The musicologist Robert "Mack" McCormick opined that Hopkins is "the embodiment of the jazz-and-poetry spirit, representing its ancient form in the single creator whose words and music are one act".
Hopkins was born in Centerville, Texas, and as a child was immersed in the sounds of the blues. He developed a deep appreciation for this music at the age of 8, when he met Blind Lemon Jefferson at a church picnic in Buffalo, Texas. That day, Hopkins felt the blues was "in him".[citation needed] He went on to learn from his older (distant) cousin, the country blues singer Alger "Texas" Alexander. (Hopkins had another cousin, the Texas electric blues guitarist Frankie Lee Sims, with whom he later recorded.) Hopkins began accompanying Jefferson on guitar at informal church gatherings. Jefferson reputedly never let anyone play with him except young Hopkins, and Hopkins learned much from Jefferson at these gatherings.
Hopkins's style was born from spending many hours playing informally without a backing band. His distinctive fingerstyle technique often included playing, in effect, bass, rhythm, lead, and percussion at the same time. He played both "alternating" and "monotonic" bass styles incorporating imaginative, often chromatic turnarounds and single-note lead lines. Tapping or slapping the body of his guitar added rhythmic accompaniment.
Much of Hopkins's music follows the standard 12-bar blues template, but his phrasing was free and loose. Many of his songs were in the talking blues style, but he was a powerful and confident singer.[citation needed] Lyrically, his songs expressed the problems of life in the segregated South, bad luck in love and other subjects common in the blues idiom. He dealt with these subjects with humor and good nature. Many of his songs are filled with double entendres, and he was known for his humorous introductions to songs.
Hopkins died of esophageal cancer in Houston on January 30, 1982, at the age of 69. His obituary in the New York Times described him as "one of the great country blues singers and perhaps the greatest single influence on rock guitar players.".
Another Fool in Town
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain't got no education, I'm just another fool in town
You know the first day I went to school man, the big schoolhouse burnt down
Can't write my name, can't even say my ABC's
Can't write my name, I can't even say my ABC's
Wonder can I get nobody educated, come try to teach po' me?
School in the mornin', tomorrow is schoolday
School in the mornin', tomorrow is schoolday
In Lightnin' Hopkins's song "Another Fool in Town," the singer speaks to his lack of education and the challenges that come with it. He repeats the line "I ain't got no education, I'm just another fool in town" twice in the first stanza, emphasizing the weight that this issue carries in his life. He proceeds to recount an event in his childhood where the big schoolhouse burnt down. This event, coupled with his inability to write his name or say his ABCs, aligns him more closely to being an outsider in his community. He wonders aloud if he can find someone to help him get educated, implicitly acknowledging the barriers to doing so in the town.
The repetition of "I ain't got no education" sets the tone for the entire song, driving home the idea that not having an education is a defining characteristic for this narrator. This lack of education leaves him feeling like an outsider, unable to perform basic tasks that would be expected of him. It's interesting to note that the singer doesn't see himself as separate from the town—instead, he's simply "another fool in town" which suggests that he's aware of the other people who might be in similar situations. The burning of the schoolhouse puts a stranglehold on any hope the singer might have of getting an education, setting up a sense of fatalism that underscores the importance of education in this world. Overall, this song presents a sympathetic view of someone stuck in an uneducated position, and shows how there's a deep desire for knowledge in many of us—regardless of where we start.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain't got no education, I'm just another fool in town
I have not received any formal education, therefore, I consider myself unenlightened.
You know the first day I went to school man, the big schoolhouse burnt down
On my first day of school, the building caught fire and burned down.
Can't write my name, can't even say my ABC's
I lack even the most basic literacy skills such as knowing the alphabet or being able to write my own name.
Wonder can I get nobody educated, come try to teach po' me?
I wonder if there is anyone who would be willing to take the time to teach someone as uneducated as myself.
School in the mornin', tomorrow is schoolday
I must attend school in the morning as it is a regular part of my routine.
Yes I just want to get somebody to teach me and help me on my way
All I am seeking is for someone to offer their knowledge and guidance to assist me in improving my education and understanding of the world.
Contributed by Alex N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
meinholundermann
brilliant!!
Charles Lounge
Stompingsevens : Thank you, that's one of my favorite