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.".
Baby!
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Death bell ringing all in my head
Sound like I can hear moaning
Death bell ringing all in my head
Yeah, I know that I was gonna
Leave on a chariot but I didn't know
What kind of chariot gonna
I want you to remember every living people
Every living people is bound to die
I want you to remember every living people
Every living people is bound to die
Yeah, you know when that chariot come at you
They'll break running, try to hide
You know my mama told me
You know my papa told me too
You know my mama told me
Oh, papa told me too
He said, “You know one day, son, that chariot
Oh Lord, coming after you”
Yeah, you know the life I'm living
I've been living it for a many year
You know the life I'm living
I've been living it for a many year
I know the chariot was coming for me
But I didn't know what kind of chariot
Gonna take me away from here
The lyrics of Lightnin' Hopkins's song Down Baby speak of mortality and the inevitability of death. The opening lines paint a vivid picture of death's presence, with the moaning and death bell ringing in the singer's head. The singer then expresses uncertainty about the mode of transportation that will take them away. The mention of a chariot is a metaphor for the vehicle that will carry them to the afterlife. However, the singer doesn't know what kind of chariot it will be, adding to the sense of mystery surrounding death.
In the second verse, the singer implores the listener to accept the fact that every living person is bound to die. This is a common theme in blues music, as the genre often deals with the struggles of everyday life, including the inevitability of death. The singer warns that when the chariot comes for you, there is no use in running or hiding. In the final verse, the singer reflects on their life and acknowledges that the chariot is coming. However, they still don't know what kind of chariot it will be, leaving the nature of death unresolved.
Line by Line Meaning
Sound like I'm hearing moaning
I can sense something unsettling around me
Death bell ringing all in my head
I feel the weight of my own mortality
Sound like I can hear moaning
I can't shake this feeling of impending doom
Yeah, I know that I was gonna Leave on a chariot but I didn't know What kind of chariot gonna Take me away from here
I understand that death is inevitable, but the unknown way in which it will come frightens me
I want you to remember every living people Every living people is bound to die
I urge you to acknowledge the fragility of life and inevitability of death for all humans
You know when that chariot come at you They'll break running, try to hide
When faced with death, people often panic and try to avoid it
You know my mama told me You know my papa told me too You know my mama told me Oh, papa told me too
Despite being warned about death by both my parents, I still struggle with its certainty
He said, “You know one day, son, that chariot Oh Lord, coming after you”
My parents tried to prepare me for the inevitability of death
You know the life I'm living I've been living it for a many year
I've lived a long life and have come to terms with my own mortality
I know the chariot was coming for me But I didn't know what kind of chariot Gonna take me away from here
I understand that death is near, but I don't know what method it will come in
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SAM HOPKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@roddycreswell8613
A man, a guitar, and a chair. Pure and simple music a man can enjoy.
@mikidomeny1677
the fact that we have an opportunity to watch Lighnin Hopkins play live and many many others, I don´t think it can be appreciated enough. this man was the blues.
@BrianCarnevaleB26
I can actually detect chords the Jimmy Page used throughout his time with Led Zep.
@charleschoffe3846
Bluer than Fuk..!~
@soularenergy2621
Played that so clean it killed 100% of the germs
@jamesagwe2981
1+ for Originality
@1her3ma
@@jamesagwe2981 Agreed.
@1her3ma
That's pretty good. Nice.
@AlexM-uq3cm
Funny ass foo hahahah
@valethewolf49
Hell yeah well put😁💖