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From album
King of the Delta Blues Singers
Robert Johnson · 1961 · Track 13
Details
Duración2:47
ÁlbumKing of the Delta Blues Singers
Año1961
ISRCUSSM13700049
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The story behind
The song Traveling Riverside Blues is a work that captures the essence of the blues in its purest form. Recorded on June 20, 1937, in Dallas, Texas, during the final recording session of Robert Johnson, this piece was not released until 1961, when it was included in the compilation album King of the Delta Blues Singers. What makes it particularly interesting is its twelve-bar structure, though in reality each verse extends to thirteen and a half bars, a detail that reflects Johnson’s stylistic flexibility. The guitar, tuned to open G and played with a slide, gives it a distinctive character that resonates with the Delta Blues tradition.
One of the song’s most memorable lines is: "Now you can squeeze my lemon 'til the juice run down my leg", a phrase Johnson likely took from another song from the same year, She Squeezed My Lemon, by Roosevelt Sykes. This connection between songs is an example of how musicians of the time influenced each other, creating a rich and diverse sonic fabric. Additionally, the fact that an alternate version was recorded the same day—considered lost for many years—adds an air of mystery to its history.
The album King of the Delta Blues Singers is regarded as one of the most influential blues releases, and in 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it at number 374 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The compilation includes sixteen mono recordings, and although they did not achieve high sales figures at the time, their impact on music has endured. The production was overseen by Don Law and Art Satherly, who helped shape Johnson’s work, an artist who, despite his short life, left an indelible mark on music.