Samuel John "Lightnin'" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an … Read Full Bio ↴Samuel John "Lightnin'" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist, from Centerville, Texas. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 71 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

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.".

Death Bells
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics

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Sound like I'm hearing moaning, 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 take me away from here
I want you to remember every living people, every living people bound to die
I want you to remember every living people, every living people bound to die
Yeah you know when that chariot come at you, they'll break running, try to hide
You all 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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Lightnin' Hopkins's song "Death Bells" speak about a feeling of impending death that the singer experiences. He hears moaning and the sound of a death bell ringing in his head, indicating that his time is near. The singer realizes that he will eventually leave this world, but he does not know how it will happen. He says he will be taken away on a chariot, but he is uncertain what kind of chariot it will be. He urges listeners to remember that everyone is bound to die and that when the chariot comes, people will try to run and hide.

The song highlights the inevitability of death and the uncertainty that accompanies it. The singer is aware that his time is coming, but he does not know how it will happen or when. The reference to the chariot is reminiscent of the ancient myth of the chariot of death, which is often used as a metaphor for the end of life.

Overall, "Death Bells" is a haunting and introspective song that speaks to the universal human experience of mortality. The lyrics are evocative and poignant, and they offer a powerful reminder of the transience of life.

Line by Line Meaning

Sound like I'm hearing moaning, death bell ringing all in my head
I can hear the sound of death like corpses lamenting and the toll of funeral bells is ringing in my mind

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 am aware that one day the time will come for me to depart this world, but I don't know how it will happen

I want you to remember every living people, every living people bound to die
I want you to acknowledge that every living being is destined to die, including yourselves

Yeah you know when that chariot come at you, they'll break running, try to hide
When death approaches you, you'll try to flee and avoid it at all costs

You all know my mama told me, you know my papa told me too He said you know one day son, that chariot, oh Lord, coming after you
My parents warned me that death would eventually come for me

Yeah 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
I've lived a long life and I realize death is inevitable, yet I don't know how I'm going to die

Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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