Wilson's solo career begin with 1957's "Reet Petite", written by the then unknown Berry Gordy, Jr. and recorded on the Brunswick Records label with whom Wilson would remain throughout his career. He had his first top 40 hit in 1958 with "To Be Loved". At the end of that year he had his first big success with "Lonely Teardrops" that went to #7 on the charts. The song, also written by Berry Gordy, Jr. became his signature tune. That same year saw Wilson release his first LP titled He's So Fine.
Wilson's brand of pop-soul and R&B helped him cross over to the mainstream, having several pop hits. His dynamic stage performances earned him the nickname "Mr. Excitement". His performance of "Lonely Teardrops" on the Ed Sullivan Show is considered one of its classics. In the 1960s, Wilson continued to record singles, many of them operatic, such as "Danny Boy" or "Night", others were up-tempo and exciting, such as "Baby Workout" in 1963. Although married to Frida Hood since 1951, Wilson was a notorious womanizer and was shot and wounded by one of his alleged lovers, Juanita Jones, on February 15 1961 in a jealous rage as he returned to his apartment with another woman, fashion model Harlean Harris, an ex-girlfriend of singer Sam Cooke. As a married man conducting extra-marital affairs, his management decided, as a way not to damage his career, to concoct a story that Jones was an obsessed fan who threatened to shoot herself, and that Wilson's intervention concluded in him being shot. Astonishingly, the story was accepted, and no charges were brought against Juanita Jones. He was divorced from Frida in 1965, and married Harlean Harris from 1967 until his death in 1984.
His career began to suffer in the mid-60s, though he managed a brief revival by collaborating with Carl Davis, a legendary Chicago producer. This resulted in two hits, "Whispers" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher". The revival was short-lived, though, and Wilson rarely charted in the 1970s. Wilson suffered a massive heart attack while playing a Dick Clark show at the Latin Casino in New Jersey on September 29, 1975, falling head-first to the stage; he was singing "Lonely Teardrops". A comatose Wilson lived in a hospital until his death in 1984 at age 49. His medical costs were paid for by Dick Clark. In 1985, successful soul/funk band The Commodores, recorded "Nightshift" which was a song in memory of Wilson, as well as soul singer Marvin Gaye, who died in the same year as Wilson.
Van Morrison also recorded a tribute song called "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)" on his 1972 hit album Saint Dominic's Preview. This song was later covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners. When the track was performed on the British TV show Top of the Pops, a picture of Wilson was intended to be used in the background - but an intentional joke by the band and the production staff meant that a picture of darts player Jocky Wilson was used instead. Wilson is mentioned in the rap song "thugs mansion" Tupac and Nas. The exact quote is, "Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night, it had me shook Drinkinn peppermint Schnapps, with Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke".
Wilson scored a posthumous hit when "Reet Petite" reached number one in the United Kingdom in 1986. The following year,he also hit the UK charts again with "I Get The Sweetest Feeling"(No.3), and "Higher and Higher"(No.11). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987; that same year, he was portrayed in the Richie Valens biopic La Bamba by Howard Huntsberry.
Wilson is interred in the Westlawn Cemetery in Wayne, Michigan.
I'm Comin' On Back to You
Jackie Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And let you run to someone new
But I won't be a fool anymore
I'm coming back to you
Can't bear to think you're kissing her
It tortures me the whole night through
But I won't take that torture anymore
I'm coming back to you
She's got no right to hold you tight
Her days are over, beginning tonight
Your lips belong to me alone
No one could love you like I do
And I can't live without you anymore
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
Your lips belong to me alone
No one could love you like I do
And I can't live without you anymore
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back
The lyrics of Jackie Wilson's song "I'm Comin' On Back to You" speaks to a person who has realized their mistake of letting go of someone they love and are determined to make things right again. The singer acknowledges their foolishness in letting their loved one go to someone else, but expresses their desire to come back to them. The lyrics suggest that the singer feels tortured by the thought of their loved one being with someone else and cannot live without them. The repetition of the phrase "I'm coming back to you" emphasizes the singer's determination to reconnect with their partner.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of possession and a desire to reclaim what belongs to the singer alone. The lines "She's got no right to hold you tight, Her days are over, beginning tonight" suggest a sense of ownership over the partner and a disregard for the new person in their life. The singer believes that they love the partner more than anyone else ever could and wants to convey this through the line "No one could love you like I do."
Overall, the song conveys a message of determination and a desire to make things right in a romantic relationship. It emphasizes the importance of not taking someone for granted and cherishing what one has before it's gone.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a fool to step aside
I made a mistake by letting you go and allowing you to move on to someone else.
And let you run to someone new
I allowed you to find happiness with someone else, when I should have fought for our love.
But I won't be a fool anymore
I have learned from my mistake and I will no longer let our love slip away.
I'm coming back to you
I am determined to win your heart back and bring our love to where it used to be.
Can't bear to think you're kissing her
The thought of you being intimate with someone else hurts me deeply.
It tortures me the whole night through
I can't escape the pain of knowing you're with someone else and it consumes me every moment of the day.
But I won't take that torture anymore
I have reached my limit and I am no longer willing to suffer.
She's got no right to hold you tight
The other woman has no claim over you or your heart.
Her days are over, beginning tonight
I will put an end to their relationship and make sure you are mine again.
Your lips belong to me alone
Your affection and intimacy is reserved only for me, and no one else can come between us.
No one could love you like I do
My love for you is unmatched and irreplaceable, and no one else can offer you the same depth of emotion.
And I can't live without you anymore
You are an essential part of my life and being without you is not an option for me.
I'm coming back to you
I will be with you again soon, and our love will be stronger than ever before.
I'm coming back to you
I am committed to bringing us back together and making things right between us.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: A. KASHA, H. OTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@shahabhussain5120
His best song to show off that range. Simply no parallel…..
@leeloveification
I met MR. EXCITEMENT....in PITTSBURGH, PA. WHEN I WAS TWELVE, AND HE TOLD ME HIS MIDDLE NAME WAS 'LEROY' just like my first name. That was around 1961.......Even though there were all theses 'beautiful ladies screaming for him, he pick me out of the crowd, and said: ''YOUNG MAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT SO LATE ON A SCHOOL NIGHT'' MR. LEE LOVE
@Donace007
He is truly "Mr. Excitement". Love this song. RIP Mr. Wilson
@soulman4692
Wow...that´s music...wonderful music...awesome !!!
@tommotd
Jackie made a comeback after his recovery from a gunshot wound and appeared at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater. This was his comeback song. He did his old hits and was master of the stage. Me and my cous Mike subwayed down from the Bronx to see it. AND.. would you believe... he shared the bill with Jerry Lee Lewis! Lucky me!
@helenlucas5274
tommotd
he's the best ever love Jackie
@pamelawest8138
He was just wonderful! I love this song and the video too!
@GrandsonofSoul
Love it when he hits those high notes!
@brandonnmartinez5064
Me too man lol
@babyRoses7
I have this fabulous disk! Love Jacky Wilson Muahhh Jacky!