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.".
Morning Blues
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
crying please, please help poor me, help old me
She said, "Lightnin' I wished I was rich and you were poor"
The meals that you've been getting, I will see that you never get them no more
She's talking to me and I'm down on bended knee
Somebody help me, help me, please
You know I went to my house, wasn't nobody there but me
That was trouble, that was worry, Lord, Lord, like the whole world would see
Her little smiling, baby, I can't see
Well I'm about to make it up in my mind to let her go ahead on
Baby, you go have a good time, while I walk my floor and moan
You may not miss me now, but you're gonna miss me when I'm gone
Well I just can't do nothing but cry, I just got to walk my floor and moan
The song Morning Blues by Lightnin' Hopkins centers around the theme of heartbreak and the desperation that comes with it. The singer of the song has gone to his lover's house and begged for her help, only to be met with indifference and cold-heartedness. He falls to his knees and implores her to save him from his pain, but her response is that she wishes he was poor and she was rich. She promises to ensure that he never gets the meals he has been getting again, indicating that she is responsible for his livelihood. The singer is devastated by her indifference and asks for help from anyone willing to listen.
The song has a melancholy and mournful tone, with the singer repeatedly saying that he can't do anything except cry and walk his floor. He knows that his lover has moved on, and he begs her to go ahead and have a good time without him. The singer is aware that she may not miss him now, but she will certainly miss him when he's gone. Despite this realization, he is still deeply hurt and unable to move on.
Overall, Morning Blues is a poignant and moving representation of heartbreak and the intense emotions it can evoke. The singer is desperate for help and comfort, and his lover's indifference only makes his pain worse. The lyrics showcase the raw pain and vulnerability that come with heartbreak, and the instrumentation adds to the overall mood of sadness and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I went down to my baby's house, fell down on my knees,
crying please, please help poor me, help old me
The singer visits his lover's house, falls on his knees and begs her for help
She said, "Lightnin' I wished I was rich and you were poor"
The meals that you've been getting, I will see that you never get them no more
His lover wishes he was poor and vows to deprive him of the meals he's been receiving
You know I went to my house, wasn't nobody there but me
That was trouble, that was worry, Lord, Lord, like the whole world would see
The singer returns home to find no one there and feels troubled and worried, as if the whole world is watching him
Somebody please help me, I've been wondering about my fate
Her little smiling, baby, I can't see
He appeals for help, as he's been contemplating his future and can't seem to find joyful moments anymore
Well I'm about to make it up in my mind to let her go ahead on
Baby, you go have a good time, while I walk my floor and moan
He decides to let go of his lover and tells her to go have fun, as he walks his floor and moans in sadness
You may not miss me now, but you're gonna miss me when I'm gone
Well I just can't do nothing but cry, I just got to walk my floor and moan
He knows that his lover may not realize his worth until he's gone, and all he can do is cry and walk around sorrowfully
Contributed by Matthew W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Scuud52
the singing in sampled brilliantly in "Full Moon" by Kettel and Secede
@charliesideshow8400
Blues' the truth! Amazing!
@Toughguysdontdance12
Well I just can't do nothing but cry...
@664804
slow blues es espectacular y este es el mas grande expositor del estilo Sam desde Chile y donde estes !!!! TE AMO!!!! y no soy gay .
@BlueswayGrBLUESWAY
respect blues god
@larserikolofosterling2338
Baby, you're all shining and fine on t' outsid' ... but your' insides' all dark an' messed up fin'. You shur' cut me down, an it's gonna take some all' time for me to stan' up. God bless you girl for showin' you true self in time.
An' me, am me, I'm later shure gonne' shine oh yeaa...
@caripelasrocanrol
the blues is the better music .. when i feel tired or sad i heard blues and pum! this problems disaappear! i have a good timeee baby ! people dont stop to heard blues ! ou yea
@tasteguit3097
blues all the way !
@penfloyd
Classic!
@didierreidid8590
the blues ? What else ??