DOCUMENT: LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS

This track pays very slight homage to the prolific and brilliant blues icon Lightnin' Hopkins, at least in name and in the almost cursory use of slide guitar.  There is not a lot of point trying to figure out what the song is about, but there are a number of other delineations we can make to other R.E.M. tracks.  For instance, the edited prayer at the beginning was first used as an intro to Murmur's 9-9. We also get another Patti Smith reference with the term 'birdland' which is also an NYC jazz club.  We also get more wonderful imagery from Stipe with the lyric 'Close up hands silhouette' ... shadow puppets.  The last delineation comes in the form of the shouted 'Crow' which resurfaces in live performances later at the end of 'Man On The Moon.'
  I have noticed a number of lyric sites have posted the lyric 'Lightnin' won' instead of my 'Lightnin' one,' I like to think of the lyric as another travel/ train song.  As in riding the rails, riding the lightning.  I like to think of this song as a sequel to Driver 8 ... thus: Lightning 1.   That's my reasoning anyway.



LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS

When I lay myself to sleep
Pray that I don’t go too deep
Lightnin’ one lightnin’ one
Because it’s cold down gold down there
Crow!

Flat lands low lands on the track
Shows through water panned the track
Lightnin’ one lightnin’ one
Close up hands silhouette
Crow!

Lightnin’ one lightnin’ one

Hound bark on the track
Hound crow hold onto your hat
Lightnin’ one lightnin’ one
The low lands timberland badland birdland


This is another one of those songs that feels like Peter Buck was just rockin' out and it became a song.  There is a line here for slide guitar, but don't feel that you have to get the steel guitar out as the addition of the slide is only to enhance the original guitar part.  You can even throw in some manual slides during the chorus and get a similar effect.  I've included all of the open notes in the verse and chorus as a reminder to play the song freely.  It's not a picked riff and should be a little wild ... similar to 'Hyena.'

LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS

Verse

e|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0---|

B|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0---|

G|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0---|

D|-7-x-7-x-7-0-0-7-x-7-9b-0-7---|

A|-0-0-0-0-0-0-7-0-0-0-0--0-0---|

E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0---|

Chorus

e|--0----0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|

B|-10---10---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|

G|--9----9---0---7b--0---9b--0---7b--0---9b-|

D|--0----0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|

A|--0----0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|

E|--0----0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|

Chorus (Slide Guitar)

e|----------------------------------------|

B|-8>10-0-8>10-0--------------------------|

G|--------------6>7<6>9-9-0-6>7<6>9-9-0---|

D|----------------------------------------|

A|----------------------------------------|

E|----------------------------------------|

Middle Bridge

e|-------------------|

B|---0--0----0--0----|

G|--9--9-9--9--9-9---|

D|-7--9---10--9------|

A|-------------------|

E|-------------------|