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.".
You're Too Fast
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
try to slow down for a while
You too fast baby,
try to slow down for a while
So that when you get lost,
that mom and baby child
You so fast, baby,
You so fast baby,
ol' Lightnin' can't understand
You was so fast when you passed me,
I couldn't even catch yo' hand
The lyrics to Lightnin' Hopkins's song "You're Too Fast" depict a man pleading with his lover to slow down in life. He implores her to take a moment and pause to avoid losing her way in life. He seems to care about her wellbeing and does not want her to wind up misplaced with her child. However, he also conveys his inability to understand her pace of life, as he refers to himself as "old Lightnin'" and says he couldn't even catch her hand when she passed him.
This song is a perfect example of the blues genre, which emerged in the early 20th century in the African American community in the southern United States. It's characterized by the melancholic lyrics and slow, soulful music in 4/4 time. The theme of lost love or unrequited love is also prominent in this song.
Line by Line Meaning
You're too fast baby,
You move too quickly, my dear,
try to slow down for a while
Make an effort to take a break and relax,
You too fast baby,
You're moving at a much too rapid pace, my darling,
try to slow down for a while
You should make an effort to take a break and relax,
So that when you get lost,
In the event that you get lost,
that mom and baby child
You and your child will still be safe and secure
You so fast, baby,
You're moving at such an astonishing pace, my love,
ol' Lightnin' can't understand
I can't keep up with your quick movements,
You so fast baby,
You're moving at such an astonishing pace, my love,
ol' Lightnin' can't understand
I can't keep up with your quick movements,
You was so fast when you passed me,
You were moving so quickly when you went past me,
I couldn't even catch yo' hand
I couldn't grab hold of your hand to slow you down,
Contributed by Emily M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.