Crossroads | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| A7 | A7 | A9 | A9 |
| D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
| E5 | D7 | A7 | A7 E |
Verse 1
| A7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knee.
| D5 D6 D5 D6 | D5 D6 D5 D6 | A7 | A7 |
Down to the crossroads, fell down on my knee.
| E5 E6 E5 E6 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
Asked the Lord above for mercy, take me if you please
Verse 2
| A7 | D5 D6 D5 D6 | A7 | A7 |
I went down to the crossroad, tried to flag a ride.
| D5 D6 D5 D6 | D5 D6 D5 D6 | A7 | A7 |
Down to the crossroad, tried to flag a ride.
| E5 E6 E5 E6 | D5 D6 D5 D6 | A7 | A7 |
Nobody seemed to know me, everybody passed me by.
Verse 3
| A7 | D5 D6 D5 D6 | A7 | A7 |
Well, I’m going down to Rosedale, take my rider by my side.
| D5 D6 D5 D6 | D5 D6 D5 D6 | A7 | A7 |
Going down to Rosedale, take my rider by my side,
| E5 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
We can still buy our house, baby, on the riverside.
Solo 1
| A7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
| D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
| E7 | D7 | A7 | A7 E |
| A7 | A7 | A7 | A7 |
| D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
| E7 | D7/F# | A7 | A7 |
Verse 4
| A7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
Going down to Rosedale, take my rider by my side.
| D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
Going down to Rosedale, take my rider by my side.
| E5 | D5 D6 D5 | A7 | A7 |
We can still buy our house, baby, on the riverside.
Solo 2
||: A7 | A7 | A7 | A7 |
| D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
| E5 | D5 | A7 | A7 :|| x3
Verse 5
| A7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
You can run, you can run, tell my friend boy Willie Brown.
| D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
Run, you can run, tell my friend boy Willie Brown,
| E5 | D7 N.C | A7 | A7 |
and I’m standing at the crossroad, believe I’m sinking down.
Crossroads Chords: Play It Like Clapton
The chord progression follows a standard 12-bar blues in the key of A, using dominant 7th chords with a 9th extension during the intro:
Intro/Solo Progression:
| A7 | A7 | A9 | A9 |
| D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
| E5 | D7 | A7 | A7 E |
As the verse begins, there’s a quick change to D7 in bar two. The final bar sometimes moves to E on the last two beats:
Verse Progression:
| A7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
| D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |
| E5 | D7 | A7 | A7 E |
The main riff is based on an A chord, with a C note on the 5th string (the minor 3rd relative to A). Meanwhile, a C# on the 2nd string introduces the major 3rd, blending minor and major—a classic blues technique.
You’ll also find 6th extensions on the D and E chords, a signature rock ‘n’ roll move.
During the solo section, the first time follows a quick change, while the second time introduces a D/F# after the E chord, adding a subtle but important variation.
The video lesson above demonstrates the famous riffs and licks from the legendary live recording.
Here’s a chord chart you can keep in your back pocket for the gig.
Crossroads Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Writing a chord chart for Crossroads is a balancing act. At its core, this is a blues progression that may include a quick change to chord IV in bar 2—or not.
At times, you might play D7, other times a D5 – D6 honky-tonk-style move, or even D/F#.
Specifying exactly when these variations occur isn’t particularly useful since, as with any blues, they should be improvised.
With that in mind, I’ve put together the chord chart above for Crossroads. If you’d like to download it, here’s the PDF: Crossroads chord chart PDF.
If you prefer the iReal Pro format, you can get the file here: Crossroads chord chart iReal Pro.
Using the app, you can change the key, though you won’t be able to play the open A chord riff.
Is Eric Clapton the greatest British guitarist of all time?
Probably the most famous British electric guitarist, Eric Clapton is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats.
He first gained recognition with his phenomenal playing in bands like The Yardbirds and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers.
However, it was with Cream—particularly their version of Robert Johnson’s Crossroads—that he achieved worldwide fame.
Crossroads Chords | Related Pages
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
