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.".
Slavery Time
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sad when you′re sick at home alone
Won't nobody coming ′round
Sad when you're sick at home alone
Oh Lord no one will come around
Just look like everybody telling everybody else
Poor boy is sinkin' down.
Thousand years my people was a′slaves
When I was born they teach me this way
One thousand years my peoples was slaves
When I was born they teach me this way
Tip your hat to the peoples
Be careful son about what you say.
Didn′t make no difference if it was raining
Do you know man you just had to go
Make no difference if it was raining
Woah man you just had to go
But I'm so glad I′m so glad I'm so glad
It ain′t slavery time no more.
Grandma told Grandpa one morning
I'm tired a′living I just assume a'die
Why these peoples is treating us this way?
I just can't see the reason why
Grandpa told grandma don′t worry
We′ll be all right at'a′while.
Grandpa told Grandma if we get called back
Just twenty years ago
Everybody gonna get called back old lady
I'm talking about twenty years ago
Yes I would get my shotgun and
I wouldn′t be a slave no more.
The song "Slavery Time" by Lightnin' Hopkins is a powerful expression of the suffering and resilience of African Americans during the era of slavery in the United States. The song begins with a lament about being sick and alone, with no one coming to offer help or support. This sense of isolation and abandonment is a common theme in African American music, reflecting the historical experience of being subjected to violence, discrimination, and neglect.
As the song progresses, Hopkins draws on his own family history to speak about the legacy of slavery. He notes that his people were enslaved for a thousand years, and that he was taught to be respectful of others and to watch what he says. These lines underscore the intergenerational trauma that black people have experienced as a result of slavery and its enduring effects.
Still, despite the hardships, Hopkins asserts his pride and determination, declaring that he's "so glad it ain't slavery time no more." He then recounts a conversation between his grandparents in which they discuss the injustice of their treatment and the possibility of revolt. Grandpa offers a note of hope, reminding Grandma that things will be alright. The song concludes with an image of resistance, as Hopkins declares that he would rather die with a gun in his hand than live as a slave.
Line by Line Meaning
Sad when you′re sick at home alone
Feeling alone and helpless when you're unwell
Won't nobody coming ′round
No one is willing to come and help
Oh Lord no one will come around
Hopeless situation with no help
Just look like everybody telling everybody else
Gossip and rumor-mongering about the helpless person
Poor boy is sinkin' down.
The sick person is deteriorating
One thousand years my peoples was slaves
The oppression of his ancestors spans over 1000 years
When I was born they teach me this way
The ways of oppression were ingrained in him from birth
Tip your hat to the peoples
Be respectful of others despite their status
Be careful son about what you say.
Be cautious of your words as they can lead to trouble
Make no difference if it was raining
Working conditions were harsh no matter the weather
Woah man you just had to go
Had to leave even in the harshest working conditions
But I'm so glad I′m so glad I'm so glad
Grateful to not live in a time of slavery
It ain′t slavery time no more.
Free from the bondage and oppression of slavery
I'm tired a′living I just assume a'die
Wearing down of the elder generation from oppression
Why these peoples is treating us this way?
Questioning the reason behind the harsh treatment
I just can't see the reason why
Feeling lost and without explanation for the treatment
We′ll be alright at'a'while.
Believing in perseverance and hope for the future
If we get called back
The possibility of returning to slavery
Everybody gonna get called back old lady
Everyone will be called back, regardless of age or gender
Yes I would get my shotgun and
Willingness to stand up against oppression
I wouldn′t be a slave no more.
Determination to never return to slavery
Writer(s): Unknown
Contributed by Natalie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.