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 Asked The Bossman
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Asked that Bossman to let my baby be
Down in Louisiana
Asked to the Bossman, let my baby be
You know that I was doing alright
But you Bossman, takin' my little old girl from me
I said it ain't nothin' but a low down, low down
It's a low down, it's a low down
God knows it's a low down, dirty shame
Whoa, too bad little woman
She got it bad with another man
Wonder will I ever, Lord have mercy
See my little Margie's face again
Lord, I wonder, will I ever, will I ever
See my little Margie's face again
I just want her to remember
Poor Lighnin', once have been her friend
There been days I've been thinkin' about my little Margie
Wonderin' if the little poor girl doin' just fine
There been days I've been thinkin' about my little Margie
Wonderin' if the poor child's doin' just fine
You know the Bossman's taken her away from me
But on the papers she still is mine
And I couldn't help but to call her, I said
Please release my little Margie, Bossman
And let her come back home to me
Please release my little Margie, Bossman
And let her come back home to me
You know she, with all her powers
She couldn't do no better
That's why poor Lightnin' had to let Margie be
And like the song where I used to sing
About everything I get, somebody takes it away from me
But I've got to say one more word
Release my little Margie
Bossman, please let her come back to me
Release my little Margie
Bossman, please let her come back to me
Your know, longer that my little Margie's gone
Old Lightnin's sufferin' in misery
In "I Asked The Bossman," Lightnin' Hopkins is expressing his heartbreak after his lover, Margie, is taken away from him by the Bossman. He goes to the Bossman and pleads with him to let Margie come back to him. Throughout the song, Lightnin' uses the phrase "low down dirty shame" to describe the situation he's in. He feels helpless and powerless because the Bossman has taken his loved one away from him without any real explanation. Lightnin' wonders if he will ever see Margie's face again and if she is doing well without him. Ultimately, Lightnin' realizes that he has no choice but to let her go because the Bossman has all the power.
The song is a poignant reflection on the power dynamics that existed in the southern United States between black workers and their white bosses during the Jim Crow era. The bossman held all the power and could take away anything that belonged to the workers, including their loved ones. The song also speaks to the emotional toll of this power dynamic, as Lightnin' is clearly devastated by the loss of his relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
We were down in Louisiana
I was in Louisiana
Asked that Bossman to let my baby be
I asked the bossman to let my girlfriend go
Down in Louisiana
Still in Louisiana
Asked to the Bossman, let my baby be
I implored the bossman to release my girlfriend back to me
You know that I was doing alright
I was okay before the bossman took my girlfriend
But you Bossman, takin' my little old girl from me
But the bossman took my girlfriend away from me
I said it ain't nothin' but a low down, low down
It's a terrible, terrible thing
People let the low down, dirty shame
People allow this type of shameful behavior
It's a low down, it's a low down
It's such a terrible thing to do
God knows it's a low down, dirty shame
It's a disgraceful act
Whoa, too bad little woman
It's a pity for my girlfriend
She got it bad with another man
She's suffering with another man
Wonder will I ever, Lord have mercy
I wonder if I'll ever see her again
See my little Margie's face again
See my girlfriend's face again
Lord, I wonder, will I ever, will I ever
I wonder if I'll ever
I just want her to remember
I want her to think of me
Poor Lighnin', once have been her friend
I was her friend once
There been days I've been thinkin' about my little Margie
I think about her often
Wonderin' if the little poor girl doin' just fine
I wonder if she's doing well
You know the Bossman's taken her away from me
The bossman took her away from me
But on the papers she still is mine
But on paper, she's still mine
And I couldn't help but to call her, I said
I had to call her on the phone
Please release my little Margie, Bossman
Please let my girlfriend go, bossman
And let her come back home to me
And let her come back to me
You know she, with all her powers
She, with all her might
She couldn't do no better
She couldn't do any better
That's why poor Lightnin' had to let Margie be
That's why I had to let her go
And like the song where I used to sing
And like the song I used to sing
About everything I get, somebody takes it away from me
Where everything I have, someone takes away
But I've got to say one more word
I have one more thing to say
Release my little Margie
Let my girlfriend go
Bossman, please let her come back to me
Bossman, please let her come back to me
Your know, longer that my little Margie's gone
You know, the longer she's gone
Old Lightnin's sufferin' in misery
I'm suffering in misery
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: SAM HOPKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dom Corrieras
du très grand Lightnin' !