Apart from her solo career, singer Bonnie Owens is well known for the work … Read Full Bio ↴Apart from her solo career, singer Bonnie Owens is well known for the work she did with her former husbands, Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Born Bonnie Campbell on October 1, 1932, in Oklahoma City to a pair of sharecroppers and one of eight children, she first met Buck in the mid-'40s when he had a local daily 15-minute radio show. Once Buck discovered that Bonnie could sing, he helped her get a job with him on another radio show in 1947. The following January, Buck and Bonnie married, but the union was short-lived. By 1951, after giving birth to two sons, the marriage was over. Since neither could afford a divorce, they stayed legally married, but separated, for several years. Bonnie and the two boys left for Bakersfield, where she worked as a cocktail waitress. It was during this period that Bonnie met Fuzzy Owen and guitarist Roy Nichols, who would be instrumental in the career of Haggard.

By the late '50s Bonnie was recording on the Mar-Vel label with Fuzzy and his band, the Sun Valley Playboys. She cut a well-received duet album with Fuzzy, her sometime boyfriend, on Tally Records, which would later be re-released on Capitol Records as "Just Between the Two of Us." In 1961, Bonnie saw Haggard singing for the first time at a Lefty Frizzell concert. At the time, Haggard was just a few months out of San Quentin prison for breaking and entering. By 1964 Fuzzy was managing Haggard and suggested that Bonnie and Haggard re-record "Just Between the Two of Us." Taking Fuzzy's advice paid off; the song hit the top of the country charts but not for long. It was replaced by "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers," Haggard's breakthrough single.

In 1965 Haggard signed with Capitol Records, married Bonnie, and signed the Strangers (including Bonnie) with a booking agency owned in part by Buck. Bonnie's marriage to Haggard lasted until 1978, but the two had already separated in 1975. Eventually Bonnie resumed touring with the Strangers in the late '70s and remarried for the final time to Fred McMillenher. She continued to tour regularly with Haggard and the Strangers. While Bonnie released half a dozen albums and numerous singles on Capitol Records in the mid- to late '60s, she remained satisfied singing backup as a member of the Strangers.

Wait A Little Longer Please Jesus
Bonnie Owens Lyrics

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Here the labor is so hard and the workers they are tired
And our weary hearts're yearning for a rest
And I find we're getting anxious to be in that happy home
Where we'll receive such peace and happiness

But wait a little longer please Jesus there are so many wandering out in sin
Just a little longer please Jesus a few more days to get our loved ones in

Family scattered here and there and thought Lord we love them dear
Maybe we can help them find a way
But if waiting is the cost dear ol' Lord then I'll be lost
And that's the only reason why we say

Wait a little longer please Jesus
A few more days to get our loved ones in

Overall Meaning

Bonnie Owens's song "Wait A Little Longer Please Jesus" is a gospel song that speaks to the fatigue of labor and the longing for the rest and peace promised in heaven. It speaks of the anxiety of those who are hopeful to be in that happy home, but are aware of the many who are still lost to sin. The song expresses the desire to bring loved ones into the fold before it's too late.

The first verse speaks to the labor that is hard, and the weary hearts of those who are working. The longing is palpable in the lyrics, as the promise of rest and happiness is tangible. The second verse emphasizes the desire to bring family members, who are scattered and lost, into the fold. The cost of waiting is acknowledged, but the desire to save loved ones from eternal damnation is more pressing.

This song is an emotional plea to Jesus to wait a little longer before descending to earth, so that more souls can be saved. It is a reminder that even those who are saved still have a mission to share the gospel with others and bring them into the fold. The urgency to save souls is present throughout the song, and the hope that Jesus will heed their call is evident.

Line by Line Meaning

Here the labor is so hard and the workers they are tired
The work here is exhausting, and the workers are drained.

And our weary hearts're yearning for a rest
Our hearts are yearning for peace and rest.

And I find we're getting anxious to be in that happy home
We're growing eager to be in that happy home.

Where we'll receive such peace and happiness
Where we'll find peace and happiness.

But wait a little longer please Jesus there are so many wandering out in sin
Please wait a little longer, Jesus, because there are still many lost souls wandering in sin.

Wait A Little Longer Please JesusBonnie Owens Lyrics

Wait A Little Longer Please Jesus
Bonnie Owens Lyrics