Lee was a musical prodigy and by the time she was two she would hear songs on the radio once and be able to whistle the complete tune. She was five years old when she started to gain wider attention when she won a local singing contest sponsored by the elementary schools. At age 11, she was offered a recording contract with Decca Records and released the song “Dynamite,” leading to her lifelong nickname, “Little Miss Dynamite.”
Lee was popular in the UK very early in her career, and her 1961 rockabilly release “Let’s Jump the Broomstick” did not chart in the US, but went to #12 in the UK. Her biggest hits during this time include a rockabilly version of the country classic “Jambalaya (On the Bayou),” “Sweet Nothin’s,” “I Want to Be Wanted,” “All Alone Am I,” and “Fool #1.”
In 1960, she recorded her signature song, “I’m Sorry,” which hit number one on the Billboard pop chart and was her first gold single. Her last top-10 single on the pop charts was 1963’s “Losing You,” while she continued to have other chart songs such as her 1966 song “Coming On Strong” and “Is It True?” in 1964.
During the early 1970s, Lee re-established herself as a country music artist, and earned a string of Top 10 hits on the country charts. Her biggest selling track of her career is, oddly enough, a Christmas song: “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” It was released in 1958, but it sold only 5,000 copies. However, it eventually sold over five million copies and remains a perennial radio favorite each December. In December 2023, Lee became the oldest artist to ever top the Hot 100, when "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" topped the chart 65 years after its release.
Over the ensuing years, Lee has continued to record and perform all around the world, previously cutting records in four different languages. She is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. In 1992, she recorded a duet with Willy DeVille; Chuck Berry also wrote a song about her. Lee has been married to Ronnie Shacklett since 1963, and they have two daughters and three grandchildren. She is the second recipient of the Jo Meador-Walker Lifetime Achievement award.
Throughout her career, Brenda Lee has released 41 studio albums, 12 compilation albums, and over 100 singles. She has had numerous top twenty hits on the Billboard Hot 100, Country, and AC charts in the US, UK, and Canada.
Georgia on My Mind
Brenda Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind)
Oh Georgia Georgia a song of you
Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines
Other arms reach out to me and other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see the road that road leads back to you
Ooh Georgia oh Georgia no peace I find
Other arms reach out to me...
Yeah I say an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind
The lyrics to Brenda Lee's song "Georgia on My Mind" express the strong sense of nostalgia and longing that the singer feels for the state of Georgia. The repetition of the word "Georgia" throughout the song emphasizes the deep emotional attachment that the singer has for the place. The "old sweet song" referred to in the chorus is likely a reference to the classic song "Georgia on My Mind" written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930 and popularized by Ray Charles in 1960. The fact that the song is described as "sweet" suggests that it is a source of comfort to the singer and helps her to feel connected to the state she loves.
Throughout the verses of the song, the singer describes being pulled away from Georgia by other people and places ("Other arms reach out to me and other eyes smile tenderly"), but ultimately, her heart remains in Georgia. She dreams of returning to the state and finds no peace elsewhere, as the "old sweet song" continues to remind her of what she has left behind. The imagery of moonlight through the pines in the second verse adds to the sense of peaceful, natural beauty that the singer associates with Georgia.
Overall, the lyrics to "Georgia on My Mind" evoke a sense of homesickness and a longing for a place that holds deep personal meaning. The song speaks to the universal human experience of feeling drawn to a particular place or time in one's life, and the emotional resonance that can come from hearing a familiar song or thinking about a beloved location.
Line by Line Meaning
Georgia Georgia the whole day through
I can't help but think about Georgia all throughout the day
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind)
Even though I'm not physically in Georgia, a sweet song reminds me of it and keeps it on my mind
Oh Georgia Georgia a song of you
Georgia, just thinking of you brings up a sweet song that reminds me of all your charms
Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines
This song that reminds me of Georgia brings back memories that are as pure and clear as moonlight shining through the pine trees
Other arms reach out to me and other eyes smile tenderly
Although other people try to comfort me, their embraces and kind gazes remind me of how much I miss Georgia
Still in peaceful dreams I see the road that road leads back to you
Even in my dreams, I see the road that leads back to Georgia and it gives me peace and comfort
Ooh Georgia oh Georgia no peace I find
Despite my attempts to find peace, I just can't shake this feeling of longing for Georgia
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind)
Once again, this sweet song keeps bringing Georgia back to the forefront of my thoughts
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANIEL GRAFTON HILL, JOHN DAVID SHEARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind