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.".

You Don't Know
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

i wan to boogie
i want you to boogie too
i don't want to no one else
i want to boogie with you
you a sweet little girl

don't you want to boogie?
let's start boogying

i can boogie with you til broad day

everybody boogie
let's boogie pretty babe

let's boogie
anf i want you to do the little woogie

Overall Meaning

In Lightnin' Hopkins's song You Don't Know, the lyrics revolve around an invitation to dance or "boogie" with someone. The singer expresses a desire to boogie and asks the listener to join in. The song conveys a sense of enthusiasm and joyfulness, as the singer says they can boogie until broad daylight. However, the underlying message may be more than just an invitation to dance but also a way to connect with someone on a deeper level. The use of the word "sweet" to describe the listener indicates a romantic interest in the person he is asking to dance.

The repetition of the phrase "let's boogie" emphasizes the singer's desire to dance and creates a sense of momentum in the song. The use of the word "woogie" towards the end of the song is referencing the "boogie-woogie" style of piano blues music popular in the 1930s and 40s. The song's structure is simple, with a repetitive melody and chord progression, further adding to the sense of momentum and urging the listener to join in and dance.

Overall, Lightnin' Hopkins's You Don't Know is a lively and upbeat tune that not only invites one to boogie but also speaks to the intimacy and connection that can be found through dancing and music.

Line by Line Meaning

i wan to boogie
I have a strong desire to dance the boogie-woogie rhythm

i want you to boogie too
I would like you to also dance the boogie-woogie with me

i don't want to no one else
I do not desire to dance with anyone else

i want to boogie with you
I specifically want to dance the boogie-woogie with you

you a sweet little girl
You are a kind and lovely young woman

don't you want to boogie?
Do you not also have a desire to dance the boogie-woogie?

let's start boogying
Let us begin dancing the boogie-woogie rhythm

i can boogie with you til broad day
I can dance the boogie-woogie with you until daybreak

everybody boogie
Let everyone dance the boogie-woogie together

let's boogie pretty babe
Let's dance the boogie-woogie, my beautiful lady

let's boogie
Let's dance the boogie-woogie