is so cool; you get to share cool stories with your dad. Sounds like he's a bit of an occultist/weirdo like us. Those of us with conservative and christian fathers had to do a lot of deconstructing to be able to enjoy this stuff.
I first have to say, the pure passion with which you talk about Ancestor Robert Johnson is incredible. Your interpretation that he was a young man who desperately wanted to better himself and did the work to do that is probably the most vindicating and honestly emotional part of this piece for me. This man, beaten down by life and almost everyone in it, was accused of selling his ENTIRE soul for fame. Whatever truth there is in it, ultimately this is the story of a young man who was so in love with music that he dedicated his life (and, yes, soul) to pushing the craft to a point where he could truly express his pain, thus really giving rise to popular music as we know it.
Secondly, I was not expecting to see Jonghyun in your 27 Club collage, mainly because in a mainstream sense not many people know who he was or the depth of his talent. On all fronts, thank you, Wendigoon 😊
Me too. When I saw Jjong’s face I actually got excited (?) but also, a bit sad. It is still hard for me to see him
Okay the devil narrative undersells the amount of work Robert had to put in but I just have to say: How badass of a story and how hard does that go where the devil comes to Robert and personally shows him a new sound and even possibly adding a whole new string to his guitar. I think the devil idea is cool if it's more like a teacher rather than Robert just magically gaining the new sound.
This is one of those stories in music that gets REAL weird. The fact he played with his back turned and theres a "ghost guitar" in the back of some songs is so eerie
Yo, where did you hear about the ghost guitar? I know he had techniques to make it sound like multiple guitars were playing. I dont think thats what you mean and google didnt help
@@ethanregan-byrne4281 there was an old podcast I listened to on a long car ride. She made a point to play a clip where there was what sounded like a 2nd guitar playing.
roberts music is genuinely some of the most haunting pieces you can learn and play. even just playing it on a guitar can make you feel uneasy. like there’s something listening even when you’re by yourself.
Probably developed that skill while playing in the graveyard, make music that silence would like.
There are stories of demons influencing specific songs. A record exec came out and explained how every album has a ritual at some point to attach an evil spirit to the master copy that way the spirit goes out with every copy. There's a lot more out there about this stuff. The book of Enoch 1 explains where it all started. Demons are the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim. The offspring of the fallen angels and humans. So fascinating. Yet here we are in the aftermath.
@@Peppersfirst what
@@Peppersfirst you mean to tell me that all music is satanic?
@@Peppersfirst what the actual fuck is this
I took a rock n roll history class in highschool and there was a reason we started by talking about the blues. I've always been interested in this tale, and the way you describe Robert Johnson definitely does his talent and his character justice.
One day, me and my mom were watching some news on TV and they talked about how death animals have been found in the rails of a train and how they seemed to be ritualistic killings, to this my mom looked at me and said "those are four paths", and i was like "wut?", she explained to me that her grandmother (who was a witch, yeah, i know it's a weird story, I'm Mexican) told her that for some rituals they had to find a place where four paths connected (there's not a words for crossroads in spanish), the rails had a path across them so she was like "yeah, four paths".
The fact that rock and roll has an origin story like this is fantastic
My farts are better than Wendigoon’s farts.
@@p-__ Is this something you are proud of?
"Shout at the devillll!!😈🤘🏻"
So much influence it had. Robert Plant of Zeppelin credited the Mississippi Delta Blues as a big inspiration, even though it’s obvious in a lot of their songs.
And then years later Tenacious D fought the devil and won ..
Wendi sold his soul to the devil to gain the ability to dish out banger content at an ungodly rate of speed and quality
That AG1 devil
He sold his soul to Magic Spoon.
Confirmed
@@DDAlexelA i've never had magic spoon but it is the single sponsor i would actually buy just because i love cereal
he is a godly man he would NEVER
26:31 This quote is right here. I played this video while driving back to Tennessee with my mother after the 4th of July with family down in Florida. She and I talked about my grandfather, the drummer for older rock and roll bands from the sixties. Specifically, we talked about how my grandfather and I are almost exactly alike in looks, temperament, and mannerisms. We both share a strong likeness with my great-grandfather Francis. Nearly all the men in our family look like my grandfather in the way we hold our eyes, in our builds, and our voices. And it was at that time stamp when the lapse in the conversation hit; it was so surreal and, simultaneously, such a gripping quote that I think about it very frequently.
I love this episode so much Wendigoon. It's one of my favorites now as it's just so peaceful and amazing with a wicked (hehe) adventure about a truly ahead of his time individual. I love your talent in being able to conjure and form intelligent reasonable opinions and being able to put them into such calming well researched words. thank you I am so so so thankful right now
Tartini wrote a Sonata nicknamed The Devil's Trill and the story behind it is that the devil came to him in a dream playing "the most beautiful music" Tartini had ever heard, after waking up he tried to recreate it but never believe he captured the devil's actual piece
Duane Allman had a piece come to him in a dream. He was able to capture it and left it on record for us all to hear. Supposedly it wasnt long before his death. It's the song 'Little Martha'.
Tenacious D must of had the same dream…
@@eczema_yum7045it just so happened to be the best song in the world i hear
@@thatoneguy3332 No. It was just a tribute
90% of dreams are of psychological nature. 10% “can” be theological. Many protestants say that Jesus speaks to them in their dreams -> delusional
What I find fascinating about this, is that nearly every place in the world has a similar story.
Here in Argentina, in the province of Santiago del Estero (wich is older than the country itself) there's the legend of the Supai (a race of demons instead of a single entity) that can offer you riches, ,love or talents in exchange for your body and soul. It is said that this is the origin of the Chacarera (this region's folkloric) music genre.
Sounds like you should make a Wendigoon style video.
Oh I've heard of something similar. That would have made a lovely video
Africa does, too.
As a guitar instructor, Robert Johnson’s work is still highly revered and considered essential guitar listenings because the things he came up with, at the time he came up with them…. Still looked at as extremely ahead of its time. He is basically considered the first guitar god
16:59
Mr. Wendigoon,
You have to sign a deal with the devil to avoid the wrath of not only me and my people, but especially my german teacher. Because not only did you pronounce Goethes name wrong,you also called him an english author.
Godspeed!
Oh snap😂
Made my skin crawl more than any devil story.
The joke about closing the blinds because it looks like you're slowly going to heaven was absolute gold
Holy shit, Wendigoon and Robert Johnson crossover? Was not expecting that when I was practicing one of his standards on my guitar today
My farts are better than Wendigoon’s farts.
I know!! Im a massive blues fan and theres alot of mystery towards alot of them considering that many old blues artists have less than a couple of verified photos of them and that many of the birthdates are unknown which creates alot of mystery surrounding them.
0:00 first second
@@p-__ prove it
Are you sure you didn’t make a deal with the devil playing that?
The 27 club would be a good accompaniment video to this
Started watching for the rock & role legends, stayed for the history of demonic litigation
Considering the story... the line, "Hold on. Let me shut these blinds. It makes it look like I'm slowly going to heaven." is absolutely hilarious.
Wendigoon out of context
I wasn't expecting that 😂😂
My boy Robert... I cover a lot of music and I don't always go back and listen to the artists I talk about but I listen to Robert Johnson everyday, he was truly one of a kind.
Your video about this topic was how I’ve first heard about Robert Johnson and selling his soul to the devil.
In high school I was in music appreciation class. For one of our projects we picked from a list of musicians to cover and we’d have to share about them a week later. I was one of the last to go up and pick from the list and of the last names on that list was this guy. At first I was bummed out cuz I wanted a more modern musician but after doing research on him and listening to his music I was really satisfied with getting him to be covered. Once we had to share to the class all my stage fright went away and I was excited to share his story to my class. I’m sure most of the class didn’t care but I felt honored to be able to cover the grandfather of rock and roll, Robert Johnson
I love hearing the passion/joy in your voice when you talk about anything to do with religions, mythos etc :D it's so endearing
You should do a video over the first ghost stories/supernatural events to be historically recorded.
That would be interesting
I was just talking about this while rewatching The Conjuring movies, how did demons/ghosts do stuff before electricity? Flick the candles on and off? 🤣 It would be a super interesting video for sure!
@@TristanAD_ I remember hearing about this story about how back in the 1700s some guy named William used to run this little inn that primarily served Italian cuisine. The main selling point of his inn was the fact that he had a stuffed bear that he would puppeteer himself in a little specially made room behind a wall of the main stage. He called this stuffed bear “Fredrick Fazington.” There were a lot of rumors about how William would lure away kids from the nearby village and kill them and stuff them in the bear. But then again those were only rumors. Anyways, some decades later William passed away and his son (the name of him is is debated but many agree his name is Micheal) inherited the inn. Micheal knew a lot about how to puppeteer and control Fredrick but he absolutely refused to stick around at night. He would claim that Fredrick would make strange noises at night and would sometimes even move. So, he built a little house not too faraway from the inn. Even other patrons would leave the inn a little after midnight because they too felt afraid. So, considering the fact that the inn would most likely be devoid of any kind of life by midnight and would most likely become easy prey to thieves Micheal would hire a guard that would keep watch. But he would have to hire many due to the fact that either A) they would quit the morning after or B) they would mysteriously disappear. So, stories ran rampant across the village about how if a guard’s candlelight was snuffed out before dawn, Fredrick would eat them alive. Micheal, being both sick of the rumors and also slightly horrified of them, decided to close the inn and burn Fredrick. Some witnesses say that when Micheal threw the torch at Fredrick, a scream was heard. A scream that sounded like the mix of a man and a child but it could mostly be dismissed as trapped air escaping the bear. Micheal then dragged the remains to a random spot in the woods and buried Fredrick’s charred body. Micheal then promptly left and was never heard from again. But, the villagers swear that they could see Fredrick stalking the woods at night, hearing his shrill music play in the distance. And those who are either brave or stupid enough to wander through the woods at night never returned. But then again, those are just rumors and weird legends.
@@Zamntron Did you really just...
@@Zamntron You need to stop playing so much FNAF!.
Literally hot off the heels of a Wendi binge and this comes out. Legendary.
My farts are better than Wendigoon’s farts.
@@p-__ thats a hefty claim to be throwing around
Seriously I’ve been watching all the old iceberg vids the past couple of days, was very pleased when this came out
@@Inkypencil22 It's ok, I reported him for misinformation
i spent all 10 hours at work bingeing, Let’s fucking go
Such a joyful video! Your excitement is so contagious. Thanks for the music recommendation ❤
Never knew about Robert Johnson so thank you for this video. As tragic as his life was, it's great that he will be remembered for his importance for music!
I've seen several Robert Johnson documentaries and this is the only account on him that mentioned the 7th string. That little detail just made the whole thing even more fascinating. Thanks Wendigoon.
Robert Johnson’s so prolific the Japanese made a lore manga about him. Talk about transcendental talent and story.
What manga??
@@natayapenzellna Ore to Akuma no Blues (Me and the Devil Blues) by Hiramoto Akira
@@quinnjaminium anybody know if it’s worth buying?
@@beedl.mp4 I've read it, it's very interesting, especially for a biographical manga. It's not totally accurate but it's still a captivating read
@@beedl.mp4 yeah, the creator plays with the supernatural to make it interesting and bring the myth to life. Worth the read. Robert Johnson is so prolific, his story became an American tall tale, which is powerful seeing as he was a real dude who just didn’t record a lot in his life it seems. Great read
It would be neat to hear your perspective on the 27-club as a whole, there are a few really odd situations in it, and more than anything just the idea that all those people died during a specific year in their life is a bit intriguing and mysterious
Thank you so much for this. One of my personal heroes and one of my favorite stories from history. Super surprised to see a video about it
Cant get over how similar Jimi Hendrix's story is to robert johnsons. Both created new waves of guitar playing, both became famous after they died, both produced less than 100 songs and both died at the age of 27
Don't forget, Jimi was HUGE during his life. What's especially tragic with Robert Johnson's story is that no one really cared about him until after his death, at least hendrix got to see a bit of his success, however tragically short it was
A couple months back I made a slideshow about Robert Johnson for a class. While researching, I came across a dual explanation for the song that fueled the myth about his supposed deal with the devil; he was simply singing about hitchhiking at the crossroads. I love how you can almost see how he leaned into the myth throughout his discography, harnessing it and prospering off of it. I would recommend his song Love in Vain to anyone interested in listening to him, despite the recording being decades old you’re able to sense his longing ^^
y y’all be writing whole paragraphs? 💀
@@ana..a. Glad he typed that whole paragraph, cause now I know more about Johnson than I did before.
@sup Is this your first time on youtube?
@@ana..a. be ready to read more if you want to function in life
A band that I listen to named Beartooth have a song called "find a way" where he says "I sold my soul for what I love, sometimes its not enough" and that line always makes me think.
So cool! I’ve been listening and reading a lot of music history these past two months and then you come out with this video!! My dearest sir, you never seem to disappoint!
I work at a steel mill and I work crazy hours, but one of my favorite pastimes is sitting down with my wife and watching your videos. Thank you for all your hard work to put together such educational and entertaining videos.
awful. Hoping you are one day able to live your life in a way that isn't all about work. truly believe that humans aren't made to slave away at plants or mills or in front of desks.
He didn't sell his soul. Him and the Devil talked it over and both realized that it was just the most important thing that could ever happen to music, more specifically...the good old rock and roll. Good video.
I like that interpretation.
Devil just wanted some good music. Bro got tired of choir and organ. Now he got a dance from nasX and some WAP
Kinda wholesome, also shows the true colors of the divine beings.
I really really like this interpretation! It's makes the devil almost seams fun and like... Just like a normal dude and not just "Mister all I do is eat babies and destroy kind man's life".
devil def doesn't work like that lmao
I can easily see him developing to the guitar capabilities he had in the recordings taking place in 3 years. He was already musical, as you stated he liked harmonica. The foundation is there to apply to any other instrument he wanted. Several hours a day for three years, yeah a person can get pretty good at something. He clearly wasn't a career man, so he probably put more hours a day into it than that from sheer boredom.
The 7th string makes perfect sense, too if he's trying to create a rhythm underneath the leads and melodies. Especially if nobody wanted to play with him, he'd have to do it himself. That lower string would sound like the higher register of a bass. And he'd only need to thump the string with his thumb and hold frets for that string with his other thumb on the neck. It's not a rare thing at all nowadays, but yeah back then it was probably some right wizardry.
There's an episode in the first season of Metalocalypse that features a character who is an obvious reference to Robert Johnson (even sharing the last name and crossroads Faustian bargain background). It's cool to finally discover the backstory behind the real man the show was referencing.
I believe there is a side to Southern American history and its folktales that need to be shared more, and Robert Johnson (and for that matter, all of the blues musicians of the Delta) is one of those stories! Always a pleasure to watch your videos, @Wendigoon.
It’s called US history and is currently in the process of being banned in the south…because US History is Black History sooooooo it’s literally easier to ban all history than tell it…
Literally today I was thinking that Wendigoon’s upload schedule has been crazily consistent and after dropping such a large video he drops 2 more!
My farts are better than Wendigoon’s farts.
Wait there's another?
@@p-__ U wish bru
Although it may sound a bit weird, you are my go to form a media to listen to while I workout. Something about your tone and the topics you cover really get me focused and I guess “pumped,” more so than music has lately. Keep it up my dude 👍🏻
I actually enjoy the back story you always provide in your videos. The context always help set the tone.
26:40 this part made me tear up a little. My grandfather died last Friday, and all I hear about from my grandma is how much like him I am. I fear he was a much better man than I’ll ever be. Gonna miss him.
Much love to you. Hope you're well.
I'm so sorry for your loss ❤
Sounds like he was a fantastic person, don't sell yourself short though. Don't look at it as a bar you can't reach, but rather something to aspire to. It's quite easy to be a good person, it's just tough to keep it up in the face of adversity and hatred.
Virtual hug going out for you, I won't say it's ever easy to shoulder on through losing someone but know that you've got friends and family to confide in.
I Hope Baron is showing him a good time and his soul is loving the highlife of an endless party
Hang in there friend! Just remember the good times you had with him and all of the times he watched out for you and or saved you're behind. When my Grandpa passed,I wanted to go with him.He left me an old silverado,my mechanic friend is slowly(on his free time)is getting it running correctly. Part of me wants to make it a track truck and make it fast. Though as a teenager he would tell me i was foolish wearing and tearing on my vehicles by going fast and swapping parts out. Now the truck is driveable and still has small issues. I will just keep it as a plain ol chevy and laugh about him saying i wasted money. You should find something you did with him special,and do it in his honor. Talk to him when you doing whatever it is and are alone.Hang in there and stay strong. It will get easier on you with time but never forget and pass on what he taught you.
Robert Johnson really is such a legend. Especially with great songs like "Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil Blues", "You might be the Devil, but you ain't my Daddy Blues", and the quintessential "Blue Mississippi Delta Blues Crossroad Blues Greyhound a Rollin on Blues Blues".
"You might be the devil but you ain't my daddy" is a hilariously great line
Super excited to see someone talk about this story again. If you grow up in the south or lower Midwest (Missouri/Kansas) you’ll hear this story from a very young age. Excellent work covering it
I love the homage to Johnson in "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" played by Chris Thomas King. The character is named Tommy Johnson, and he talks about selling his soul to the Devil. Great movie!
best movie ever actually
I think a video on the death of Kurt Cobian would be absolutely fascinating,, there’s so many sources and circumstances around his death that go against the official record. There are several documentaries, recordings, and first-hand accounts
His wife hired someone to do it, I have no doubt in my mind. I was once obsessed with his death because it’s such a crazy case. A guy who was Kurt’s friend said she hired a guy to do it and that guy worked back stage with Kurt 1 time. There’s a lot more but it was definitely him
@@yyeezyy630 this is exactly what I believe.
Courtney did it - well, not herself, but I believe she hired someone
the door was locked from the outside, idk if courtney had anything to do with it but kurt sure didnt do it to himself
@@bruhbbawallace and i read that the shotgun shell was in a weird place if it had actually been fired the way Kurt was holding it… the shell would have ejected to the opposite side. Not to mention the amount of drugs in his system shouldn’t have allowed him the strength to even hold the gun
I need a history teacher like Wendigoon. Bro makes things interesting and not stale like cardboard
This story is interesting
thanx for this awesome video man ! i enjoyed every second :) blues is one if not THE building block for everything from rock to the most extreme technical deathmetal we have now , no matter if they like it or not every band that exists nowadays is influenced by robert johnson or another blues artist . either directly or indirectly by bands they listen to or bands that inspired bands they listen to or inspired them , but not only this . blues can is such a uniiversal style of music , it can be happy sounding with the darkest lyrics ever , or it can be happy with happy lyrics , but most important , it only works and sounds right if you put your soul into it , there´s no faking it , it only sounds "real" if you let go and put in your heart and soul and every bad or good feeling you have at the time you play .
Dude you are a great story teller!! I found this story just today and I saw a bit from a different Chanel but this Chanell really helped me develop a huge appreciation for Robert Johnson’s life!
Eta, update below in bottom of comments
Dude keep pumping out the videos. I'm being admitted tonight for seizure monitoring following a few months of being in and out of hospital because of an onduty injury. So a shitty week ahead of me, after months of absolute shit which has been putting so much stress on my family and I. The videos you're putting out are definitely helping! I just wish I had some Magic spoon to eat while I'm here in the hospital for a week
Feel better
Thanks yall
best wishes!!
hope you get better man!
Wow, thanks for the support guys, really,, didn't expect it. Just saw all this when I checked my phone hallway through the first night ( which had been awful so far 😔 )
None the less, support from arranges makes all the difference! Love you all!
My mom used to live near the crossroads, and hated the area. Funny thing is, she's very musically talented and I like to say she passed it on to me and my brothers.
no
@@Kangarooo3 wdym
@@TheRealHotVanilla I don’t agree with you
@@Kangarooo3 L ok
@@TheRealHotVanilla ok pal
The church used to hold confession so they could sell parishioners "forgivenesses," which were essentially pieces of paper signed by a Bishop absolving you of whatever sin you confessed to. The more severe the sin, the more costly the forgiveness. So yes, according to the church, conveniently, God does abide by paperwork, and for a small fee, they'll file some on your behalf.
No it didn’t 🤨
Just imagine working so hard in you guitar skills but the devil gets all the credit
Hey I found this unlisted!
How?
How did you do that?!
What devil did you sell *your* soul to?
Well done
🎉
If any of you have played persona 4. You can actually see the photo of Robert Johnson used for the cover of his complete recordings compilations in the protagonists room. I always thought this was a cute detail especially with the thematic connection between the two
Wait really?! I never noticed!
Man, one of the best phrases I've ever heard Blues Musicians say is "Blow the shit out" which refers to the way a lot of Blues Singers and musicians would use music as an outlet for their most painful pent up struggles. Blues is by far one of the most poetic styles of music that I've ever listened to, so the phrase is honestly just one of my favorite expressions of their intent.
What i don't understand is why these supposed men of faith would immediately turn to the devil for assistance.
Instead of praying to the God that they had been serving for most of their lives.
It's terribly ironic.
Knowing the death date makes the birth date make a lot more sense for the legend. A founder of Rock and Roll being a member of the Forever 27 Club definitely leans into the greater mythology of the genre.
Hey Wendigoon, i am a student in germany, who was assigned to read the entirety of Faust from Goethe for school. In the version i have read, The reason for the deal that Faust made with the Mephisto was not wealth, nor did it happen on a crosswalk. In that version, Faust seeks scientific breakthroughs but cant succeed, so he calls upon a 'higher power' to help him.
I have the most gorgeous illustrated edition of Faust with the most eerie, grotesque but beautiful drawings. You’re correct about the plot, as presented in the full original text. I wonder what sort of abridged versions are out there.
I've heard of that version as well as him doing it for wealth or a woman.
@@CodeeXD actually, Goethe’s version also includes a love interest. Faust doesn’t enter into the pact for her affection, but as his pact leads him further down a dark path he woos, beds and destroys the life of a beautiful and innocent woman. The woman dies but she cries out to God and is saved, while Faust doesn’t and is damned.
awlays heard it was what you said
@@laurenwasinger9436 that is also exactly what happens in the version that i have read, the Gretschen
Wendigoon please don’t ever stop making videos!! Your details, knowledge and story telling are unbelievable! God bless you sir!
The tale of Robert Johnson has always been one of my favorite tales in Black American music history. So eerie, and poignant.
There are a whole lot more if you peek under the curtains 😬
The blues of this era are and who, and what it influenced changed music forever, and changed history. It's something very worth exploring, but once it hooks you, you're a lifer. Can't lie, I went down easy, and so glad I did.
@@diabolikmitchell2960 You read that comment after you typed it, then edited it, and still left it like that?
Thank you so much for covering the story of Robert Johnson. Being from the south and into playing the blues myself, I've heard and looked into this story several times through the years. I never heard the part about Tommie Johnson. I'd heard about the late night graveyard sessions but not that it was Ike Zimmerman, whom he played with. Thank you for finally putting this legend to rest for me. Hell, like you say, the real story is even crazier.
YES! THANK you for covering this, I've known about this theory for years and I feel like no-one talks about it. you're the best Wendigoon!
I believe Robert didn’t sell his soul in a literal sense, and it wasn’t the Devil he sold it to. It was him wanting to prove himself so he was basically training himself and experimented for two years.
In my opinion this is the meaning of an artist "selling their soul" giving up their time and essentially life "soul" in order to perfect their craft
@@jaredvale- No, that's dead wrong.