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.".
I'm A Stranger
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
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So I want my train fare home, so I have no worries on my babe
I'm a stranger here, just blowed in your town
Oh yes, I am, I'm a stranger here, just blowed in your town
Well, because I'm a stranger everybody wants to dog me 'round
Well, I wonder why some people treat the strangers so
Well, he may be your best friend that you will never know
I'm gonna write home to daddy, send me my railroad fare
Oh yes, I am, I'm gonna write home to daddy send me my railroad fare
Well, if he don't send it, I don't mind walkin' down
Go ahead man
Yes, yes, yes
Well, I wonder if my good girl knows I'm here
Oh yes, I do, Lord, I wonder if my good girl knows I'm here
Well, if she do, she just don't seem to care
Well, I'm goin' back home, wear out ninety-nine pair of shoes
Oh yes, I am, I'm goin' back home wear out ninety-nine pair of shoes
Well, when I get back home I won't have these old stranger blues
I'm gonna leave this town, nothing here that I can do
Oh no, it ain't, I'm gonna leave this town, nothing here that I can do
Well boy, sit right here in the troubadour
Sing these old stranger blues
Let's go out together
Yes, yes, yes
The song "I'm a Stranger Here" is about feeling like an outsider in a new town, and facing discrimination because of being a stranger. Lightnin' Hopkins, Sonny Terry, and Brownie McGhee, three prominent blues musicians of their time, are expressing their struggles as black men in a segregated society. The singer of the song is someone who has just arrived in a new town and faces hostility and suspicion from the locals. He is trying to get his train fare home to escape the feeling of isolation, but he is so broke that he has to walk home. The lyrics express the sadness and loneliness of being a stranger and how it is hard to find acceptance in society.
The song also talks about the general mistreatment of strangers and asks why people treat them badly. The lyrics suggest that even a potential friend could be among those who discriminate against strangers. The song, in general, highlights the unfairness and hostility strangers face, and how it feels like being stuck in a strange land.
Overall, the lyrics of "I'm a Stranger Here" convey the theme of isolation, loneliness, and the struggles of being a stranger in a society. Even today, the song has a strong message about the mistreatment of immigrants or newcomers in a new place.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a stranger, just blowed in your town
I am not from here, just arrived in your town
So I want my train fare home, so I have no worries on my babe
I need money for a train ticket to go back home, so I don't have to worry about my loved one
Well, because I'm a stranger everybody wants to dog me 'round
People mistreat or ignore me because I am not from here
Oh yes, I do, I wonder why some people treat the strangers so
I am curious as to why people here treat strangers poorly
Well, he may be your best friend that you will never know
Someone you ignore or dislike because they are a stranger could potentially be your best friend
Oh yes, I am, I'm gonna write home to daddy send me my railroad fare
I plan on asking my father for money to pay for my train ticket home
Well, if he don't send it, I don't mind walkin' down
If my father doesn't send me the money, I am willing to walk home
Well, I wonder if my good girl knows I'm here
I am unsure if my significant other is aware that I am in this town
Well, if she do, she just don't seem to care
Even if my significant other knows I am in this town, they don't seem to care
Well, when I get back home I won't have these old stranger blues
Once I go back home, I won't have to deal with feeling like a stranger anymore
I'm gonna leave this town, nothing here that I can do
I have no reason to stay in this town and therefore plan on leaving
Well boy, sit right here in the troubadour, sing these old stranger blues
I will stay in this bar and sing about my struggles as a stranger
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: BROWNIE MCGHEE, SAUNDERS TERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CarrshowProductions
0 comments? Whats wrong with music these days? This song is so damn good!!
Alexander Krebs
Great music....!
Bill
Love his playing, since I’m a "man" I won’t be in heaven, but I can listen iffin I’m living next door. :-)
Jonathan Harvey
One person ain't got no soul how dare they dislike this
William Minarcik
Lyrics: I´m a stranger, just dropped in your town
Stranger, I just dropped in your town
Yes because I´m a stranger, please ma´am don´t dog me around.
I´m a stranger here, I´m gonna leave ´fore the sun go down
Stranger here, baby, I´m gonna leave ´fore the sun go down
Yeah you know the people seem to don´t like me, why should I hang around here in this ol´ town?
emma garrett
Amen
warren fielding
Play C-7 lol