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.".
blues
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was tryin' to make a way
And you was cryin' and you told me
One day you would tell me who you were cryin' for
Who were you cryin' for?
Mama, yeah
What did you want with your mama?
Well, go ahead and tell me how Mama treated you
Mama, Mama, oh Mama
Mama, Mama, Mama, oh Mama
Mama, whoa, Mama, what you want from me?
I want a drink of water, Mama
Ooh, ooh, ooh, Mama, whoa, what you want, son?
I want a little drink of whiskey, Mama
Yes, I just wanna get drunk, Mama
Whoa, come staggerin' one more time
Mama, Mama, please ma'am answer me, Mama
Thank you, Mama, thank you, Mama
Thank you, Mama, for every little thing you did
The lyrics to Lightnin' Hopkins's song, Mama Blues, tell a story about a man named Bill who is crying and confides in the singer that he will tell him who he's crying for one day. The singer then asks who Bill was crying for, and the answer is revealed to be Mama. The singer asks Bill what he wanted from Mama, and Bill answers that he wanted a drink of water. The singer then asks Bill to tell him how Mama treated him, and the song transitions into a chorus of Mama, Mama, Mama, with the singer asking Mama what she wants from him. Mama's response is that she wants a drink of water, but the singer retorts, asking Mama what she really wants from him. Mama then offers the singer a little drink of whiskey, and the song ends with the singer thanking Mama for everything she did.
The lyrics in Mama Blues are open to interpretation, but one possible meaning is that the song is about a person who has lost their mother and is seeking comfort in her memory. The image of wanting a drink of water and whiskey is symbolic of the longing for something that will provide solace and numb the pain of loss. The repetition of Mama also adds to the sentimentality of the song, emphasizing the deep sense of loss and yearning.
Line by Line Meaning
Look a here, Bill, I'd come to you one day
I remember the day I came to you, Bill, seeking a way to make a living
I was tryin' to make a way
I was trying to find a means of earning a living
And you was cryin' and you told me
You were crying and you confided in me
One day you would tell me who you were cryin' for
You promised to tell me who or what made you cry that day
Who were you cryin' for?
I am curious to know who caused you so much pain and tears
Mama, yeah
My mother, yes
What did you want with your mama?
Why did you need your mother's attention?
A drink of water, Mama
I was thirsty and needed a glass of water from my mother
Well, go ahead and tell me how Mama treated you
Please, share with me how our mother treated you
Mama, Mama, oh Mama
My dearest mother
Mama, Mama, Mama, oh Mama
My affectionate mother
Mama, whoa, Mama, what you want from me?
Mother, what do you want me to do for you?
I want a drink of water, Mama
I am thirsty and desire a glass of water from you, mother
Ooh, ooh, ooh, Mama, whoa, what you want, son?
Mother, what do you want me to do for you?
I want a little drink of whiskey, Mama
I want to get drunk and need a sip of whiskey from you, mom
Yes, I just wanna get drunk, Mama
I only desire to be intoxicated, mother
Whoa, come staggerin' one more time
Please let me have one more sip of whiskey to get drunk
Mama, Mama, please ma'am answer me, Mama
Mother, please answer me
Thank you, Mama, thank you, Mama
Thank you, mother, thank you
Thank you, Mama, for every little thing you did
Mother, I appreciate every little thing you did for me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SAM LIGHTNIN HOPKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danmitrecey3303
What a soul/blues voice !... This man IS the blues... He could draw tears from an iceberg
@jamesstuart2522
I am not moved by music… or much of anything these days. I’ve had a pretty traumatic couple of years. I closed my eyes and listened to this in the dark and just cried quietly. This was the most incredible music I think I’ve ever heard.
@november8039
Here's to good music and better years. Cheers.
@imonlyyou
Yep. They talk about the cathartic nature of the blues and Lightnin' Hopkins' music has got to be some of the most cathartic. The soul of a man.
Blessings and better days to you, James.
@tyroneshoelaces3251
If it weren't for a photographer selling photos at a jazz festival in my home town, I'd have never known Robert Johnson. He traveled around and photographed blues musicians. I was looking for something to do, I crossed paths with his booth. I found photos of a headstone that read Robert Johnson. He told me the legend, I went home and learned how to play the blues. That was four years just short of twenty years ago. Now, this is where I go for peace of mind
@CarringtonZane
Wow beautiful
@conorkennedy3304
it's fantastic music and it can absolutly be therapeutic. pick up a guitar and play three chords, the world is yours.
@wasimn4222
I come from the middle east. I never understood why I liked the blues. growing up in Syria I was the only person in the neighbourhood who listened to this kind of music, I always wondered why I listened to all these legends like BB King, Berry, Johnson and the man himself.. Hopkins.
when I grew up life got hard and I had to suffer through the war and through some realtionships with women. the funny thing is that I didn't understand the texts as a child. And now as an adult I had the blessing to learn the language better and understand what these legends are singing about, until I found out that they were singing about hard times that I went through, but don't forget the good times too.
And now as a grown man, I finally realised that I was't different from other people beacuse I listened to the Blues and they didn't, I was just simlpy blessed to be able to feel the Blues. Long Live the Blues
@RaKhaanambamm
🙏🏾
@annacsillag1749
you describe your insights so well!