Lightnin' Hopkins Songs
Lightnin’ Hopkins Songs are up there with the very best blues songs ever written. I must have spent over a thousand hours listening to his Mojo Hand album.
His voice is so full of character and colour but he is no slouch on guitar either. Rolling Stone once ranked him 71 in the top 100 guitarists of all time.
It’s hard to narrow it down to just 8 songs for a playlist that samples his work. But I will do my best.
Here’s a brief description of the songs with a link to a YouTube playlist at the bottom of the page.
Mojo Hand
The title track for (arguably) his best album.
This one dances. This one prances. It’s like Hopkins is in the saddle of a freshly broken pony on a Texas ranch and this Texan knows how to ride.
As soon as that lone star shuffle starts you just know it’s going to be a great song and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s the first track on the Mojo Hand album and sets up the album beautifully.
The lyrical content varies from the usual, woman cheating on man, theme. This time Hopkins is taking some real initiative. He’s headed to Louisiana to find a voodoo priestess and a Mojo Hand. This will cast a protective spell so his woman won’t desire any other man.
Bring Me My Shotgun
My personal favourite of all the Lightnin’ Hopkins Songs I have heard.
There’s a brooding sense of danger as Hopkins asks for his shotgun and a pocket full of shells. Then it takes a dark turn as he announces he is going to shoot his women, coz she’s been runnin’ ‘round with too many other men.
It’s a slow groove. At times the drummer falls off the beat a little. Maybe he’s just nervous about what will happen when Lightnin’ gets a hold of that gun.
The Devil Is Watchin' You
This is a warning song. Lightnin’ wants to let you know that you better behave or ol’ Nick is coming for you.
Playing unaccompanied is something Lightnin’ does extremely well. When he is unfettered by holding time to a drummer, he is allowed a freedom of expression to go where he wants, when he wants.
This song is a fine example of Lightnin’ being Lightnin’ and meandering in and out of the twelve bar pattern.
The vibrato on his vocals in this one really shines.
Don't Wake Me Up
The recording quality is pretty suspect on this yet somehow the song shines through. This says two things about this track. It’s a great performance and a great song.
You forget about hiss and a lack of clarity the minute Hopkins starts that lonesome rhythm. Then he moves into those delicious, arpeggiated chords.
Once again, Hopkins shows the versatility of his lyricism. Straying from the tropes yet again, this one is Lightnin’ simply wanting a nice sleep in. And for his wife/girlfriend not to wake him until the afternoon.
Hurricane Betsy
Smooth Double Bass over a lazy drum shuffle, conjures up vibes akin to the shock and melancholy in the aftermath of a Hurricane. Which is perfect for a song titled, “Hurricane Betsy.”
Storytelling in songwriting may not be the number one attribute for a blues artist but if you listen to enough Lightnin’ Hopkins Songs you will find that he handles this task with aplomb.
It’s refreshing to exchange a chord driven folk song for a steady blues rhythm while listening to a true tale unfold. The tale of when, in 1965, Hurricane Betsy caused widespread damage to Lousianna.
Last Night
I’d be very surprised if this song wasn’t recorded very soon after a friend of Lightnin’ lost his life. Such is its conviction.
With that tired rasp delivering a melancholy melody, Hopkins has a voice of not only experience but real pain that he convincingly conveys in this performance.
Knowing that Lightnin’ Hopkins Songs are often a narration on observations in his day to day life, adds a heavy emotional weight to this track. Especially the ominous advice from his Mother. She’s telling him to get down on his knees and pray and that he should take his best friend’s death as a warning.
Shake That Thing
After praising the way Hopkins breaks the bluesman mould with storytelling lyrics, in this one he gets back to basics. Albeit in a very fun and energetic song.
Starting out with hollering vocals and declaring that although he doesn’t know this particular woman’s name, he knows for sure that she can shake that thing.
Then the rubber hits the road as he launches into his trotting rhythm that gets your toes tapping right away.
Black Mare Trot
With all that has been said about the lyrical aspect of Lightnin’ Hopkins songs, here is an instrumental.
Being from Texas I’m guessing that Hopkins was familiar with horses. Playing with a trotting rhythm is a very Texan thing. It would have originated from guitarists mimicking the sounds of the world around them.
This instrumental has that clip-clop rhythm underpinning an elegant melody that inspired other Texan bluesmen such as Stevie Ray Vaghaun and Freddie King to try their hand at an instrumental.
Other Songs
I’ve also added two more songs that I haven’t added a description for here. They are the melody driven Black Gal and the light and breezy Mean Old Frisco.
You can go to the playlist here ===> Lightnin’ Hopkins Top 10
While you are there, you can check out my own music and my own take on other blues songs on cigar box guitars.
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