Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda… Read Full Bio ↴Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee is an American country-pop singer who was popular during the 1950s and 1960s. She was given the nickname Little Miss Dynamite after recording Dynamite in 1957, and in the 1960s she had more charted hits than any other woman. Her father was an excellent left-handed pitcher in the Army, and her mother had a Cherokee great-grandparent. She first attracted attention performing in country music venues and her first single, 1957’s “One Step at a Time,” was a country hit.

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.

Leaving on a Jet Plane
Brenda Lee Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All my bags are packed,
I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

But the dawn is breaking,
It's early morn
The taxi's waiting,

He's blowing' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome
I could cry.

[Chorus]
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go.
I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go.

There are so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing

Every place I go, I'll think of you
Every song I sing, I'll sing for you
When I come back, I'll wear your wedding ring.

[Chorus]

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time
Let me kiss you
Then close your eyes,
I'll be on my way.

Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times, I won't have to say,

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Brenda Lee's Leaving On A Jet Plane depict a bittersweet departure. Although the singer is ready to leave and has even packed their bags, they hate to wake their loved one up to say goodbye. The dawn is breaking, and the taxi is waiting, marking the official start of their journey. Already, they feel lonesome and sad about parting ways.

In the chorus, the singer asks their loved one to kiss them and smile for them, to tell them they'll wait and to hold them as if they'll never let them go. The singer is leaving on a jet plane and doesn't know when they'll be back again. They express their sorrow towards the situation, telling their loved one that they hate to go.

The second verse shows the singer's regret for letting their loved one down many times and playing around. However, they tell their loved one that those mistakes do not mean a thing. They assure them that every place they go and every song they sing will be for them. Lastly, they promise to come back wearing their wedding ring.

The final verse is a farewell, where the singer asks for one more kiss before leaving. They encourage their loved one to dream about the days to come when they won't have to leave alone and won't have to say goodbye. They repeat the chorus, emphasizing their desire to be held and loved before their departure.

Line by Line Meaning

All my bags are packed,
I have finished packing all my belongings.

I'm ready to go
I am prepared to leave this place and move to another one.

I'm standing here outside your door
I am waiting outside your house.

I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
I don't want to disturb your sleep to bid farewell.

But the dawn is breaking,
The sun is rising in the sky.

It's early morn
It is the time when the sun is just rising.

The taxi's waiting,
The cab is already here.

He's blowing' his horn
The taxi driver is sounding the horn to signal his presence.

Already I'm so lonesome
I am already feeling lonely without you.

I could cry.
I feel like crying.

So kiss me and smile for me
Please give me a kiss and smile before I leave.

Tell me that you'll wait for me
Promise me that you will wait for me.

Hold me like you'll never let me go.
Please hug me tightly like you will never let me leave.

I'm leaving on a jet plane
I am departing on an airplane.

I don't know when I'll be back again
I am unsure about my return.

Oh, babe, I hate to go.
I don't want to leave you, darling.

There are so many times I've let you down
I have disappointed you many times.

So many times I've played around
I have fooled around with other people.

I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Those times and actions don't matter anymore.

Every place I go, I'll think of you
I will miss you wherever I go.

Every song I sing, I'll sing for you
I will sing every song for you.

When I come back, I'll wear your wedding ring.
When I return, I will be married to you.

Now the time has come to leave you
It's time for me to say goodbye.

One more time
Just one last time.

Let me kiss you
Allow me to kiss you goodbye.

Then close your eyes,
Close your eyes for a moment.

I'll be on my way.
I need to depart now.

Dream about the days to come
Think about the future days.

When I won't have to leave alone
When I won't have to depart all by myself.

About the times, I won't have to say,
About the times when I don't have to say goodbye.

Oh, babe, I hate to go.
I don't want to leave you, darling.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: John Denver

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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