Stool Pigeon Blues
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics


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Good Lord, just let me live till tomorrow
I'm gonna send you another prayer
This is taped
Yes, till tomorrow
This black man gonna send you another prayer
You know, sometimes I begin to wonder
What in the world am I doin' over here?
You don't love me no more, baby
And I can't see the reason why
You don't love me no more, baby
Po' Lightnin' can't see the reason why
You know, I never told you no story
If you don't understand that
And I never have told you a lie
Yeah, the birds was singin'
And the wind begin to blow
Yeah, the birds was singin'
You know, the wind begin to blow
You know when a pigeon joined in and went to singin'
I never heard such a sweet voice before
You know a pigeon mean more than one that fly in the air
It can be a stool pigeon
You know that's--you know what that is?
One that sit on a stool and pimp to the law
That is a pigeon
I want everybody understand me so they know
I just done give up and I ain't gonna try
To live they life no more
No, no more




You know, I ain't gonna find no heaven here
Now, no place on earth I go

Overall Meaning

Lightnin' Hopkins's song Stool Pigeon Blues is a lamentation about lost love and feeling out of place. The song opens with Lightnin' Hopkins asking God for his life to continue till the next day so he can send another prayer in the hope of redeeming his relationship with his lover. Lightnin' Hopkins's struggle to understand why his lover is no longer with him is brought to the surface in the following lines when he wonders what he is doing in that place. He feels abandoned and lost. The line "You don't love me no more, baby, and I can't see the reason why" is the refrain of this song, and with each repetition of the line, Hopkins's frustration and pain seem to increase.


Line by Line Meaning

Good Lord, just let me live till tomorrow
I hope to live through the night


I'm gonna send you another prayer
I'll send my thoughts of hope and faith to you


Yes, till tomorrow
I hope to live till morning


This black man gonna send you another prayer
I, a black man, will send you thoughts of hope and faith


You know, sometimes I begin to wonder
I sometimes think about


What in the world am I doin' over here?
Why am I in this situation?


You don't love me no more, baby
You no longer have love for me


And I can't see the reason why
I don't understand why


Po' Lightnin' can't see the reason why
Poor Lightnin' can't understand why


You know, I never told you no story
I've always been truthful to you


If you don't understand that
If you don't comprehend that


And I never have told you a lie
I've always been honest with you


Yeah, the birds was singin'
The birds were singing


And the wind begin to blow
The wind started blowing


You know when a pigeon joined in and went to singin'
A pigeon started singing along


I never heard such a sweet voice before
I've never heard a nicer voice


You know a pigeon mean more than one that fly in the air
A pigeon can have more significance than those flying in the air


It can be a stool pigeon
It can act as a spy for law enforcement


You know that's--you know what that is?
Do you understand what that means?


One that sit on a stool and pimp to the law
A person who sits and informs law enforcement


That is a pigeon
That's what a stool pigeon is


I want everybody understand me so they know
I want everyone to understand me


I just done give up and I ain't gonna try
I've given up and won't make the effort


To live they life no more
To live someone else's life


No, no more
Definitely not anymore


You know, I ain't gonna find no heaven here
I won't find happiness in this place


Now, no place on earth I go
Regardless of where I go




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SAM HOPKINS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Fred Barkley

where would today's Music be without these Guys?

Shirley Wilson

love your your music mrllighten hoppen may god be with your family

bmxmagponthu

will music ever come back?

Mark M

Nope. That's why it's important for us to keep this kind of music going.

QUIETSTORM

I see me in a 1968 Cadillac Coupe Deville, black and windows blacked out a bottle of whiskey and a cigarette riding in the evening headed somewhere out in the Midwest without a care and my sunglasses on when I listen the blues.

Prince Johnson

At least there is three of us.

Robert Hoek

nowhere