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.".
Big Car Blues
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For youve got smething of mine,
Im sure i like this black cadillac in the morning,
My black Cadillac in the morning,
Yeah, my black cadillac,
Weve been married for a while,
She said step on it,
His face is running,
He said i dont know,
I dont want to get a ticket,
She said step on this thing,
She said if this thing dont go,
I dont want to ride this cadillac no more,
He said well im gonna let the hammer down,
If you see a red light,
Run over it and get a ticket,
'Cos he said, no i aint gonna get no ticket,
If i can make a breathe
That thing was wide open man,
My black Cadillac,
it left me and i had to sell my sugar in fact,
Hit and run alright,
whooah baby,
Will you come on back,
Got something that i sure dont lack,
Yes, its my black cadillac,
My black cadillac in the morning,
yeaah, my black cadillac,
with white worn tyres,
And this is what she told me,
I know your cadillac is,
Its really black,
I know you got that white on the tyre,
But i got a black man on the side,
White eyes and white teeth,
oooh, Lightning you cant kiss me,
no lightning you cant get me,
Well, its obvious still,
Where, oh, where can it be,
I stopped in the parking lot,
Then i parked in the bus's block,
I caught him,
But what good would it do,
That cadillac wouldnt run for me,
And it wont run for you,
The lyrics to Lightnin' Hopkins's song Big Car Blues are a story of a man who is desperately seeking his black Cadillac. He tells his lover to come on back and bring the car with her because he needs it. It seems that he is in love with the car as much as he is with her. However, it is not clear what the man wants the car for, whether it's because he wants to sell it or drive it again. The car is compared to his lover, with whom he has been "married" for a while, as if to emphasize his attachment to the vehicle.
The lyrics paint the picture of a wild ride where the woman seems to be in control, urging the man to drive faster despite his reluctance to get a ticket. She threatens that she won't ride in the Cadillac anymore if it doesn't go faster. The man eventually relents and speeds up, almost to the point of breaking the law. The woman's excitement for the ride is palpable in the lyrics, while the man seems hesitant but ultimately willing to take the risk for her.
The song's imagery is rich and vivid, showcasing Lightnin' Hopkins's skill as a blues storyteller. The lyrics have a feeling of loss and longing, both for the car and for the person whom the car represents. Overall, Big Car Blues highlights the importance of material possessions and how they can become intertwined with our personal relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Please come on back,
Addressing someone to come back
For youve got smething of mine,
Asking the person to return something
Im sure i like this black cadillac in the morning,
Expressing fondness for the black Cadillac
My black Cadillac in the morning,
Reiterating ownership of the black Cadillac
Yeah, my black cadillac,
Reiterating ownership of the black Cadillac
Weve been married for a while,
Describing a strong emotional attachment to the car
She was sitting in that car 'cos he could sure drive,
Explaining why a woman was sitting in the car
She said step on it,
Instructing the driver to speed up
His face is running,
Describing the driver's nervousness
He said i dont know,
Expressing uncertainty
I dont want to get a ticket,
Explaining why the driver is hesitant to speed up
She said step on this thing,
Urging the driver to accelerate
She said if this thing dont go,
Stating the consequences if the car doesn't go fast enough
I dont want to ride this cadillac no more,
Expressing dissatisfaction with the car's performance
He said well im gonna let the hammer down,
The driver agreeing to accelerate
If you see a red light,
Telling the woman to run the red light
Run over it and get a ticket,
Jokingly telling the woman to intentionally break the law
'Cos he said, no i aint gonna get no ticket,
The driver refusing to get a ticket
If i can make a breathe
Describing how hard the driver is pushing the car
That thing was wide open man,
Describing how fast the car is going
My black Cadillac,
Reiterating ownership of the black Cadillac
it left me and i had to sell my sugar in fact,
Implying the car broke down and the driver had to sell something valuable
Hit and run alright,
Joking about getting in trouble with the law
whooah baby,
Interjection showing excitement or enthusiasm
Will you come on back,
Asking someone to return
Got something that i sure dont lack,
Implying the driver has something valuable
Yes, its my black cadillac,
Reiterating ownership of the black Cadillac
with white worn tyres,
Describing the condition of the car's tires
And this is what she told me,
Introducing a woman's dialogue
I know your cadillac is,
The woman commenting on the car
Its really black,
Describing the color of the car
I know you got that white on the tyre,
The woman observing the tires
But i got a black man on the side,
The woman revealing she has a black lover
White eyes and white teeth,
Description of the woman's lover
oooh, Lightning you cant kiss me,
The woman rejecting the driver's advances
no lightning you cant get me,
The woman rejecting the driver's advances
Well, its obvious still,
The driver acknowledging the woman's rejection
Where, oh, where can it be,
The driver looking for something
I stopped in the parking lot,
Describing the driver's actions
Then i parked in the bus's block,
Describing the driver's actions
I caught him,
Implying the driver found what he was looking for
But what good would it do,
Questioning the benefit of finding what he was looking for
That cadillac wouldnt run for me,
Explaining that the car is not working
And it wont run for you,
Implying that the car is beyond repair
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SAM HOPKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Ace23
This is easily his best song, I love it.
@rostyle69
thanks for posting this my father had this on vinyl when i was young made a big impression on me, one of the best acoustic blues artists of all time, lightnin you rock
@peonwarrior
Very nice quality sound!!! another awesome perf from lightning'strike'hopkins
@odietamo9376
He was a genius of a musician.
@coravisser727
This is a good one of him.I love his music for ever.
@bigkittysmile
he was one of a kind. great stuff.
@weischamp
great old lightnin thx kingcopbra this is truly fantastic
@radmagichat
mother this is dedicated to you... where ever you are