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.".
War News Blues
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sad news everyday
You may turn your radio on soon in the morning
Sad news everyday
Yes you know I've got a warning
Trouble is on it's way
Poor children runnin'
The song War News Blues by Lightnin' Hopkins talks about the constant stream of sad news that one hears on the radio every day. The lyrics indicate that trouble is on its way, and there is a warning to be careful. The use of the phrase "poor children runnin'" suggests that conflict or violence is imminent, and the innocent ones will be caught in the crossfire. The repeated use of the phrase "sad news every day" throughout the song creates a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
You may turn your radio on soon in the morning
There is a suggestion that the listener should turn on their radio early in the morning
Sad news everyday
The radio will almost always report distressing news
You may turn your radio on soon in the morning
The song is encouraging the listener to switch on the radio early in the AM
Sad news everyday
The radio owuld almost always report distressing news
Yes you know I've got a warning
There is a message of caution that is being conveyed here
Trouble is on it's way
The warning is that problems are impending
Poor children runnin'
Depiction of destitution and angst are being presented with the images of impoverished children running.
Contributed by Reagan E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@brucelou7764
You may turn your radio on soon in the morning, sad news every day
You may turn your radio on soon in the morning, sad news every day
Yes, you know, I got a warning, trouble is on its way
Poor children running, crying, "Whoa, mama, mama, now what shall we do?"
Poor children running, crying, "Whoa, mama, mama, now what shall we do?"
"Yes" she said, "You had better pray, children, same thing is happening to mama too"
I'm gonna dig me a hole this morning, dig it deep down in the ground
I'rn gonna dig me a hole this morning, dig it deep down in the ground
So if it should happen to drop a bomb around somewhere, I can't hear the echo when it sounds
@rooseveltdavis9559
Lightnin Hopkins original folk blues a legend in his own time. Stereo 1971 8-track tape release . United label.
@peterpfenninger8990
I know this song for about 35 years and it`s still one of my all time favourits, beeing a german speaking swiss, i am not used to write in english, but I can hear when sombody sings the right thing.
@rooseveltdavis9559
My father bought the 8-track tape. Original folk blues Lightnin' Hopkins a legend in his own time. And a child my father play the tape all the time in the late 1970's. So as a child Lightnin' became a favorite of mine. So war news blues is on the tape.
@peterpfenninger8990
@Drunk Drywaller Shure, I still do :-)
@pekaye
I will never forget attending a blues festival at UC Berkeley in the '60's -- Lightnin' Hopkins was a stand-out performer. I feel fortunate to have heard him live.
@brucelou7764
You may turn your radio on soon in the morning, sad news every day
You may turn your radio on soon in the morning, sad news every day
Yes, you know, I got a warning, trouble is on its way
Poor children running, crying, "Whoa, mama, mama, now what shall we do?"
Poor children running, crying, "Whoa, mama, mama, now what shall we do?"
"Yes" she said, "You had better pray, children, same thing is happening to mama too"
I'm gonna dig me a hole this morning, dig it deep down in the ground
I'rn gonna dig me a hole this morning, dig it deep down in the ground
So if it should happen to drop a bomb around somewhere, I can't hear the echo when it sounds
@Amnas2011
Excellent music and singing,sounds great!
@screwmaster404
Lightnin' is so cool.
@templeman4
I'm thinking Lightnin recorded this in the early fifties, the time of the Korean war. Thank you SameMusic Scene (Mary) as a long time fan of Lightnin's sound, this was always one of my favorite periods for him, he is, I think, at the height of his considerable music powers not only as a guitar player but as a songwriter.
@soundproof714
awesome darlin!!