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 Going To Build Me A Heaven Of My Own
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The men can just listen and think about what I'm about to tell them.
The women...
This is dedicated to all women in the world. It goes like this...
Build a heaven...
I'm getting tired of seeing these women
Walk around here and suffering going on.
A small one. I'm gonna build me a heaven of my own.
I'm gonna build me a heaven. I'm gonna build me a heaven of my own.
You know, so all of these lovin' women,
Well, man, I can give them a happy home.
That's right,
I'm gonna build a heaven of my own, and a man ain't allowed in there.
Yeah, you know I ain't gonna call myself
"Jesus", oh, no, man, I ain't gonna play God.
No, I ain't gonna call myself "Jesus",
Neither am I. Po Lightnin' ain't going to call hisself "God".
When he walk up and says, "I'm walking", God, I'm gonna say,
"No, you can't come in, now you's bought,
'Cuz I know there ain't but one God.
He never been seen. I just heard his voice."
I'm gonna tell you something,
God knows it's true (the one we
Never seen). I say, know this is true.
Why would I come and ask you, God, when I know just as much as you do.
Why should I be down on my knees to you
When I know just as much as you do, too.
You know, we both better pray, man.
I think that'll be the best thing for us to do.
I see the man with long beard, it sure to tickle me,
And I walk up to speak to him and he say, "Hello. My name is "JC".
I didn't know what he was talking
About, but he called himself "Jesus Christ"
And I turned around and I spoke these words back
At him, and I, yeah, I spoke the same words twice.
I said, "Now, if you JC, baby,
Will you please give Po Lightnin' the key?
I got an angel I want to enter your
Heaven, and that angel keeps on following me."
You know, he began to whirl his chain right around his hand.
He said, "You look like a pretty honest man." He said,
"Just show me an angel,
And I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do."
He said, "I'm going to turn my whole
Heaven, kingdom and all, over to you."
I said, "No, I can't do like you can do,
But I can stand at the door and pass them angels through."
He said, "No, this chain don't mean too much to a man,
But it likes to open the door and
Give every living creature a helping hand.
And I said, "Now, Mr. JC, will you please help for me?"
He said, "My heaven is for women
Only. Take a peak now, don't you see?"
The song "I'm Going To Build Me A Heaven Of My Own" by Lightnin' Hopkins speaks to the sufferings of women and Hopkins' desire to create a heaven for them. He is tired of seeing women suffer and wants to provide them with a happy home. However, this heaven is only for women, as they are the ones who have been oppressed and need a safe space to thrive. Hopkins does not want to play God, but rather wants to create a space where women can be free from the male gaze and judgment.
Hopkins also expresses his skepticism towards religion and the concept of a higher power. He does not want to call himself God or Jesus and believes that there is only one God who has never been seen. He questions why he should be down on his knees to a higher power when he knows just as much as anyone else. Hopkins suggests that both he and God should pray together, as that would be the best thing for them to do.
"I'm Going To Build Me A Heaven Of My Own" is a powerful and empowering song that speaks to the need for safe spaces for oppressed communities. Hopkins wants to create a space where women can thrive and be happy, and questions the idea of a higher power that could potentially perpetuate their suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
This is dedicated to the whole world, the women, especially.
I dedicate this song to all women in the world.
The men can just listen and think about what I'm about to tell them.
Men can listen to me, and ponder over the words I say.
I'm getting tired of seeing these women
Walk around here and suffering going on.
I'm tired of seeing women suffer.
Yeah, I'm gonna build me a heaven,
A small one. I'm gonna build me a heaven of my own.
I want to create a small heaven for myself.
You know, so all of these lovin' women,
Well, man, I can give them a happy home.
I can offer a happy home to all loving women.
That's right,
I'm gonna build a heaven of my own, and a man ain't allowed in there.
Men are not allowed to enter my heaven.
Yeah, you know I ain't gonna call myself
"Jesus", oh, no, man, I ain't gonna play God.
I will not call myself 'Jesus' or pretend to be God.
When he walk up and says, "I'm walking", God, I'm gonna say,
"No, you can't come in, now you's bought,
'Cuz I know there ain't but one God.
He never been seen. I just heard his voice."
If someone says they are God, I will tell them they cannot enter because I believe in only one God who has never been seen.
I'm gonna tell you something,
God knows it's true (the one we
Never seen). I say, know this is true.
I know that God is real and exists.
Why would I come and ask you, God, when I know just as much as you do.
I do not need to ask God for knowledge because I already know as much as he does.
Why should I be down on my knees to you
When I know just as much as you do, too.
I do not need to kneel to God.
You know, we both better pray, man.
I think that'll be the best thing for us to do.
Praying together may be the best thing for both of us.
I see the man with long beard, it sure to tickle me,
And I walk up to speak to him and he say, "Hello. My name is "JC".
I didn't know what he was talking
About, but he called himself "Jesus Christ"
And I turned around and I spoke these words back
At him, and I, yeah, I spoke the same words twice.
I met a man with a long beard who called himself 'Jesus Christ', but I did not know what he was talking about. We had a conversation.
I said, "Now, if you JC, baby,
Will you please give Po Lightnin' the key?
I got an angel I want to enter your
Heaven, and that angel keeps on following me."
I asked Jesus to give me the key to his heaven and to let my angel enter it.
You know, he began to whirl his chain right around his hand.
He said, "You look like a pretty honest man."
He said,
"Just show me an angel,
And I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do."
Jesus whirled his chain and asked me to show him an angel so he could help.
He said, "I'm going to turn my whole
Heaven, kingdom and all, over to you."
Jesus said he would give me his kingdom and his heaven.
I said, "No, I can't do like you can do,
But I can stand at the door and pass them angels through."
I couldn't do what Jesus can, but I could stand at the door and let angels enter his heaven.
He said, "No, this chain don't mean too much to a man,
But it likes to open the door and
Give every living creature a helping hand.
Jesus explained that his chain is used to help every living creature.
And I said, "Now, Mr. JC, will you please help for me?"
He said, "My heaven is for women
Only. Take a peak now, don't you see?"
I asked for Jesus's help but he said that his heaven is only for women.
Writer(s): SAM LIGHTNIN HOPKINS
Contributed by Mila E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.