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.
Monday Morning Church
Alan Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I put it in the drawer
'Cause I can't seem to talk to God without yelling anymore
And when I sit at your piano
I can almost hear those hymns
The keys are just collecting dust
But I can't close the lid
As a Monday morning church
It used to be so full of faith and now it only hurts
And I can hear the devil whisper
"Things are only getting worse"
You left my heart as empty
As a Monday morning church
The preacher came by Sunday
He said he missed me at the service
He told me Jesus loves me
But I'm not sure I deserve it
'Cause the faithful man that you loved
Is nowhere to be found
Since they took all that he believed
And laid it in the ground
You left my heart as empty
As a Monday morning church
It used to be so full of faith and now it only hurts
And I can hear the devil whisper
"Things are only getting worse"
You left my heart as empty
As a Monday morning church
Well I still believe in Heaven
And I'm sure you've made it there
But as for me without your love, girl
I don't have a prayer
You left my heart as empty
As a Monday morning church
It used to be so full of faith and now it only hurts
And I can hear the devil whisper
"Things are only getting worse"
You left my heart as empty
As a Monday morning church
You left your Bible on the dresser
So I put it in the drawer
Alan Jackson's song Monday Morning Church is a poignant and emotional exploration of the aftermath of losing someone who was so important to you that their absence leaves you struggling to maintain your faith. The song's lyrics are bittersweet, as they describe the various ways in which the singer has tried to come to terms with the loss of his loved one. The song starts with him finding his partner's Bible on the dresser and putting it away in a drawer because he can't bring himself to talk to God without yelling.
The singer then describes how he misses the hymns that he used to hear his loved one play on the piano, and how the keys are now just collecting dust. The lyrics describe how the singer's heart feels empty, and like a Monday morning church, which used to be full of faith but now only brings pain. Even the preacher's attempts to comfort him only seem to highlight his loss, as the faithful man he used to be is nowhere to be found. The song ends with the singer expressing his belief in heaven and hoping that his loved one has made it there, but acknowledging that without her love, he doesn't have a prayer.
Line by Line Meaning
You left your Bible on the dresser
Your faith has faltered and you are no longer seeking guidance from God's word
So I put it in the drawer
I'm not sure if I want to read the Bible anymore, so I stored it away
'Cause I can't seem to talk to God without yelling anymore
My anger towards God has made it difficult to communicate with him without shouting
And when I sit at your piano
In reminiscence of you, I sometimes sit at the piano you used to play
I can almost hear those hymns
I can hear the beautiful hymns you used to play and sing
The keys are just collecting dust
However, the piano is now unused and neglected
But I can't close the lid
I can't bring myself to cover the piano keys and hide away the memories of you
You left my heart as empty
Your leaving has left me heartbroken and devastated
As a Monday morning church
Similar to how empty a church is on a Monday, I now feel alone and forsaken
It used to be so full of faith and now it only hurts
I used to have strong faith, but now it has been replaced with immense pain
And I can hear the devil whisper
The devil is tempting me with negative and destructive thoughts
"Things are only getting worse"
Those thoughts are telling me that things can only get worse for me
The preacher came by Sunday
A preacher visited me on Sunday
He said he missed me at the service
He noticed my absence from church services
He told me Jesus loves me
He reminded me that Jesus still loves me despite my hardships
But I'm not sure I deserve it
Despite the love of Jesus, I question if I am worthy of it
'Cause the faithful man that you loved
The man who was faithful and devoted to you
Is nowhere to be found
Is gone, and that version of me no longer exists
Since they took all that he believed
Since the events that shattered my faith and belief in God
And laid it in the ground
And buried everything I had held dear in the past
Well I still believe in Heaven
Despite everything, I still have faith in the existence of Heaven
And I'm sure you've made it there
And I'm positive that you have arrived there safely
But as for me without your love, girl
However, without your love and support, I am struggling to cope
I don't have a prayer
I have lost my connection with God, and it feels like I have no hope left
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Written by: Brent Baxter, Erin Enderlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@randallterry4707
They just don’t make music like this anymore. Tears your soul apart!! Blessed Be in 2024!!!
@nancyburgess5441
I also was putting his Bible in the drawer, everytime I opened it ,I read "thy son liveth" I'd say "no he don't " Then God got thru finally that He is alive in Glory with Him. I kept it since and read it daily. Thanking God for His place for us called Glory. Alan jackson sang it right.
@MarcosBryant-gk1jv
What do you admire most about Alan
@kingsimba1605
Lost my wife of several years October 2022. I’ve got cancer now. I’m counting the days to reunite with my best friend. I MISS HER!
Matthew 19:6
@orangehornet57
Losing a loved one is when your faith really gets tested. The story in this song may be fiction. But there are many real stories. Many years churches were open all the time. Now most are closed. Sadly, an open church today might get cleaned out. Thankfully God's door is still open.
@vickiwoods4253
I lost my husband oct.15/2002 and that song said just what I was feeling ,we was married for 30 years and it still feels like yesterday but I got our Lord Jesus Christ with me everyday and night and he helps me to deal with it ,Our Lord Jesus Christ is the best friend ever he never leaves me ,he understands how I feel and he knows every thing I need. He's done so much for me I can't do anything without him ,the rewards he has promised us for living our life for him are phenomenal nothing in this world can never measure up ,I just pray someone will see this and be encouraged to try it ,I hope you all have a blessed life
@paulmcclellan6230
Lost my wife on valitime day 2002 and funny as seem we had Pinanno funny the thing's we remember just like it was yesterday
@anthonypirtle5687
My wife passed in 17 and one day soon after she passed, I was listening to this song, and went into our bedroom and there was her bible on the dresser. I put it in the drawer.
@jamessmith7442
I Guess you're a country MUSIC lover?
@MK-ws4tw
@@jamessmith7442 Sorry, but I really don't get what your comment is suppose to imply... MUSIC in all caps??