Questionnaire Blues
1970 · Not On Label · Houston, Texas
- Artist
- Lightnin' Hopkins
- Title
- Questionnaire Blues
- Release
- Unreleased
- Year
- 1970
- Label
- Not On Label
- Format
- Unreleased · Unreleased
- Language
- English
- Country
- Houston, Texas, USA
- Songwriter
- Lightnin' Hopkins
- Genre
- Blues · Texas 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 here". Vietnam War songs by Lightnin Hopkins: In 1962 Hopkins released the song "War Is Starting Again" on the album Lightnin' Strikes (Vee-Jay Records # LP-1044). In 1969, he released the anti-war single "Please Settle in Viet Nam" (Joliet # 205). He also recorded the song "Vietnam War" with his cousin Billy Bizor on the album Blowing My Blues Away in 1968. In fact, Hopkins released his own version of that song, called "Viet Nam War (Pt.1) & (Pt.2)" on the 1968 album Talkin' Some Sense (Jewel Records # LPS 5001). Finally, in 1970 Hopkins produced the song "Questionnaire Blues" on film, released in 1970 on video, but unreleased on audio format.Sources1Lightnin' Hopkins: His Life and Blues (Alan Govenar, 2010)↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: But folks it's like this about it you know / I looked in my mailbox and I found my questionnaire / You know that was pretty tough / At my age Uncle Sam want me in the army / I don't wanna go 'cause I had too many fights over here / But I guess I'll just take it easy / Go ahead and go on over there / Because they might be easier on me over there than they is here / Heh, have mercy / So I'm gonna play this song / It's gonna be low, slow and easy / I want you to pay a little attention / Looked in my mailbox this morning / Do you know I found my questionnaire? / Yeah I looked in my mailbox this morning / Poor Lightnin' found his questionnaire / You know Uncle Sam say, 'Lightnin' you ain't got no business here' / And I told him / Well, if I should go to the army / Who gonna take of my wife and child? / Had a partner standing by me, said, 'me brother' / Well if I should go to the army / Who gonna take care of my wife and child? You you know, if I should die on the battlefield / Nobody know that death I die
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