Jackson was born to Joseph Eugene Jackson and Ruth Musick in Newnan, Georgia, and has four older siblings. As a youth, Jackson listened primarily to gospel music. Otherwise he was not a major music fan. However, a friend of his introduced him to the music of Gene Watson, John Anderson and Hank Williams Jr. Jackson attended the local Elm Street Elementary and Newnan High School, starting a band after high school. After a time, he and his wife of six years, Denise Jackson, moved from Newnan to Nashville where Jackson hoped to pursue music full-time.
Jackson sang in church as a child. He, his father, mother, and four sisters lived in a small home. At one point, his bed was in the hallway for lack of room. His mother lives in the home to this day. His first job, at 12, was in a shoe store. He wrote his first song in 1983.
In Tennessee, Jackson got a job in The Nashville Network's mailroom. Denise got him connected to Glen Campbell, who helped him jumpstart his career. Jackson eventually signed with Arista.
His first album, 1989's Here in the Real World, was a major hit, as was his second (1991) album, Don't Rock the Jukebox. His 1992 album, A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'Bout Love) was a success, spawning five major singles. Also in 1992, Randy Travis charted three singles co-written by Jackson: "Forever Together", "Better Class of Losers", and "I'd Surrender All". Conversely, Travis co-wrote Jackson's single "She's Got the Rhythm (And I Got the Blues)".
In 1994 Jackson left his management company, Ten Ten Management, which had overseen his career up to that point, and switched to Gary Overton.
It was around this time that Jackson began also gaining fame for his song-writing skills. Other country music artists who have charted with songs co-written by Jackson, including Clay Walker ("If I Could Make a Living"), Chely Wright ("Till I Was Loved By You")[5] and Faith Hill ("I Can't Do That Anymore").
His first album, 1990's Here in the Real World, was a major hit, as was his second (1991) album, Don't Rock the Jukebox. His 1992 release, A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'Bout Love) was a smash success, spawning five major singles with "Chattahoochee" being the most enduring and successful. After a few more hit albums, Jackson again rocketed to fame with "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," a song about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which became a hit single and briefly propelled him into the mainstream spotlight; the song was even the subject of parody on the popular animated series South Park, in the episode A Ladder To Heaven.
The Long Way To Go Songfacts states that on January 20, 2011 Alan Jackson and his record label, Sony, parted ways after over 20 years. Three months later a new joint venture between Capitol's EMI Records Nashville and ACR (Alan's Country Records) was announced. His debut single from the new deal was Long Way To Go, which was shipped to Country radio on June 13, 2011.
Although Jackson has been characterized as a "hat act", his influences go deep into the roots of country music and his songs have been recorded by some of the greats like Charley Pride, who recorded "Here In The Real World". He has sung with George Jones on the award-winning "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair". His sense of humor comes through in "Gone Country" with the satirical description of the wannabes who cynically jumped on the country music bandwagon in the 1990s: "Everybody's gone country/Yeah we've gone country/The whole world's gone country."
He has been credited for popularizing a Neotraditional Country sound.
Where I Come From
Alan Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Round that Jersey Turnpike
Barney stopped me with his gun
Ten minutes after midnight
Said, "Sir, you broke the limit in this rusty ol' truck
I don't know about that accent, son
Just where did you come from?"
I said where I come from
It's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch sitin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come from
Well, I was south of Detroit city
I pulled in this country kitchen
To try their brand of barbecue
The sign said finger-lickin'
Well, I paid the tab and the lady asked me
How'd I like my biscuit
"I'll be honest with you, ma'am
It ain't like mama fixed it"
'Cause where I come from
It's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch pickin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come from
I was chasin' sun on 101
Somewhere around Ventura
And I lost a universal joint and I had to use my finger
This tall lady stopped and asked
If I had plans for dinner
Said, "No thanks, ma'am, back home
We like the girls that sing soprano"
'Cause where I come from
It's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch sitin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come from
Well, I was headin' home on 65
Somewhere around Kentucky
And the CB rang the bobtail rig
It's rollin' on like thunder
Well, I answered him and he asked me
"Aren't you from out in Tulsa "
"No, but you might've seen me there
I just dropped a load of salsa"
Where I come from, it's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of front porch pickin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
Where I come
Where I come from, yeah, it's cornbread and chicken
Where I come from, a lot of back porch pickin'
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to heaven
Where I come from
Where I come from
Yeah, where I come from
A lot of front porch sitiin'
Starin' up at heaven
Where I come from
Where I come from
Tryna make a livin'
Oh, where I come from
Where I come from
The song "Where I Come From" by Alan Jackson is a tribute to the place he grew up in and the values that he learned while he was there. The song talks about his travels across different parts of the country and how he always longed for the simple life he had at home. The opening verse has him getting pulled over by a cop on the New Jersey Turnpike for speeding. The cop asks him where he's from, and Jackson replies by singing the chorus "Where I come from, it's cornbread and chicken/Where I come from, a lot of front porch sittin'/Where I come from, tryin' to make a livin'/And workin' hard to get to heaven."
The second verse has Jackson in a restaurant in Detroit, where he tries the barbecue and finds it lacking. The lady who owns the restaurant asks him how he likes it, and he tells her honestly that it's not as good as his mom's. In the final verse, he's on the highway and answers a call on his CB. The caller thinks he's from Tulsa but Jackson corrects him and tells him that he just delivered a load of salsa there.
Overall, "Where I Come From" is a song about the importance of hometown roots and the simple things in life. It's a celebration of small-town America and the values of hard work, honesty, and perseverance. The lyrics are straightforward and evocative, and Jackson's voice lends them a sense of authenticity and sincerity.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I was rollin' wheels and shiftin' gears
I was driving my car down the highway.
'Round that Jersey Turnpike
Specifically, I was driving on the Jersey Turnpike in New Jersey.
Barney stopped me with his gun Ten minutes after midnight
A police officer stopped me with his firearm at ten minutes after midnight.
Said, 'Sir, you broke the limit in this rusty ol' truck I don't know about that accent, son Just where did you come from?'
The cop believed I was speeding and he questioned where I was from due to my accent.
I said where I come from It's cornbread and chicken
I responded that my home region's staples are cornbread and chicken.
Where I come from, a lot of front porch sitting'
The people in my hometown enjoy spending time relaxing on their front porches.
Where I come from, tryna make a livin'
Many people in my area are focused on earning a living.
And workin' hard to get to Heaven
People in my hometown value hard work and religious faith.
Well, I was south of Detroit city I pulled in this country kitchen To try their brand of barbecue The sign said finger-lickin'
I discovered a country kitchen south of Detroit and decided to try their unique barbecue.
Well, I paid the tab and the lady asked me How'd you like my biscuit 'I'll be honest with you, ma'am It ain't like mama fixed it'
After finishing my meal, the server asked me how I enjoyed the biscuit. I told her it differed from what I was used to.
I was chasin' sun on 101 Somewhere around Ventura And I lost a universal joint and I had to use my finger This tall lady stopped and asked If I had plans for dinner
I was driving on highway 101 near Ventura when my car broke down. A kind stranger stopped to help and offered to share a meal with me.
Said, 'No thanks, ma'am, back home We like the girls that sing soprano'
I declined her invitation and joked that in my hometown, women who sing high-pitched notes are especially popular.
Well, I answered him and he asked me 'Aren't you from out in Tulsa?' 'No, but you might've seen me there I just dropped a load of salsa'
While driving through Kentucky, a fellow truck driver on the CB radio asked if I was from Tulsa. I explained that I had just delivered a shipment of salsa there.
Where I come from, it's cornbread and chicken
Once again, I emphasized that where I grew up, people enjoyed eating cornbread and chicken.
Where I come from, a lot of back porch pickin'
In addition to front porch sitting, people in my region also gather on their back porches to play music together.
Oh, where I come from Where I come from, yeah, it's cornbread and chicken Where I come from, a lot of back porch pickin'
I continue to celebrate the traditions and idiosyncrasies of my hometown through music.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alan Eugene Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind