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.".

Let's Move
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics

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better watch that

Overall Meaning

Better watch that, better watch that
You better watch that woman that you got
Better watch that, better watch that
You better watch that woman that you got

You better watch her, man, day and night
Because woman, she ain't satisfied
I mean, she'll leave you here, pretty soon
Baby, she'll be gone, crying the blues

Better watch that, better watch that
You better watch that woman that you got
Better watch that, better watch that
You better watch that woman that you got

These lyrics are from the song "Better Watch That" by Lightnin' Hopkins. The song revolves around a warning to a man to watch his woman very closely because she is not a trustworthy person. The lyrics suggest that women are not satisfied easily and will leave their partner crying the blues. The singer is advising the man to keep a constant eye on his woman to avoid any mishaps.

Apart from being a simple warning song, "Better Watch That" can also be seen as a social commentary on the role of women in society. It reflects the common belief at the time that women were not to be trusted and were prone to infidelity. The song speaks of the pressures that men faced when it came to the women in their lives and how they would have to take every precaution to make sure that their woman stayed faithful.

Let's MoveLightnin' Hopkins Lyrics

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Let's Move
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics