Jackson was still in high school when country singer Hank Thompson heard her sing on an Oklahoma City radio show and asked her to record with his band in 1954. She dated Elvis Presley, who encouraged her to step away from the country-tinged gospel she had been performing since childhood and try her hand at rock and roll. She developed her own distinctive voice and performed in a variety of styles, from folksy traditional tunes to country twang and high yodels to throaty, suggestive ballads. She was a prolific singer of songs with wry lyrics such as "Fujiyama Mama," which contained many references to the World War II bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; ironically, it became a #1 hit in Japan. Her biggest hit was 1959's "Let's Have a Party."
Jackson achieved great and continuing success throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia, but has never found the same level of fame in her native United States. She toured with rock and roll pioneers such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly. She has been nominated for two Grammys, and has been awarded the Oklahoma Native Daughter Award. She has been inducted into the Oklahoma Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the International Hall of Fame, the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, and the German Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2009 was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influence.
A born-again Christian, Jackson and her husband/manager Wendell Goodman abandoned rock and roll in 1971 and spent the next 25 years performing gospel in churches.
In 1996, Jackson was invited by alt-country singer Rosie Flores to duet with her on an upcoming album. The two were so pleased with the results that Jackson joined Flores on a handful of promotional club dates which were soon extended into a five-week North American tour. Jackson, plesantly surprised to discover that she and her songs were known by a generation of rockabilly fans her grandchildren's age, soon assembled her own band and returned to clubs and festivals, where she continues to perform.
In recent years Jackson has recorded with such artists as The Cramps, Lee Rocker, Dave Alvin, and Elvis Costello. 2006 saw the release of a new Jackson album, I Remember Elvis.
In 2009, it was announced that Jackson would start work on new recordings with Jack White. The resulting album, The Party Ain't Over, was released on January 25, 2011. It included a cover of the Bob Dylan rockabilly song, "Thunder on the Mountain" and the Amy Winehouse song "You Know I'm No Good". On January 20, 2011, she performed with Jack White on The Late Show With David Letterman and again on January 25, 2011, on Conan.
Am I Even a Memory
Wanda Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it carried me back to when
But you turned and passed me by
Like you saw me through stranger’s eyes
Am I even a memory?
Darling have you forgotten me?
In the night in the dreams you see
Something happened somewhere in time
Now you’re no longer mine
What became of the love we shared?
Happiness and the way we cared
Am I even a memory?
Darling have you forgotten me?
In the night in the dreams you see
Am I even a memory?
Not an hour of a day pass by
When memories don’t make me cry
What become of the love we shared?
Happiness and the way we cared
Am I even a memory?
Darling have you forgotten me?
In the night in the dreams you see
Am I even a memory?
Am I even a memory?
Darling have you forgotten me?
In the night in the dreams you see
Am I even a memory?
Wanda Jackson's song "Am I Even a Memory?" is a melancholic reflection of lost love and the uncertainty of being remembered. The song conveys the emotions of someone who had fallen in love, shared happy moments and was left with only memories of the past. The lyrics describe the encounter with the former lover who now sees them as a stranger. The singer wonders if their past love was just an illusion as they struggle to understand if they were forgotten or if they still linger in their ex-lover's memories.
The song's repeated chorus, "Am I even a memory? Darling, have you forgotten me?" emphasizes the singer's confusion, desperation, and longing to be remembered. It's like she's wandering through the memories in her head to determine if the past was real or just a dream. She contemplates the essence of love, the happy times they shared, and the way they cared, trying to find answers to why their love had crumbled. The song portrays the pain of failed love and the struggle to cope with it.
Overall, "Am I Even a Memory?" is a beautifully crafted song with poignant lyrics that celebrate lost love, reflecting the singer's emotions, and creating an emotional connection with the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Just by chance we didn’t meet again
Although we had the opportunity to meet again by coincidence, it didn't happen.
And it carried me back to when
It made me remember a past time.
But you turned and passed me by
You ignored me and didn't acknowledge my presence.
Like you saw me through stranger’s eyes
You looked at me as if I was a complete stranger.
Something happened somewhere in time
There was a change or event that occurred in the past.
Now you’re no longer mine
We are no longer in a relationship.
What became of the love we shared?
What happened to the affection we had for each other?
Happiness and the way we cared
The joyful and caring moments we had together.
Not an hour of a day pass by
I think of you every hour of every day.
When memories don’t make me cry
When memories of us together don't make me emotional.
Am I even a memory?
Do you remember me at all?
Darling have you forgotten me?
Have you completely erased me from your mind?
In the night in the dreams you see
Do you still think of me in your dreams at night?
Am I even a memory?
Do you remember me at all?
Darling have you forgotten me?
Have you completely erased me from your mind?
In the night in the dreams you see
Do you still think of me in your dreams at night?
Am I even a memory?
Do you remember me at all?
Darling have you forgotten me?
Have you completely erased me from your mind?
In the night in the dreams you see
Do you still think of me in your dreams at night?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
E. N. Oğuz
Wanda is so fabulous!
PEPPYY22
great duet!
David Christian
Looks like the long gone Crazy Horse Saloon on the wilder side of downtown Atlanta. They had a country-western karaoke night that was great. If Wanda and Justin had wandered in the place would have gone nuts.
López Mendicuti
Love save the Queen!
tennisbumojai
The magnificent Wanda Jackson.