Born in the small town of Thompson, Georgia, Jackson was the daughter of a sharecropper. Jackson's mother died while she was still a child, and subsequently, she and her father moved to Newark, New Jersey. By the time she was in her mid-teens, she moved to Brooklyn, New York, and lived with an aunt. Jackson occasionally worked as a model for magazines like Jive and Sepia.
Her career is said to have begun on a dare to enter a 1964 Harlem nightclub talent contest, which she soundly won.
Though Jackson first recorded for MGM records, she soon left and began her long association with Spring records. Among her early hits was Hurts So Good which was featured in the blaxploitation film Cleopatra Jones. During the 1970s, she travelled the Southern club circuit along with other bands like The Mighty Majors. Jackson is a former Grammy Award nominee for If Loving You is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right) from the album Caught Up. On that album, the follow-up Still Caught Up, and others, she was backed by the renowned Muscle Shoals rhythm section. Her voice is frequently compared to Gladys Knight's.
Jackson's chart success continued into the 1980s. Two of her largest hits during this period include "Hot! Wild! Unrestricted Crazy Love" and "Love Is A Dangerous Game". Both songs reached the Top 10 of R&B chart.
Jackson wrote and starred in the touring play "Young Man, Older Woman," based on her album of the same title. Two more albums followed, 1994's Rock N' Soul and 1995's It's Over.
Jackson now runs her own record label, Weird Wreckuds. For the past several years Jackson has had her own radio show in Dallas, Texas. Broadcasting via remote from her home in Atlanta, Jackson can be found working during the afternoon drive time from 3-6 p.m. on KKDA 730 AM.
In 2000, Jackson's voice was featured in "Am I Wrong" by Etienne de Crecy, sampled from her performance in "If Loving You is Wrong". In 2001, Jackson issued her album, Not For Church Folk! on her own label, Weird Wreckuds. It includes the single, "Butt--A-Cize."
I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You
Millie Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the sun was a demon
The clouds were afraid, 110 in the shade
And the pavements were steaming
I told Billy Ray in his red Chevrolet
I needed time for some thinking
I was just walkin' by when I looked in her eye
She was thirty-one and I was seventeen
I knew nothin' 'bout love, she knew everything
But I sat down beside her on a front porch swing
And wondered what the coming night would bring
The sun closed her eyes as it climbed in the sky
And it started to swelter
Sweat trickled down the front of her gown
And I thought it would melt her
She threw back her hair like I wasn't there
And she sipped on a Julep
Her shoulders were bare and I tried not to stare
When I looked at her two lips
And then she looked at me, I heard her softly say
I know you're young, you don't know what to do or say
But stay with me until the sun has gone away
And I will chase the boy in you away
And then she smiled and we talked for a while
Then we walked for a mile to the sea
We sat on the sand and a boy took her hand
But I saw the sunrise as a man
Ten years have gone by since I looked in her eye
But the memory lingers
I go back in my mind to the very first time
And feel the touch of her fingers
The song "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You" by Millie Jackson is a poignant reminder of a love that didn't last. The opening lyrics of the song set the stage for a hot summer day, with the sun beating down and the air thick with humidity. The singer, who is only 17 years old at the time, is wandering aimlessly when he comes across a woman who captures his attention. The woman is 31, and the singer is immediately struck by her beauty and wisdom.
As the two of them sit together and talk, the singer is both intimidated and fascinated by the woman's experience and knowledge of love. He is unsure of himself and feels like a boy in her presence, but she is patient and encouraging, assuring him that he will eventually grow into a man who understands love. The two spend the evening together, watching the sunrise as the singer realizes that he has fallen in love.
The memories of that day and that woman remain with the singer, even as ten years have passed. He looks back on that time with a sense of longing and sadness, wondering if things might have turned out differently if he had been more confident or if they had met under different circumstances. The song is a beautiful tribute to lost love and the power that it can hold over us, even years later.
Line by Line Meaning
Twas a hot afternoon, the last day of June
It was a scorching day in the last moments of June
And the sun was a demon
The sun was excessively hot
The clouds were afraid, 110 in the shade
The clouds feared the heat with a temperature of 110 degrees
And the pavements were steaming
The ground was extremely hot
I told Billy Ray in his red Chevrolet
I spoke to Billy Ray in his red Chevrolet
I needed time for some thinking
I needed time to contemplate
I was just walkin' by when I looked in her eye
I was passing by when I gazed into her eyes
And I swore it was winkin'
I confidently believed she was winking at me
She was thirty-one and I was seventeen
She was aged 31 while I was only 17 years old
I knew nothin' 'bout love, she knew everything
I was ignorant about love, but she knew it all
But I sat down beside her on a front porch swing
I took a seat beside her on a swing outside the porch
And wondered what the coming night would bring
I thought about what the future night might hold
The sun closed her eyes as it climbed in the sky
She closed her eyes as the sun rose high in the sky
And it started to swelter
The weather began to get even hotter
Sweat trickled down the front of her gown
She was sweating, and her dress showed it
And I thought it would melt her
I worried the heat would cause her to melt
She threw back her hair like I wasn't there
She flipped her hair back, as if I wasn't present
And she sipped on a Julep
She drank a Julep
Her shoulders were bare and I tried not to stare
Her shoulders were exposed, and I attempted not to gaze
When I looked at her two lips
When I glanced at her lips
And then she looked at me, I heard her softly say
She then stared at me, while speaking in a low voice
I know you're young, you don't know what to do or say
You are naive and don't understand how to handle things
But stay with me until the sun has gone away
Remain with me until the sun sets
And I will chase the boy in you away
I will help you grow up and become more mature
And then she smiled and we talked for a while
She then grinned and we conversed for some time
Then we walked for a mile to the sea
We walked for a mile and arrived at the ocean
We sat on the sand and a boy took her hand
We sat on the sandy beach and a young man held her hand
But I saw the sunrise as a man
I experienced the sunrise metamorphosing me into a mature adult
Ten years have gone by since I looked in her eye
It has been a decade since I gazed into her eyes
But the memory lingers
But the memory of it is still fresh
I go back in my mind to the very first time
I can recall the very first time in my head
And feel the touch of her fingers
And reminisce the sensation of her fingers on me
Writer(s): Bobby Womack
Contributed by Brooklyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michael Benton
on All The Way Lover
Totally Wrong Lyrics.. Not Even Close.. Totally Different Song