Questionnaire Blues
1970 · Not On Label · USA
- Artist
- Lightnin' Hopkins
- Title
- Questionnaire Blues
- Release
- Unreleased
- Year
- 1970
- Label
- Not On Label
- Format
- Unreleased · Unreleased
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Songwriter
- Lightnin' Hopkins
- Genre
- Blues · Blues
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation — Blues songs
Lightnin' Hopkins, born Sam Hopkins on 15 March 1912, in Centreville, Texas, recorded extensively from the 1940s-1970s, typically playing blues in the style that came out of his native Texas, like Blind Lemon Jefferson, both the Acoustic Texas Blues and Electric Texas Blues. Often singing about topical events, such as the Korean War and Great Depression, in the mid-late 1960s he turned his attention to Vietnam. He died in Houston Texas on 30 January 1982. (1) According to blues music historian Guido Van Rijn, Hopkins also performed the song "Questionnaire Blues" on film, released in 1970 on video, but unreleased on audio format. Re-issued on DVD, "Rare Performances 1960-1979" (Vestapol Productions # 13022). (1) The lyrics are transcribed in his book The Nixon and Ford Blues: African-American Blues and Gospel Songs on Vietnam, Watergate, Civil Rights and Inflation, 1969-1976 (Agram Blues Books, 2011), p.108. As suggested in the title, the narrator announces that "poor Lightnin' found his questionnaire... at my age Uncle Sam want me in the army". In a possible Civil Rights message, as seen in other Vietnam War blues songs, he said "I don't wanna go 'cause I had too many fights over…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Notes
Released in 1970 on video, but unreleased on audio format. Re-issued on DVD, "Rare Performances 1960-1979" (Vestapol Productions # 13022).
About the artist
Born 15 March 1912, in Centreville, Texas. Died 30 January 1982, Houston, Texas, USA