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.".
Everything Happens to Me
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until I'm almost mad
I must have 'roused the devil's wrath
Cause all my luck is bad
I make a date for golf and you can bet your life it rains
I try to give a party and the guy upstairs complains
I guess I'll go through life
Just catchin' colds and missin' trains
Everything happens to me
I never miss a thing
I've had the measles and the mumps
And every time I play an ace
My partner always trumps
Guess I'm just a fool who never looks before he jumps
Everything happens to me
At first my heart thought you could break this jinx for me
That love would turn the trick to end despair
But know I just can't fool this head that thinks for me
I've mortgaged all my castles in the air
I've telegraphed and phoned
I send an "Airmail Special" too
Your answer was "Goodbye"
And there was even postage due
I fell in love just once
And then it had to be with you
Everything happens to me
In the first verse of Lightnin' Hopkins's song Everything Happens to Me, the singer is expressing his belief that bad luck follows him wherever he goes. The image of black cats crossing his path is a classic superstition, and he feels as though he has angered the devil himself. The singer gives examples of his bad luck, such as canceling plans due to rain or being bothered by a neighbor when hosting a party. He resigns himself to a life of illness and missed opportunities, believing that his bad luck will continue to push him down.
The second verse continues with the theme of the singer's bad luck but shifts focus to his romantic life. He notes that he has experienced various illnesses and setbacks, including losing card games due to an opposing player always having a stronger card. He believes that he is a foolish person who makes impulsive decisions without considering the consequences - this is reflected in the lyric "Guess I'm just a fool who never looks before he jumps". He had hoped that love would lift him out of his bad luck, but it seems that even this is not enough to overcome the string of misfortunes he experiences.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a person who feels as though they are cursed or jinxed, with nothing going right in their life. Despite his longing for love and happiness, the singer believes that everything happens to him and that he cannot escape his fate.
Line by Line Meaning
Black cats creep across my path
I am experiencing bad luck, as symbolized by the presence of black cats crossing my path.
Until I'm almost mad
The bad luck is driving me crazy and making me feel overwhelmed.
I must have 'roused the devil's wrath
I believe that I have angered the devil, and that's why I am experiencing so much misfortune.
Cause all my luck is bad
Every aspect of my life seems to be going wrong, and I am having no luck.
I make a date for golf and you can bet your life it rains
Even when I make plans and try to do something fun or positive, things don't go my way and I experience disappointment.
I try to give a party and the guy upstairs complains
Even my attempts to have a good time and entertain are thwarted by outside factors beyond my control.
I guess I'll go through life
Overall, it seems that my life is characterized by negative experiences and bad luck.
Just catchin' colds and missin' trains
This is a metaphor for the constant disappointments and setbacks I experience in life. Just as catching a cold or missing a train is annoying and frustrating, so too are the things that keep going wrong for me.
Everything happens to me
This is the central theme of the song - that the singer is experiencing a lot of bad luck and can't seem to catch a break. No matter what he does, he is plagued by negative circumstances and bad outcomes.
I never miss a thing
Despite the fact that everything that happens to him is negative, the singer is always paying attention and noticing what's going on. He is very aware of his bad luck and the negative circumstances that surround him.
I've had the measles and the mumps
This is a litany of all the bad things that have happened to the singer in his life. He has experienced common childhood illnesses (measles and mumps) as well as other negative events.
And every time I play an ace
Even when the singer is in a position to do well or succeed, something goes wrong and he ends up losing or failing.
My partner always trumps
This means that even when the singer is playing a card game and has a strong hand (an ace), his opponent always manages to win or be more successful.
Guess I'm just a fool who never looks before he jumps
The singer acknowledges that he may be partly responsible for his bad luck, because he doesn't always make wise decisions or think things through before acting.
At first my heart thought you could break this jinx for me
The singer was hopeful that a romantic relationship would change his luck and bring happiness to his life.
That love would turn the trick to end despair
He believed that falling in love would be the answer to his problems, and that it would bring an end to his feelings of despair and hopelessness.
But know I just can't fool this head that thinks for me
Unfortunately, the singer realizes that he cannot deceive himself into believing that love will solve all his problems. His mind is too analytical and aware for him to be able to deny the reality of his situation.
I've mortgaged all my castles in the air
This is a metaphor for the fact that the singer has invested all his hopes and dreams in this one person and this one relationship. He has put all his eggs in one basket, so to speak, and has nothing else to fall back on or hope for.
I've telegraphed and phoned
The singer has been putting in a lot of effort to reach out and communicate with the person he loves, but it hasn't made a difference in the outcome of their relationship.
I send an "Airmail Special" too
This is a humorous way of saying that the singer has tried every possible way of communicating with his love interest, but still hasn't gotten the response he wants.
Your answer was "Goodbye"
Despite all his efforts, the singer's love interest has rejected him and ended their relationship.
And there was even postage due
This is a humorous way of saying that the singer paid a high price for his romantic efforts, but still didn't get the desired result.
I fell in love just once
This is a wistful statement that suggests the singer sees his failed relationship as a missed opportunity for happiness. He has only fallen in love once in his life, and it didn't work out.
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