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.".
Black Cadillac
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please come on back,
For you've got smething of mine,
I'm sure I like this black cadillac in the morning,
My black Cadillac in the morning,
Yeah, my black cadillac,
We've 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 don't 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 ain't 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 don't 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,
It's 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 can't get me,
Well, it's 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 wouldn't run for me,
And it wont run for you,
The lyrics of "Big Black Cadillac Blues" by Lightnin' Hopkins tells a story of a man who has lost his black Cadillac to someone else, and he desperately wants it back. He addresses a woman, whom he calls "baby," and asks her to come back with his car. He talks about how much he likes the car, especially in the morning, and how he has been married to the car for a while. The car was driven by someone else, who the singer calls "he." He recalls a conversation between "he" and a woman, which suggests that "he" might have been a getaway driver during a crime. The woman urges "he" to speed up, but "he" is reluctant because he doesn't want to get a ticket. The woman insists, and "he" eventually steps on the gas, driving recklessly. The singer lost his car because of a hit-and-run accident, and he insists that he would do anything to get it back.
The lyrics of the song are not straightforward, and they invite interpretations. However, the song resonates with the blues tradition of storytelling and conveying emotions. The singer's attachment to the car and his desire to get it back are deep-rooted, and they provide a context for his blues. The references to the speeding car, the criminality, and the hit-and-run accident further complicate the story and add layers of meaning and significance.
Line by Line Meaning
Whooah, Baby, Please come on back, For you've got smething of mine,
Oh my love, please come back to me, as you still have something that belongs to me.
I'm sure I like this black cadillac in the morning, My black Cadillac in the morning,
I just love my black Cadillac in the morning.
Yeah, my black cadillac, We've been married for a while, She was sitting in that car 'cos he could sure drive,
My beloved Cadillac and I have been together for a long time. She was sitting in the car because he was a great driver.
She said step on it, His face is running, He said I dont know, I dont want to get a ticket,
She told him to accelerate, as someone was chasing them, but he hesitated and said he didn't want to get a ticket.
She said step on this thing, She said if this thing don't go, I dont want to ride this cadillac no more,
She demanded him to hit the gas, warning that she won't ride the car anymore if it doesn't move.
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 ain't gonna get no ticket,
He finally decided to push the pedal to the metal, even if it meant running a red light, confidently saying that he won't get caught.
If I can make a breathe That thing was wide open man,
The car's accelerator was fully pressed to the floor, and he held on for dear life.
My black Cadillac, It left me and I had to sell my sugar in fact, Hit and run alright,
My black Cadillac left me, and I had to resort to illegal activities like a hit and run.
Whooah baby, Will you come on back, Got something that I sure don't lack, Yes, its' my black cadillac, My black cadillac in the morning, Yeaah, my black cadillac, With white worn tyres,
Oh my darling, please come back to me as you still have something I desperately want. Yes, it's my trusty black Cadillac with white worn-out tires.
And this is what she told me, I know your cadillac is, It's 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,
And this is what she told me: She knows that my Cadillac is black with white tires, but she has a white man on the side with white teeth and eyes.
Oooh, Lightning you cant kiss me, No lightning you can't get me, Well, it's obvious still, Where, oh, where can it be,
Oh Lightning, you can't kiss me, nor can you have me. Well, it's still obvious that I miss my Cadillac. 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,
I stopped at a parking lot and then parked in a bus's block to try and catch him. But what good would that do?
That cadillac wouldn't run for me, And it wont run for you,
My Cadillac wouldn't start for me, and it won't start for you either.
Contributed by Taylor H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ehopkins2
I met him when I was a little boy at my Aunt Flora's home in Mississippi he played for us and we danced til we couldn't stand anymore. I love you Uncle Lightnin' and will always remember your wise words.
@jackruby4680
you are blessed with God's Grace for that!
@theinvisibleartists4444
And I thought Elvis playing in our high school was cool man Lightnin Hopkins wow!
@princebonnie1357
That's so very beautiful.
I just love the fact that his fame did not stop him from performing on the street the day after playing big shows or in people's homes.
What a man!
@knifelyfe6565
Po Lightnin' say "Rubber on the wheel is faster than rubber on the heel".
@theinvisibleartists4444
Far Out!!! Jimmy Vaughn said that there would be no Jimmy Vaughn or Steive Ray Vaughn without Lighting Hopkins. I love lightning!!!!!!!!!!
@theinvisibleartists4444
Jimmy Vaughn said that there would be no Jimmy Vaughn or Steive Ray Vaughn without Lighting Hopkins! Rubber on wheels is faster than Rubber on heels.
@ExUSSailor
I used to listen to this when I was driving around in my '69 Cadillac hearse.
@Terrystone80
This guy and this song got me listening to him when I was 19 years old... I am now 38... So lightnin has been with me along time...
@harrydeanbentzel
I was 19 too. Now 58