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.".
What'd I Say
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come and love me all night long.
Oh oh, hey hey,
All right now.
See the girl with the diamond ring,
She knows how to twist that thing.
Oh oh, hey hey,
Tell your mama, tell your pa
I'm gonna ship you back to Arkansas.
Oh yes, you don't do right,
You don't do right.
Tell me what'd I say,
Tell me what'd I say right now.
Tell me what'd I say,
Tell me what'd I say.
Tell me what'd I say,
Tell me what'd I say.
Yes, I wanna know,
I wanna know.
Baby, I wanna know right now,
Yes, I wanna know.
Honey, I wanna know,
Yes, I wanna know.
Hey hey
Ho ho
Hey hey
Ho ho
Hey hey ho ho hey.
Sing me one more time.
Sing me one more time.
Sing me one more time.
Sing me one more time.
Sing me one more time.
Sing me one more time.
Hey hey
Ho ho
Hey hey
Ho ho
Hey hey ho ho hey.
Make me feel so good.
Make me feel so good.
Make me feel so good right now.
Make me feel so good.
Make me feel so good.
Make me feel so good.
Huh huh
Ho ho
Huh huh
Ho ho
Huh huh ho ho huh.
Baby, it's all right.
Baby, it's all right right now.
Baby, it's all right.
Baby, it's all right.
Baby, it's all right.
Baby, it's all right.
Come on, twist that thing.
Come on, twist that thing.
Keep a twistin' that thing.
Keep a twistin' that thing.
Keep a twistin' that thing.
Keep a twistin' that thing.
Make me feel all right.
Well, I feel all right.
Well, I feel all right.
Well, I feel all right.
Well, I feel all right.
Well, I feel all right.
The lyrics of "What'd I Say" by Lightnin' Hopkins are about a man telling his lover to treat him right and love him all night long. He then spots another woman with a diamond ring who knows how to dance and tells his lover that he will ship her back to Arkansas if she doesn't treat him right. The chorus, "tell me what'd I say," is a plea for his lover to communicate her desires and thoughts clearly to him. The song then transitions into an upbeat, repetitive chant of "hey hey ho ho" as the singer urges his lover to keep dancing and making him feel good.
Overall, "What'd I Say" is a playful and flirtatious song with a message of mutual communication and enjoyment in love. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, but the delivery is full of emotion and energy, especially in the call-and-response portions of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey mama, don't you treat me wrong,
Addressing his lover, Hopkins requests her love and respect while warning her about mistreating him.
Come and love me all night long.
Hopkins expresses his desire for his lover to stay with him and engage in a prolonged romantic encounter.
Oh oh, hey hey,
An interjection, expressing excitement and building momentum towards the next line.
All right now.
Concluding the opening verse, Hopkins affirms his readiness for his lover's love and company.
See the girl with the diamond ring,
Observing a particular young woman with a coveted accessory, Hopkins admires her skill and grace in dancing.
She knows how to twist that thing.
Following his observation, Hopkins acknowledges how well the woman can dance and twist her body.
Tell your mama, tell your pa
Warning his lover, Hopkins threatens to contact her parents and send her back to Arkansas, their former residence.
I'm gonna ship you back to Arkansas.
Threatening his lover, Hopkins intends to relocate her back to her family in Arkansas as punishment for her misbehavior.
Oh yes, you don't do right,
Asserting his point, Hopkins accuses his lover of immoral actions.
Tell me what'd I say,
Repeating the main hook of the song, Hopkins implores his lover to reveal what he said that angered her.
Tell me what'd I say right now.
Urgently seeking to understand and resolve the conflict with his lover, Hopkins asks for her explicit explanation in real time.
Yes, I wanna know,
Emphasizing his desire to find out what he said to upset his lover.
I wanna know.
Reiterating his wish to attain an explanation from his lover.
Baby, I wanna know right now,
Appealing to his lover's affection with a term of endearment, Hopkins urgently seeks a response from his lover to restore their relationship.
Honey, I wanna know,
Using another endearing term, Hopkins expresses his desire to hear from his lover.
Hey hey Ho ho Hey hey Ho ho Hey hey ho ho hey.
An instrumental break in the song, building energy for the next verse.
Sing me one more time.
After the instrumental interlude, Hopkins asks for the song to be repeated one more time.
Make me feel so good.
Describing his mood and state of mind, Hopkins expresses that the music and his lover's company make him feel good.
Huh huh Ho ho Huh huh Ho ho Huh huh ho ho huh.
Another instrumental break, musically emphasizing Hopkins's good feelings and enjoyment of the song.
Baby, it's all right.
Offering reassurance, Hopkins affirms that everything is okay between him and his lover, despite their previous conflict.
Baby, it's all right right now.
Eliciting a sense of immediacy, Hopkins reiterates his point that they are currently in good standing.
Come on, twist that thing.
Encouraging his lover's dancing, Hopkins invites her to dance with him and continue enjoying themselves.
Keep a twistin' that thing.
Urging his lover to continue her enjoyable dancing, Hopkins sets the tone for the end of the song.
Well, I feel all right.
Closing the song with a statement of his current positive feelings, Hopkins shares his sense of satisfaction and good mood.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAY CHARLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sjoh104041
On my forth beer and as many Lightnin songs as I can listen to.
@ELLEvids
this song just blew my mind into a million pieces. so much goodness.
@coravisser727
Brilliant again as usual my goodness this is blues for me.thank you so much.
@johnnyspades6310
In my opinion the best version of this song...
@JuanBernardoIrigoyen
Sam Lightning Hopkins (Texas 1912-Texas 1982) a los 69 años murió este importante músico, compositor de temas que fueron muy famosos como este "What did i say" (Que diré yo),hacía Country Blues, guitarrista y vocalista.
Ray Charles, The Beatles y numerosos intérpretes hicieron famosa esta obra vendiendo infinidad de discos.
@marciaramonaacosta
Extraordinario !! Muy buen rock !
@MariaAlejandraDominguezSer
Super genial amigo Bernardo muchas gracias por tu excelente música
@JuanBernardoIrigoyen
Marcia Ramona Acosta Me alegra que te haya gustado Marcia, besos.
@JuanBernardoIrigoyen
María Alejandra Dominguez Muchas gracias, Maria Alejandra, por lo que dices estoy en un buen camino para los amigos de Google+. Besos.
@MariaAlejandraDominguezSer
Seguro que estas en buen camino, mil gracias