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.".
Lonesome Graveyard
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little girl, sleep on, just sleep on
Sleep on, sleep on
Little girl, just sleep on, sleep on
Well, I know you're dead, resting darling, but one day
I know the graveyard gonna be my home
Every living people got to die, human beings
Mama was rocking by the window howling
“My poor child is dead, yes, she's dead
Yeah, you know my poor child is dead and gone”
But made me feel so good, she said this
Sleep on, sleep on, son
Do you know your mother is coming on?
The graveyard ain't too beautiful
But it will give you a home so long
I wouldn't mind dying
Poor Lightnin' would just have to lay dead so long
Wouldn't mind dying
But I'd have to lay dead so long
That I wouldn't have a chance
To come back here and tell my friends
No, nobody, what is going on
Told my baby, don't worry if I die
Darling, I know I'm gonna leave your little bed warm
Don't worry if poor Lightnin' lay down and die
'Cause I'm gonna leave your little bed very warm
You know, I can't worry when I'm dead and gone, but one thing
Little girl, I know you is coming home
The song Lonesome Graveyard by Lightnin' Hopkins is a contemplative and mournful song that talks about death and the inevitability of it. The singer addresses a girl who has passed away and asks her to rest in peace. He knows that one day he too will end up in the graveyard and it will become his final resting place. The lyrics suggest that all living beings have to die, and it's a fact that one can't escape. Mama is crying over her child's death, but she consoles herself saying that the graveyard may not be a beautiful place, but it will provide a home for her child's remains.
The song takes a somber tone as the singer contemplates his own mortality. He wouldn't mind dying, but the fact that he would have to lay dead for so long before being buried, prevents him from doing so. He talks about leaving his loved ones behind and not being able to come back and tell them what's going on. However, he reassures his baby not to worry if he dies because he'll leave her little bed warm. He acknowledges that death is certain and there's no use worrying about it. The song ends on a note of acceptance as the singer says that the girl is going home, referring to her final resting place.
Overall, Lonesome Graveyard is a poignant song that highlights the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The singer is reflective and mournful as he contemplates his own mortality and that of the little girl who has passed away. Despite the somber tone, the song also contains a sense of acceptance and reassurance that death is a natural part of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleep on, sleep on, sleep on
Rest peacefully in death
Little girl, sleep on, just sleep on
Addressing the deceased with a term of endearment
Well, I know you're dead, resting darling, but one day
Acknowledging the inevitability of death
I know the graveyard gonna be my home
Death is the only certain thing in life
Every living people got to die, human beings
Death is a universal experience
Mama was rocking by the window howling
The feeling of loss and grief
My poor child is dead, yes, she's dead
Accepting the reality of death
Yeah, you know my poor child is dead and gone
Emphasizing the finality of death
But made me feel so good, she said this
Finding comfort in words of consolation
Sleep on, sleep on, son
Addressing the deceased with a term of endearment
Do you know your mother is coming on?
Belief in an afterlife
The graveyard ain't too beautiful
Acknowledging the unpleasantness of death
But it will give you a home so long
The final resting place
I wouldn't mind dying
Acceptance of death
Poor Lightnin' would just have to lay dead so long
The finality of death and the inability to communicate from beyond the grave
But I'd have to lay dead so long
The length of time until final rest
That I wouldn't have a chance
The inescapable reality of death
To come back here and tell my friends
The impossibility of contacting the living after death
No, nobody, what is going on
Emphasizing the finality of death
Told my baby, don't worry if I die
Attempting to comfort the living
Darling, I know I'm gonna leave your little bed warm
Assuring loved ones that they will be taken care of
Don't worry if poor Lightnin' lay down and die
Acceptance of personal mortality
'Cause I'm gonna leave your little bed very warm
Assurance of continued care for loved ones
You know, I can't worry when I'm dead and gone, but one thing
Accepting the inevitability of death and the unknown afterlife
Little girl, I know you is coming home
Belief in an afterlife and eventual reunion with loved ones
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SAM HOPKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ritzi Blitz
Great Song!
Dewayne White
I don't weigh but 90 pounds!!!!!
But plays the heck out of that guitar!!!
Dee Bell
Bust your soul wide open
Lady you are so right
Amen to that💥
Cherry Red
You can hear this in Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Couldn't Stand the Weather" and "Little Wing"....
likewolf
Lightnin's Blues!
Vjola Pollozi
💜
mustang1853
Thank you.
Mariesa Randow
Bust your soul wide open
Dee Bell
Give it up for him he was
The best others may entertain
But ⚡️💥⚡️takes care of
Business🌕shining moon ok.