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.".

Fannie Mae
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I want somebody to tell me what's wrong with me
Oh I ain't in any trouble and so much misery
Now Fannie Mae, baby won't you please come home
Fannie Mae ae ae, baby won't you please come home
Yeah I ain't been in debt baby since you been gone
I can hear your name a ringin' on down the line
I can hear your name a ringin' on down the line
I want to know pretty love how do I win my time, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh

I know for me, I know for me
Well I ain't been in trouble and so much misery

Overall Meaning

In Lightnin' Hopkins's song "Fannie Mae," he expresses his desire to have his lover return home to him. Hopkins begins the song by acknowledging his own state of confusion and sadness. He wants someone to tell him what's wrong with him, even though he's not in any trouble. He's experiencing so much misery in the absence of his lover, Fannie Mae. He pleads with her to come back to him, singing her name in a repetitive chorus. Hopkins then notes that he hasn't been in debt since she left, perhaps implying that her absence has reduced his expenses, but he would give it all up if she returns home.

Through Hopkins’s words, we can get a sense of the pain of separation from someone one loves. The chorus, which includes the singer’s repetition of Fannie Mae’s name, makes it clear that the singer desperately wants his lover to return to him. Interestingly, his plea is not marked by any sense of pride, instead, it is a heartfelt plea delivered by someone who acknowledges his own feelings of confusion and sadness.

Overall, "Fannie Mae" is a blues song in which Hopkins shares his honest, raw emotion with the listener. The song is simple, both in terms of its structure and the instruments used. But the power of Hopkins's vocals and words make it a memorable and emotional listening experience.

Line by Line Meaning

I want somebody to tell me what's wrong with me
I am trying to understand the reason behind my unhappiness and discomfort in life and need someone to help me figure out what is going on.

Oh I ain't in any trouble and so much misery
Although I am not in any trouble, I still feel a lot of misery and pain in my life and cannot understand why.

Now Fannie Mae, baby won't you please come home
I am calling out to Fannie Mae, my lover, to come back to me and bring happiness and love to my life once again.

Fannie Mae ae ae, baby won't you please come home
I am repeating my plea to Fannie Mae, hoping that she will hear me and return to me soon.

Yeah I ain't been in debt baby since you been gone
Since Fannie Mae left me, I have not had any financial troubles or debts to worry about, but my heart still aches for her.

I can hear your name a ringin' on down the line
I keep hearing Fannie Mae's name being mentioned everywhere I go, which reminds me of how much I miss her and need her in my life.

I want to know pretty love how do I win my time, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
I am asking Fannie Mae how I can win back her love and affection because she is the only one who can bring true happiness and meaning to my life.

I know for me, I know for me
I understand that I need Fannie Mae in my life to be truly happy and fulfilled.

Well I ain't been in trouble and so much misery
Despite not being in any trouble, I am still going through a lot of pain and sadness in my life without Fannie Mae by my side.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CLARENCE L LEWIS, MORRIS LEVY, WAYMON GLASCO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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