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."
Loving Arms
Millie Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The one who said that shes rather roam
The one who said shed rather be alone
If you could only see me now
If I could hold you now
Just for a moment, if I could really make you mine
Just for a while, if I could make you mine
[Chorus]
I've been too long in the wind
Too long in the rain
Taking any comfort that I can
Looking back and longing for
The freedom of my chains
And lying in your loving arms again
If you could hear me now
Singing somewhere through the lonely nights
Dreaming of the arms that held me tight
If you could only hear me now
[Chorus]
I can almost feel your loving arms again
The lyrics to Millie Jackson's song Loving Arms convey a sense of longing and regret, as the singer reflects on past choices and yearns for the comfort and security of a loved one's embrace. The first verse speaks to the regret that can come with pushing someone away, reflecting on the idea that perhaps the singer's insistence on being alone was a mistake. The second verse expresses a desire to hold that person now, just for a moment, suggesting that even the briefest reunion would be meaningful. The chorus further emphasizes the singer's feelings of isolation and longing, as they look back on their past choices and yearn to be held again. The final verse brings the song full circle, with the singer imagining that the person they miss might be able to hear their song and know how much they are missed.
Overall, the lyrics to Loving Arms convey a sense of vulnerability and emotional honesty, speaking to the universal human desire for connection and comfort. Whether the listener has experienced the regretful feelings of the singer firsthand or simply appreciates the raw emotion of the song, Loving Arms is a powerful and moving piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
If you could see me now
If you could witness how much I've changed
The one who said that shes rather roam
The one who claimed she preferred being alone and wandering
The one who said shed rather be alone
The same person who insisted on being alone
If you could only see me now
If you could only recognize me now as a changed person
If I could hold you now
If I could embrace you right now
Just for a moment, if I could really make you mine
Even if it's only for a little while, if I could be yours completely
Just for a while, if I could make you mine
If I could only have you for a brief time
If I could only hold you now
If only I could get the chance to hold you now
I've been too long in the wind
I've been wandering aimlessly for too long
Too long in the rain
I've been subjected to hard times for too long
Taking any comfort that I can
Taking comfort from anything at all
Looking back and longing for
Looking back and missing
The freedom of my chains
The freedom from the burdens that held me in place
And lying in your loving arms again
And being in your tender and caring embrace once more
If you could hear me now
If you could hear the loneliness in my voice now
Singing somewhere through the lonely nights
Singing alone in the dark nights with no companionship
Dreaming of the arms that held me tight
Dreaming about the comforting arms that used to hold me so tightly
If you could only hear me now
If you could hear me cry out for you now
I can almost feel your loving arms again
I can almost imagine being hugged tightly by you once more
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Thomas Louis Jans
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
charles maynard
Millie Jackson is truly underrated, I love her music.
Dimitri Jackson
Never underrated; Those who know know better
Dorothy Brown
Charles Maynard is because she wouldn't sell out to the evil force in the music industry. Millie my forever love.
arthaniel gary
@Dimitri Jackson . Lol
Sylvia Simpson
@Dorothy Brown and mine, memories so Gòòòd me white partner black, so much love.
Wilson Hishono
@Dimitri Jackson indeed ... mainstream medial not always "the it"
Ali Sinclair
I've been listening to Millie since the 70s. I'm old, white and Scottish but her music touched me like no other. Thank you Millie for years of your beautiful music x
Simone Gray
this song 🎵 is beautiful 😍
Joy Clother
Love this song so much
Jeffrey Bute
Me to