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.
I Can Be That Something
Alan Jackson Lyrics
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And leave you wondering what mistake you made
And I'd never try to take his place
I guess there's really nothin' I can say
But I can be that whiskey in your bottle
And I can be that smile that takes away your tears
And I can be the place you just want to run toAnd I can be that somethin' to get you through
Love can build you up and shut you down
Fill your heart with joy or make it drown
And I don't know if I can help you see
It makes you blind sometimes to what you need
But I can be that whiskey in your bottle
And I can be that smile that takes away your tears
And I can be the place you just want to run to
I can be that somethin' to get you through
Yeah, I can be that whiskey in your bottle
And I can be that smile that takes away your tears
And I can be that place you just want to run to
I can be that somethin' to get you through
I wanna be that somethin' to get you through
The lyrics of Alan Jackson's song "I Can Be That Something" revolve around the theme of wanting to be there for someone who is experiencing heartbreak. The singer watches the person he loves suffer from the aftermath of a failed relationship and he wishes to be the one who can make everything better. He knows that love can be both beautiful and painful, and even though he can't take the place of the person who hurt her, he wants to be the support system that she needs. He wants to be the whiskey in her bottle, the smile that takes away her tears, and the place she wants to run to whenever things get tough. He longs to be that something that can help her get through the difficult times.
The song's message is one of empathy and understanding. It acknowledges that heartbreak is a complicated and painful experience that can leave a person feeling lost and alone. However, the lyrics also show that there is hope and that there are people who are willing to support and care for those who are hurting. The singer's desire to be there for the person he loves is a powerful reminder of the importance of compassion and empathy in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I watched him take your heart and walk away
I saw your former lover leave you with a heartache.
And leave you wondering what mistake you made
You are questioning yourself on what you could have done wrong.
And I'd never try to take his place
I have no intention of replacing him in your heart.
I guess there's really nothin' I can say
I don't have the right words to make it better for you.
But I can be that whiskey in your bottle
I can be your source of comfort and strength.
And I can be that smile that takes away your tears
I can make you happy and take away your pain.
And I can be the place you just want to run to
I can provide you a safe haven when you need it the most.
And I can be that somethin' to get you through
I can be the reason for you to keep going and not give up.
Love can build you up and shut you down
Love has the power to make you feel both elated and devastated.
Fill your heart with joy or make it drown
Love can either bring you happiness or heartbreak.
And I don't know if I can help you see
I'm not sure if I can make you realize what's best for you.
It makes you blind sometimes to what you need
Love can sometimes make you ignore what is truly necessary.
I wanna be that somethin' to get you through
I aspire to be the one who can support you during tough times.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alan Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind