Gil Scott-Heron, le vétéran de la musique contestataire new-yorkaise, livre une version du classique de Robert Johnson, Me And The Devil.
Early this morning
When you knocked upon my door
Early this morning
When you knocked upon my door
An I say: Hello Satan
I believe it’s time to go
Me and the Devil
Walking side by side
Me and the Devil
Walking side by side
And I’m gonna see my woman
‘Til I get satisfied
See See, you don’t see why
Like you’a dog me ’round
Say, I don’t see why
People dawging me around
It must be that old evil spirit
That spirit drop me down in your ground
You may bury my body
Down by the highway side
You may bury my body
Down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit
Can greyhound bus that ride
Standing in the ruins of another black mans life
Or flying through the valley
Separating day and night
I am am Death,
Cried the vulture,
For the people of the light
Caron brought his raft
From the sea that sails on souls
And I saw the scavenger departing
Taking warm hearts to the cold
He knew the ghetto was a haven
For the meanest creature ever known
In a wilderness of heart break
In a desert of despair
Evil’s clarion of justice
Shrieks a cry of naked terror
Taking babies from their mamas
Leaving grief beyond compare
So if you see the vulture coming
Flying circles in your mind
Remember their is no escaping
For he will follow close behind
Only promise me a battle
A battle
For your soul and mind
And mine
And mine
La version originale de Robert Johnson
when you knocked upon my door
Early this mornin’, ooh
when you knocked upon my door
And I said, “Hello, Satan,”
I believe it’s time to go.”
Me and the Devil
was walkin’ side by side
Me and the Devil, ooh
was walkin’ side by side
And I’m goin’ to beat my woman
until I get satisfied
She say you don’t see why
that you will dog me ’round
spoken: Now, babe, you know you ain’t doin’ me
right, don’cha
She say you don’t see why, ooh
that you will dog me ’round
It must-a be that old evil spirit
so deep down in the ground
You may bury my body
down by the highway side
spoken: Baby, I don’t care where you bury my
body when I’m dead and gone
You may bury my body, ooh
down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit
can catch a Greyhound bus and ride
