Samuel John "Lightnin'" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an … Read Full Bio ↴Samuel John "Lightnin'" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist, from Centerville, Texas. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 71 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

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.".

Viet Nam War
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mama said Son, how can you be happy when your brother way over in Vietnam?
How can you be happy when your brother way over in Vietnam?

I told her
I said "Mama he may got lucky and win some money
Oh he got to may bring some money back home"

Mama looked at me

She said "That ain't no way to talk about your brother"
But he's my child too
She said "Mister Johnson is tellin' everybody.
exactly what he want them to do"
All right my child
What if Uncle Sam was to call you boy? (I would be so lonesome)
Oh I would miss you so much I may die
Yes if Uncle Sam should call you, Oh Lord I miss you so much I may die

Yeah you know when you get over yon' and get to fightin' them soldiers,
yeah you know you're gonna be fightin' way upon my heart

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Lightnin' Hopkins's song "Viet Nam War" captures the heart-wrenching pain of a mother whose son is fighting in the Vietnam War. The song begins with the mother questioning how her son can be happy when his brother is fighting in Vietnam. This shows the genuine concern and love that a mother has for her children, and the impact that the war had on families made of people who were drafted.

Lightnin' Hopkins's response highlights a common thought among young people at the time that the Vietnam War could be an opportunity to win money or create financial stability using the GI Bill. However, his mother states that the opinion is not a way to talk about his brother, emphasizing the impact of propaganda that convinced the youth to enlist in the war. The situation worsens when the mother realizes that Mr. Johnson is telling everybody what they want people to do, indicating that the government is controlling the people's actions.

The song continues with the mother asking her son what he would do if he got drafted by Uncle Sam, and he responds by saying that he would miss his family so much that he may die. The impact of loss on families is seen here, and how the Vietnam War was more than just conflicts on the battlefield but affected families’ homes and hearts. Lightnin' Hopkins further observes that the people who end up fighting soldiers in Vietnam are fighting in their hearts because their loved ones are not present with them. The song overall represents the heartbreak and frustration of the average American that had to watch the war unfold while their loved ones were fighting.

Line by Line Meaning

Mama said Son, how can you be happy when your brother way over in Vietnam?
Mother asked her son how he could be happy knowing that his brother was in Vietnam, fighting in the war.

How can you be happy when your brother way over in Vietnam?
Mother asked her son how he could possibly be happy when his brother was far away, fighting in the Vietnam War.

I told her I said "Mama he may got lucky and win some money Oh he got to may bring some money back home"
The son tried to reassure his mother by saying that his brother might be lucky enough to win money while in Vietnam, and that it could help him bring money back home.

Mama looked at me She said "That ain't no way to talk about your brother" But he's my child too She said "Mister Johnson is tellin' everybody. exactly what he want them to do"
Mother scolded her son when he mentioned his brother possibly winning money, but then reminded him that his brother was still her child too. She also mentioned how Mr. Johnson was manipulating people's actions and thoughts during the war.

All right my child What if Uncle Sam was to call you boy? (I would be so lonesome) Oh I would miss you so much I may die
Mother empathized with her son, and asked him how he would feel if he were the one called to fight in Vietnam. The son responded saying he would feel extremely lonely and miss his family so much that it could be fatal.

Yes if Uncle Sam should call you, Oh Lord I miss you so much I may die Yeah you know when you get over yon' and get to fightin' them soldiers, yeah you know you're gonna be fightin' way upon my heart
The son continued to express his sadness and fear about the possibility of being called to fight in Vietnam. He also acknowledged that if he were to go fight in the war, it would not only be physically difficult, but emotionally hard as it would hurt his family as well.

Contributed by Maya O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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