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.".
Love Me This Morning
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ol' Lightnin' is fixin' to go away
Love me this mornin',
ol' Lightnin' is fixin' to go away
I may not be gone for ever,
but I'm tryin' to make up in my mind to stay
Whoa, I'm tryin to make up in my mind to stay
Tell me, baby,
little girl do you got anything else to say?
Tell me, oh,
little girl do you got anything else to say?
Ol' Lightnin', he goin' away to leave you,
this time po' Lightnin' he may stay
(spoken: one mo' time)
Yeah!
Po' Lightnin' may leave this time or stay
The lyrics to Love Me This Morning by Lightnin' Hopkins reveal a man trying to make a decision about leaving his lover. The repetition of the phrase "love me this morning" suggests that this decision may have been long in the making and is something he is struggling with. The phrase "tryin' to make up in my mind to stay" implies that he may have wanted to leave before but is now reconsidering.
The song also has a conversational style, and the line "tell me, baby, little girl, do you got anything else to say?" suggests that he is looking for reassurance or a reason to stay. When he says "po' Lightnin' he may stay" at the end of the song, it suggests that he has now made up his mind to stay.
Line by Line Meaning
Love me this mornin'
Lightnin' Hopkins is asking his lover to spend some intimate moments with him before he goes away.
ol' Lightnin' is fixin' to go away
Lightnin' Hopkins is planning to leave soon.
I may not be gone for ever,
Lightnin' Hopkins is hoping to return someday.
but I'm tryin' to make up in my mind to stay
Lightnin' Hopkins is uncertain if he wants to leave or stay.
Whoa, I'm tryin to make up in my mind to stay
Lightnin' Hopkins is insisting on his indecisiveness regarding his departure.
Tell me, baby,
Lightnin' Hopkins is asking his lover to speak her mind.
little girl do you got anything else to say?
Lightnin' Hopkins is insisting on hearing his lover's thoughts and feelings.
Ol' Lightnin', he goin' away to leave you,
Lightnin' Hopkins is leaving his lover behind.
this time po' Lightnin' he may stay
Lightnin' Hopkins is considering staying for his lover, despite his earlier intentions.
(spoken: one mo' time)
Lightnin' Hopkins is emphasizing his desire to make it up to his lover.
Yeah!
Lightnin' Hopkins is expressing his excitement and enthusiasm.
Contributed by Riley I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Diatton Blues
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