Married at age 15, Howard had three sons before she turned 21. After two divorces, she headed to Los Angeles and took on jobs as a waitress and a secretary to support her family. Through singer Wynn Stewart, she met and later married then up-and-coming songwriter Harlan Howard. Although she had no musical training or experience, Harlan convinced her to record demos of his songs. This brought her the attention and encouragement of Johnny Bond and Tex Ritter. In 1959, she and Stewart recorded the duet “Yankee Go Home.” That same year she made her Opry debut; it was one of the first times the $65-a-week secretary had ever sung on stage.
The Howards moved from California to Nashville in 1960. Her first solo single, “The One You Slip Around With,” was a Top 10 hit, and both Billboard and Cash Box magazines named her their Most Promising Country Vocalist.
In 1964, she signed with Decca Records and had another hit in 1965 with “What Makes a Man Wander.” That same year she joined Bill Anderson’s syndicated TV and road show and sang with him regularly on the Opry. For seven years they won many top-duo awards, and she enjoyed her greatest chart success with their duets: “For Loving You” went to No. 1 and was followed by four Top 5 hits.
At the same time, her solo single “Evil on Your Mind” (named one of country music’s 500 greatest singles by the book Heartaches by the Number) went Top 5. “Bad Seed” reached number 10 in 1966, and, over the next seven years, she charted several more singles.
Her single “My Son,” a song that began as a letter to her son Jimmy in Vietnam, was released just a few weeks before he was killed in action in 1968. She wrote of coping with the tragedies of his death and that of her youngest son David in her 1987 autobiography, Sunshine and Shadow.
In 1992, Howard’s efforts on behalf of the armed forces, mental health, the Veterans Administration, Vietnam veterans, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial earned her the Tennessee Adjutant General’s Distinguished Patriot Medal, its highest civilian honor. In 2005, the Commander in Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars presented her with the Medal of Merit, which is awarded for “exceptional service rendered to country, community and humankind.”
A regular guest on the Opry for years, Howard formally joined the cast in 1971. She continued to tour periodically and to work for causes related to military veterans. In 2005, she was recognized by her home state with her induction into the Missouri Country Music Hall of Fame.
She subsequently appeared on albums by other artists. In 2007, she recorded a duet with Bill Anderson and Vince Gill for Anderson's studio release, Whisperin' Bluegrass. In 2017, Howard and Jessi Colter appeared on Jeannie Seely's studio album Written in Song, singing on the track "We're Still Hangin' in There, Ain't We Jessi". In 2019, she celebrated her 90th birthday at the Opry, making her the show's oldest living member. On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Jan Howard among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
Burning Bridges
Jan Howard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now they're gone I'd burned them to ashes don't want nothin' to remind me of you
Burning bridges behind me it's too late to turn back now
Burning bridges behind me all I want is to forget you somehow
Sold the house we once planned together said goodbye to friends we once knew
Then I moved to a faraway city trying hard to forget about you
Burning bridges behind me
The lyrics of Jan Howard's song "Burning Bridges" convey a sense of closure and moving on from a past relationship. The singer of the song discovers letters from their former lover, reminiscing on the love they once shared. However, instead of holding onto those memories, the singer decides to burn the letters, symbolizing their desire to let go of the past and not be reminded of the former relationship. The burning of the bridges, both metaphorically and literally, represents the irreversible decision to move forward and not look back.
The lyrics capture the emotional journey of someone who has experienced heartbreak and is determined to leave behind all reminders of their past love. The decision to sell the house they had planned together and say goodbye to mutual friends further emphasizes the singer's commitment to starting anew. Moving to a faraway city is an attempt to distance themselves physically from the memories associated with the previous relationship, a way to cut ties and create a fresh start.
Line by Line Meaning
Found some letters you wrote me this morning they told of a love we once knew
Discovering the letters you wrote to me today, which were reminders of the love we used to share.
Now they're gone I'd burned them to ashes don't want nothin' to remind me of you
Now that I have destroyed and reduced them to ashes, I have made sure that there is nothing left to remind me of you.
Burning bridges behind me it's too late to turn back now
Destroying the connections and relationships I had with you, making it impossible for me to go back and change anything.
Burning bridges behind me all I want is to forget you somehow
Destroying all the ties I had with you, because all I desire now is to find a way to completely erase you from my memory.
Sold the house we once planned together said goodbye to friends we once knew
I sold the house that we had once dreamed of building together and said farewell to the friends we used to have in common.
Then I moved to a faraway city trying hard to forget about you
Afterwards, I relocated to a distant city, exerting great effort to distance myself from any thoughts or memories related to you.
Burning bridges behind me
Continuing to cut off all ties and connections I had with you, severing any possibility of going back.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Walter Scott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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