Jackson was the first to join the Grand Ole Opry before he got a recording contract. He signed to Columbia Records and debuted in 1958 with "Don't Be Angry." The song didn't score in the country music top 40, but it got him recognition.His breakthrough came in the country Top 40 in late 1958, with a song written by a young George Jones, "Life to Go." It peaked at #2 in early 1959 and his follow-up record, "Waterloo," was #1 for 5 weeks and crossed over into the Top 40 Pop charts, where it reached #4. His next #1 came in 1964, with "B.J. The D.J." (about an over-worked country music radio station DJ, who crashes his car in a rainstorm because of bad tires). Jackson was the first to record a live record from the Grand Ole Opry, in 1963 with "Old Showboat." Other classics include "The Carpet On The Floor," "Why I'm Walkin'," "A Wound Time Can't Erase" and "I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water." Jackson also recorded a cover of Lobo's 1971 hit, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo."
From 1958 to 1971, Jackson had 35 Top 40 Country Hits. Along with Ray Price, Jackson is considered a cornerstone, after Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell, in the hard-driving honky tonk sound in the late 50's and early 60's.
In 2006, Jackson sued the Grand Ole Opry for $10 million, claiming age discrimination. As a member of the Opry for over fifty years, Jackson believed that management was sidelining him in favor of younger artists. In his court filing, Jackson claimed that Grand Ole Opry general manager, Pete Fisher, stated that he didn't "want any gray hairs on that stage or in the audience, and before I'm done there won't be any." Fisher is also alleged to have told Jackson that he was "too old and too country."
Wedding Bells
Stonewall Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You wanted me to see you change your name
I couldn't stand to see you wed another
But dear, I hope you're happy just the same
Wedding bells are ringing in the chapel
That should be ringing now for you and me
And down the aisle with someone else you're walking
I planned a little cottage in the valley
I even bought a little band of gold
I thought someday I'd place it on your finger
But now the future looks so dark and cold
Wedding bells are ringing in the chapel
I can hear the children laughing now with glee
I walk alone and hang my head in sorrow
Those wedding bells will never ring for me
I fancy that I see a bunch of roses
A blossom from an orange tree in your hair
While the organ plays I'll love you truly
Please let me pretend that I was there
Wedding bells are ringing in the chapel
Ever since the day you set me free
I knew someday that you would wed another
But the wedding bells will never ring for me
The song Wedding Bells by Stonewall Jackson is a sad ballad about unrequited love and the pain of watching someone you love marry someone else. The opening lyrics speak of an invitation sent to the singer by the person he loves, inviting him to witness her marrying someone else. While he cannot bear to watch, he still wishes her happiness in her new life. The chorus, with its haunting melody and plaintive lyrics, speaks of the wedding bells ringing in the chapel, the same chapel where the singer had planned to marry his loved one. He is now resigned to walking alone, as the wedding bells will never ring for him.
The second verse speaks of the dreams the singer had of a future with his loved one. He had planned a little cottage and a band of gold for her finger, but now those dreams are shattered. The line “now the future looks so dark and cold” speaks to the deep sadness and sense of loss the singer feels. The final verse speaks of the singer’s imagination, as he pictures his loved one at the wedding with a bunch of roses in her hair, while the organ plays “I’ll love you truly”. He asks her to allow him to pretend he was there. The sad refrain of “the wedding bells will never ring for me” underscores the melancholic theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I have the invitation that you sent me
I received the invitation you sent me to invite me to your wedding
You wanted me to see you change your name
You wanted me to witness you changing your name when you get married
I couldn't stand to see you wed another
I couldn't bear to watch you get married to somebody else
But dear, I hope you're happy just the same
But my dear, I still hope that you're happy even though I won't be with you
Wedding bells are ringing in the chapel
The sound of wedding bells is heard coming from the chapel
That should be ringing now for you and me
Those bells should be ringing for us, but they're not
And down the aisle with someone else you're walking
You are walking down the aisle with another person, not me
Those wedding bells will never ring for me
I will never hear those wedding bells ring for me
I planned a little cottage in the valley
I had planned to build us a little cottage in the valley
I even bought a little band of gold
I bought a ring for you, a little band of gold
I thought someday I'd place it on your finger
I thought I'd place that ring on your finger someday
But now the future looks so dark and cold
But now, without you, the future looks bleak and unbearable
I can hear the children laughing now with glee
I can hear the sound of joyful children laughing in the chapel
I walk alone and hang my head in sorrow
I walk alone with my head hanging low, feeling sad and hopeless
Those wedding bells will never ring for me
I know that I will never experience hearing those wedding bells ring for me
I fancy that I see a bunch of roses
I imagine that I see a bouquet of roses
A blossom from an orange tree in your hair
I see a blossom from an orange tree in your hair
While the organ plays I'll love you truly
As the organ plays, I will love you truly
Please let me pretend that I was there
Please allow me to pretend that I was there at your wedding
Ever since the day you set me free
Ever since the day you let me go and set me free
I knew someday that you would wed another
I always knew that one day you would marry someone else
But the wedding bells will never ring for me
Although you're getting married, unfortunately, the wedding bells will never ring for me
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CLAUDE BOONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind