Down at the crossroads, I was standin' still Moon on the gravel, cold wind on my skin Saw a man in a black hat, leanin' on a grin He said, "Boy, you look thirsty" I said, "Come on in" I had dust in my pocket And trouble in my name Fist full of bad luck Pocket full of change He laid out a paper Like a table at a bar Said, "Sign right here, son And I'll take you far" My mama said, "Baby Keep both feet on ground" But the road kept callin' With a low, mean sound I looked at that ink I looked at that night And I shook like a dog In a truckbed light I heard that highway Moanin' through the trees I smelled sweet danger Risin' off the breeze One more breath One more bite Then I reached for the pen In the pale headlight Down at the crossroads I sold my soul Down at the crossroads Now it owns my bones Down at the crossroads Hear me howl and moan Down at the crossroads I can't come home Now I wake up hard In a room with no dawn Mirror got my face But the spark is gone Every deal I made Comes back in a chain Every win tastes bitter Every kiss tastes strange The judge can't touch me The church won't call I've got a grin like trouble And a crack in my jaw If I hear that fiddle I start to shake Like a house in a storm On a rotten lake That black hat man Still taps my door Says, "You wanted more Now you want less for sure" I spit in the dirt I clap my hands But the wheels keep turnin' Where the devil stands Down at the crossroads I sold my soul Down at the crossroads Now it owns my bones Down at the crossroads Hear me howl and moan Down at the crossroads I can't come home I tried to run But the road ran wild Saw my shadow smilin' Like an evil child Every note I bleed Every scar I wear Got a little hell Sleepin' somewhere Down at the crossroads I sold my soul Down at the crossroads Now it owns my bones Down at the crossroads Hear me howl and moan Down at the crossroads I can't come home If you see me there Better keep your head low Some debts don't die They just grow Down at the crossroads I sold my soul Down at the crossroads And it took control
