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 Begging You
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm beggin you.
Baby with tears all in my eyes
Yes I'm begging you
I'm begging you darling...
Baby with tears in my eyes
You don't seem to know baby and you don't seem to realize
You know I give you all my money baby and all my time too
I just want to ask you one questions
What else do you expect me to do
When I done done everything in the world that I know to do
Out of all I done...
Woman I can't get along with you
(I'm going to have someone else talk to you.. ask them what must I do)
She used to write me a letter
She used to write it everyday...
Now since she left home her love done turned away...
I guess I'm goin to have to find someone else to lie with me
Why that woman treated me so bad...
woman I can't see
The lyrics to Lightnin' Hopkins's song I'm Begging You portray the desperation and heartbreak of a man who is pleading with his lover. He repeatedly begs with tears in his eyes, indicating the depth of his emotions. However, he feels like his efforts are futile as his lover seems oblivious to his pain and is not aware of the sacrifices he has made for her love. He has given her all his money and time, but it seems like it's not enough. He questions her expectations, wondering what else he can do to gain her affection.
As the song progresses, the man's frustration levels escalate. He has tried everything to make her happy, but she still doesn't reciprocate his feelings. He's at his breaking point; he can't seem to find any more solutions. He wants to ask someone else for advice on how to proceed, but he can't seem to escape from his lover's grasp. He reminisces about the past, where she used to write him letters every day, expressing her love. Now, he feels like everything has changed, and his love is unrequited. He concludes by saying that he needs to find someone else to lie with him as his lover has turned away from him.
The song portrays the intense sadness of unrequited love, where a man is willing to do everything for his lover, but she remains indifferent. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, highlighting the desperation felt by a man who's been let down by his lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Who I'm begging you now...
I urgently need something from you, can you please listen?
I'm beggin you.
Please consider what I'm about to say, it's important to me.
Baby with tears all in my eyes
I'm crying and emotionally vulnerable. This is hard for me.
Yes I'm begging you
I really need your help right now, can you please help me out?
I'm begging you darling...
I'm pleading with you, I care about you a lot, please listen to me.
Baby with tears in my eyes
I'm heartbroken and need your support. Please show me some kindness.
You don't seem to know baby and you don't seem to realize
I don't think you understand how much I'm hurting and how much I need you.
You know I give you all my money baby and all my time too
I'm investing all my resources in you, please appreciate my efforts and return my love.
I just want to ask you one questions
I need to know what's going on between us, can you explain?
What else do you expect me to do
I'm doing everything I can to make this work, please help me out by meeting me halfway.
When I done done everything in the world that I know to do
I'm at my wit's end, I've tried everything I can think of and still can't make things work.
Out of all I done...
Despite my best efforts, things still aren't working out.
Woman I can't get along with you
I can't continue to be in a relationship with you if things don't change.
(I'm going to have someone else talk to you.. ask them what must I do)
I'm at a loss for what to do next, so I need to bring in an outside party to help mediate our situation.
She used to write me a letter
Our communication used to be better, but now things have changed.
She used to write it everyday...
I miss the closeness we used to share, and the way she used to express her feelings to me.
Now since she left home her love done turned away...
Our relationship has deteriorated since she's been gone, and I don't know how to mend it.
I guess I'm goin to have to find someone else to lie with me
I'm desperately seeking someone to fill the void left by this relationship, even if it's not healthy.
Why that woman treated me so bad...
I'm hurt and confused by how this relationship has played out, and I can't understand why things turned out this way.
woman I can't see
I'm not sure how to move on from this relationship, since I'm still hurting and struggling to overcome my feelings for her.
Contributed by Lucas B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Lisseckk
130 views? Such a shame almost nobody knows good music these days