Jackson was trained as a gospel singer from an early age, singing at the White Rock Baptist Church. There he met Paul Laurence, who would later become his record producer and songwriting partner. After completing school, Jackson joined Laurence's group LJE (Laurence-Jones Ensemble) and played the New York nightclub scene. During the early 1980s, Jackson moved to the West Coast and sang lead with the R&B band 'Mystic Merlin', but soon returned to New York to work with Laurence at the Hush Productions company. He sang on demo recordings of Laurence's compositions, and also served as a backing singer for Melba Moore after she saw his nightclub act.
In 1985, Jackson landed a recording contract with Capitol Records, and issued his debut album, Rock Me Tonight. The Laurence-penned title track stormed the R&B charts, spending six weeks at number one, and made Jackson an instant hit on urban contemporary radio. "You Are My Lady" gave him a second straight R&B chart-topper, and also proved to be his highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 13. With "He'll Never Love You (Like I Do)" and "Love Is Just a Touch Away" also hitting the R&B Top Ten, Rock Me Tonight topped the R&B album chart and went platinum. Jackson issued the follow-up Just Like the First Time 1986, on the heels of a number one R&B duet with Melba Moore, "A Little Bit More" (from her album A Lot of Love). Another platinum seller, Just Like the First Time continued Jackson's dominance of the R&B singles charts; "Tasty Love," "Have You Ever Loved Somebody," and "Jam Tonight" all hit number one, while "I Don't Want to Lose Your Love" went to number two.
The pace of Jackson's success slowed with the 1988 release of Don't Let Love Slip Away, which nonetheless featured another R&B chart-topper in "Hey Lover", plus further hits in "Nice and Slow" and "Crazy (For Me)". The title track of 1990's Do Me Again duplicated that feat, and "Main Course" just missed, topping out at number two. Even so, Jackson's earlier placings in the lower reaches of the Hot 100 had long since disappeared, and some critics charged that his albums were growing too similar to one another. Perhaps it was a lack of distinctiveness in his material that hurt Jackson's chances for a pop breakthrough; whatever the case, 1992's Time for Love failed to duplicate the crossover success Luther Vandross was belatedly enjoying, despite a hit cover of the soul classic "Me and Mrs. Jones."
Seeking a new beginning, Jackson parted ways with Capitol in late 1993, and signed with RCA. His label debut, Here It Is, appeared the following year, with diminished commercial returns -- in part because his straightforward romantic ballad style was increasingly out of step with the sexually explicit, new breed of R&B crooner. Following a Christmas album, Jackson split with RCA and recorded Private Party for the much smaller Street Life imprint in 1995. Several years of silence ensued, until Orpheus issued Life After 30 in late 1999; the equally low-key release Live in Concert followed in 2000. After returning to the charts with It's Your Move in February 2004, Jackson released his tenth studio album, Transitions, in September 2006 under the record label Orpheus Music.
Christmas Forever
Freddie Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody's having so much fun
Putting so much love and care
Into this special day
Everybody's giving
Giving from their hearts unselfishly
MaMa's making everyone's favorite recipe
I wish we had
Christmas forever
Let's stay together
I pray we never
Let Christmas slip away
Now don't you want
Christmas forever
Let's stay together
I pray we never
Let Christmas slip away
Peace seems all around us.yes
A world of harmony feels all so real
What a truly special time
A special time of the year.yes
All the people caroling
Children adding special rays of joy
Wish this time would never end
We should all work hard to make sure we have
Christmas forever
Let's stay together
I pray we never
Let Christmas slip away
It's funny how this special day with Christ
Makes the world feel as one
It's sad to know that Christmas day
Will soon be gone
I wish we had
Christmas forever.yes
Let's stay together
I pray we never
Let Christmas slip away
Christmas forever
Join hands together
I pray we never
Let Christmas slip away
Christmas forever (Christmas forever, don't you wanna, don't you wanna
(Ad libbed till the end)
The first verse of Freddie Jackson's "Christmas Forever" paints a picture of a warm and loving family gathering, where everyone is happy and excited for the holiday. The lyrics describe how much care and love they put into making the day special, and how everyone gives from their hearts. Mama's preparing everyone's favorite recipe, and the atmosphere is full of joy and laughter.
The chorus expresses the wish that this feeling of warmth and togetherness could last forever. It speaks to the universal desire for more time with our loved ones and the magic of Christmas. The second verse describes the peace and harmony that seems to be present in the world during Christmas time. Everyone is filled with joy and hope, and even the children are adding to the special atmosphere by singing carols. The verse ends with a call to work together to keep this feeling alive.
The song's message is clear – Christmas is a time of love, togetherness, and giving, and we should all strive to keep those feelings alive throughout the year, not just during the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's laughing
Everyone is happy and enjoying themselves
Everybody's having so much fun
Everyone is having a great time
Putting so much love and care
People are giving a lot of thought and consideration
Into this special day
They are putting effort into making this day special
Everybody's giving
Everyone is being generous
Giving from their hearts unselfishly
They are giving with love and without expecting anything in return
MaMa's making everyone's favorite recipe
Mama is making everyone's favorite dish
I wish we had Christmas forever
The singer wishes that the joy and love of Christmas could last forever
Let's stay together
Let's continue spending time together
I pray we never
The singer hopes that we never
Let Christmas slip away
Lose the special feeling and memories of Christmas
Now don't you want Christmas forever
The singer is asking if the listener also wishes Christmas could last forever
Peace seems all around us.yes
There is a sense of peace and goodwill
A world of harmony feels all so real
It feels like the whole world is in agreement and at peace
What a truly special time
Christmas is a truly special time
A special time of the year.yes
It is a unique time of the year
All the people caroling
People are singing Christmas carols together
Children adding special rays of joy
Kids are contributing to the joy and happiness of the day
Wish this time would never end
The singer wishes that the happiness and good will of Christmas would last forever
We should all work hard to make sure we have Christmas forever
We should strive to keep the spirit of Christmas alive all year round
Join hands together
Let's come together and show unity
Christmas forever (Christmas forever, don't you wanna, don't you wanna
The singer repeats his wish for Christmas to last forever
Writer(s): Janice C. Dempsey, James Richard Mckinney Jr, Paul Laurence Jones
Contributed by Carter I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.