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.
Tequila Sunrise
Alan Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Starin' slowly 'cross the sky, said goobye
He was just a hired hand
Workin' on the dreams he planned to try
The days go by
Ev'ry night when the sun goes down
Just another lonely boy in town
She wasn't just another woman
And I couldn't keep from comin' on
It's been so long
Oh, and it's a hollow feelin' when
It comes down to dealin' friends
It never ends
Take another shot of courage
Wonder why the right words never come
You just get numb
It's another tequila sunrise,this old world
Still looks the same
Another frame, mm
Alan Jackson's Tequila Sunrise is a song about a man who is feeling lonely and struggling to find the right words to express himself to a woman he is interested in. The song starts with a reference to a tequila sunrise, which is a drink made with tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup. The drink is often associated with a colorful and energetic sunrise, but in this case, it serves as a metaphor for the cyclical and mundane nature of the man's life. The man is watching the sunrise slowly cross the sky, saying goodbye to another day without any progress towards his dreams. He is just a hired hand, working on someone else's dreams while his own go unrealized.
As the days go by, the man becomes increasingly lonely, especially at night when the sun goes down. He feels like just another lonely boy in town, while the woman he is interested in is out running around. The woman is special to him, but he struggles to communicate his feelings to her. He feels a hollow feeling when it comes down to dealing with friends, and he takes another shot of courage, wondering why the right words never come.
The song ends with a repetition of the line, "It's another tequila sunrise, this old world still looks the same, another frame," suggesting that the man's life remains stagnant despite his efforts to change it.
Overall, the song is a poignant exploration of loneliness, unrequited love, and the struggle to find purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's another tequila sunrise
Another day begins, another opportunity to drown sorrows or escape reality with tequila
Starin' slowly 'cross the sky, said goodbye
Watching the sunrise slowly disappear, with a feeling of regret and loneliness
He was just a hired hand
He was just a laborer, making a living without any real ambitions or direction
Workin' on the dreams he planned to try
Despite his current job, he still holds onto dreams and aspirations for the future
The days go by
Time passes, with no significant change or progress in his life
Ev'ry night when the sun goes down
Each night brings the same sense of loneliness and longing for something more
Just another lonely boy in town
He feels anonymous and insignificant among the masses of people but still yearns for more out of life
And she's out runnin' 'round
The girl he's in love with is out living her life and not choosing him
She wasn't just another woman
She was special, someone he felt deeply about but who did not reciprocate his feelings
And I couldn't keep from comin' on
Despite knowing he couldn't have her, he couldn't resist his feelings or trying to pursue her
It's been so long
He's been holding onto these feelings for a long time, with no real progress in their relationship
Oh, and it's a hollow feelin' when
The emptiness and loneliness that accompanies his unrequited love
It comes down to dealin' friends
He must deal with advice from friends who don't fully understand his feelings
It never ends
The cycle of unrequited love and disappointment never seems to stop
Take another shot of courage
Trying to obtain the bravery to move on from this unfulfilled love, but failing to do so
Wonder why the right words never come
Despite his best efforts, he cannot find the right words to express his feelings or move on
You just get numb
After so much disappointment and heartache, he has become emotionally numb
It's another tequila sunrise, this old world
Once again, he's using alcohol to escape reality and the pain of his situation
Still looks the same, another frame, mm
Despite his efforts to escape the monotony of his life, nothing significant has changed - it's just another day in the same routine
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Glenn Frey, Don Henley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CC Smooth
Such an awesome cover! Brings back so many memories!
Debra S
Common Threads is such a fantastic album, never gets enough attention. This is my favorite selection
W I L L _ T H E _ T H R I L L
That steel guitar is some of the best I’ve ever heard. Chilling
Joe Cancemi
CHILLS what a voice, what a song
Jennifer Dijames
Good job Alan. That song has brought back so many memories. Keep it coming Buddy. Stay safe Nashville Tennessee. 😷
Jennifer Dijames
Well Alan, I miss hearing this version of this song. It's been years since you sang this song. But I did hear some songs from the Eagles the other day. You sound GREAT though.
Rose Mary Martinez
Love this song reminds me of Club Dance with Shelley Magram and other dance favorites.
Jennifer Dijames
ALAN, I haven't heard that song in YEARS Honey. How come? My Dad has always been a fan of the Eagles . R I p Glenn.